'Seeing the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living' 

A garden based on Psalm 27 and sponsored by Bible Society will feature at the RHS Young Designer of the Year competition at the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park in July

Young designer Ollie Pike (24) first heard the psalm when attending a funeral. ‘Its hopeful message was very comforting at a time of sadness,’ he said.

‘The psalm speaks to me of protection and to be hopeful. It gives a feeling of comfort in difficult moments and to have faith that things will improve.

‘The most comforting line to me is the one about ‘seeing the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living”. This meant a lot to me, provoking ideas of the beauty in our natural living world and that there is always comfort to be found in the beauty and calmness of nature.’

When looking for inspiration for the garden, Ollie was drawn back to Psalm 27.

‘It become increasingly visual to me,’ he said.  ‘All the visual messages within Psalm 27 had strong links to all the beautiful churchyards that I have visited and provided a clear vision of what the garden might look and feel like.

‘I am looking forward to bringing the garden to life and working with all the amazing talented people that believe in this garden’s message. I am also excited for people to see the garden and to talk about their ideas of Psalm 27.’



The garden follows Bible Society’s sponsorship of Sarah Eberle’s Psalm 23 Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2021. It won a gold medal, Best Sanctuary Garden and Best Construction.

Psalm 27 is less well known, but speaks to our times. It is a profound meditation on loss, fear and faith.

Bible Society’s Hazel Southam said, ‘The psalm is a song of comfort and faith, but the context is fear and doubt. The writer has unidentified “enemies”. There’s a sense of desperation, and of the unreliability of human help.

‘We may have “enemies” too. They can be people who don’t have our good at heart, or just life circumstances that make every day a battle.

‘But the psalmist offers a pathway to hope. In an uncertain world, he urges trust in God’s faithfulness. “I will triumph over my enemies,” he says; “I will live to see the Lord’s goodness in this present life.” 
 

RHS Flower Show Tatton Park takes place from July 19–23