‘Under Southern Skies’ was designed by Siobhan Keating of SK Gardens for Dawn Conn Sculpture‘s exhibition at the 2026 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
The Under Southern Skies garden, a sanctuary shaped by the spirit of the Aotearoa New Zealand bush, brought together Siobhan Keating’s experience of designing gardens in both England and New Zealand, with the artistic vision of sculptor Dawn Conn.
The team behind the garden
Siobhan Keating is the founder of SK Gardens, a New Zealand-based garden design business. Born in the UK, but raised in New Zealand, she’s always retained a special connection to the UK.
Before becoming a garden designer, she had a seven-year career at New Zealand Police. While considering a change in direction, she came across a garden design diploma being advertised in the UK, and made the decision to uproot her life and move to the Yorkshire Dales to study. That leap of faith ultimately led to a career in garden design and a few years later, to exhibit at the Chelsea Flower Show.
Dawn Conn was born and raised in New Zealand before later moving to the UK, and her childhood experiences and enduring connection to New Zealand continue to inform her creative practice. Based in Oxfordshire, she has worked as a sculptor for almost 20 years. While previously living in Australia, she attended a weekend sculpture course and felt something come alive in both her hands and her heart. That instinctive connection to the medium remains evident in her work today.
Dawn has an innate ability to connect with people, and her warmth is reflected in her sculptures. Throughout the show, Siobhan and Dawn were overwhelmed by the joy, contemplation and emotional responses her work inspired, particularly amongst those encountering it for the first time.
The pair have been friends since 2023, and their shared New Zealand heritage became a central thread throughout this project, shaping both the atmosphere of the garden and the stories it sought to tell. It also made our visit to Chelsea Flower Show particularly meaningful, grounding the project in a shared sense of place and identity.
Here, Siobhan shares more about the garden at Chelsea…
Tell us about Under Southern Skies…
It was inspired by the New Zealand bush and the sense of sanctuary and refuge it offers. The garden aimed to capture the feeling of stepping into the bush, where there is space and time to unwind, reconnect with yourself, and emerge feeling braver, ready to take a leap of faith into the unknown.
The space was anchored by a restrained palette of blackened timber, corten steel and natural stone. Layered, textural planting enveloped visitors, creating a living framework that allowed the sculptures to take centre stage while adding multiple layers of storytelling and inviting reflection on themes of courage, connection and self-discovery. These themes not only reflected the sculptures themselves, but also the personal journeys that brought both myself and Dawn to Chelsea. Both of us had, in different ways, taken leaps of faith that led us towards creative careers and ultimately to this collaboration.
Designing for a temporary show is very different from a permanent garden. Tell us about the preparation, biggest challenges and wins?
One of the biggest challenges was collaboration across continents, with the garden being designed from New Zealand while Dawn was in the United Kingdom. We had to convey our respective visions remotely while attempting to achieve a single, coherent whole.
Plant sourcing proved to be the greatest logistical challenge. We wanted to evoke a New Zealand-inspired planting palette, but were limited by seasonal availability, UK nursery stock and the practical realities of sourcing suitable plants.
The planting list evolved numerous times as availability changed – also as our own thinking changed. Because we wanted the garden to focus on a lush, green woodland aesthetic, our early emphasis shifted away from flower colour and towards foliage texture, leaf shape, scale and form.
A restrained palette of greens, complemented by touches of white and cream, helped create the desired atmosphere while allowing Dawn’s sculptures to remain focal points within the garden. It became an exercise in restraint and, for two creatives who both love colour – that was perhaps one of the greatest challenges.
One of the greatest successes was achieving the intended sense of place and emotion despite the sourcing constraints and international nature of the project. One of the greatest rewards was hearing visitors describe the garden as unmistakably New Zealand. That strong sense of identity naturally opened conversations about sculpture, landscape and creative inspiration.
Is there a particular plant that feels especially important to the overall composition?
The tree ferns were undoubtedly among the most important and visually striking elements within the garden, alongside Dawn’s sculptures. They are strongly associated with New Zealand and Australia, and bring a sense of antiquity, permanence and connection to ancient landscapes.
Their dramatic forms immediately drew visitors into the space and helped create the immersive woodland atmosphere. They also provided a distinctive visual identity that stood out amongst the wider show.
Did you have a post-show plan for the plants and materials used for your garden?
Sustainability and legacy were important considerations from the outset. Most of the plants and materials have been relocated to Dawn’s garden, allowing elements of the Chelsea garden to continue their story, and serve as a lasting reminder of the project and journey behind it. Additional plants were donated locally to support a village fundraising initiative focused on preserving the local church.
We are pleased that the vast majority of the garden’s components could be reused and continue to be enjoyed long after the show concluded.
Plant palette
- Cenolophium denudatum
- Deschampsia cespitosa (tufted hair grass)
- Dicksonia antarctica (soft tree fern)
- Digitalis purpurea Dalmatian Cream Group (foxglove)
- Hosta ‘Devon Green’
- Polystichum polyblepharum (Japanese tassel fern)
- Sagina subulata (Irish moss)
- Viola sororia ‘Freckles’ (freckled violet)
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