Sacred Places
Mount Street Gardens
A centuries-old London sanctuary whose quiet beauty inspired Nature Sacred—and a legacy of healing in nature.
WHERE
London, United Kingdom
SETTING
Neighborhood
FOCAL POINT
The Portal
PARTNER INSTITUTION
Westminister City Council
Visit
Where it is
Mount St, London W1K 2TH, United Kingdom
What happens here
Visitors step out of the rhythm of London and into a small sanctuary designed for pause, reflection, and connection. On the Nature Sacred Benches, Little Yellow Journals invite strangers to leave behind a thought, discover the words of another, and become part of an unfolding conversation across time and place.
Two friends find a moment of connection in the garden.
HOW IT CAME TO BE
Where a Sacred Idea Took Root
Drag to see the transformation.
01
The Need
For centuries, Mount Street Gardens has offered sanctuary amid the intensity of London life; this small corner offered an opportunity to honor what the garden inspired in America 30 years ago while creating a place where people could pause, feel less alone, and find connection in an often-anonymous city.
02
The Vision
Community members and partners asked to create a sanctuary within a sanctuary—using lush, intentional plantings and colorful floral curiosity to draw people into an intimate corner where three benches invite lingering, reflection, and connection with nature and one another.
03
The Transformation
The space has become a living expression of connection across time, place, and people. Little Yellow Journals fill quickly with reflections from strangers, transforming solitary pauses into a shared conversation and showing how even a small pocket of nature can cultivate belonging and connection in the heart of a vast city.
WHAT’S HERE
Enclosed by tall houses
01
The Portal
A handcrafted wooden threshold nestled in lush plantings, inviting visitors to leave the city’s pace behind and enter a place of sanctuary.
02
The Historic Trees
Towering above the garden, mature trees hold generations of history beneath their canopy, sheltering a landscape long treasured for its quiet and seclusion.
03
Three Nature Sacred Benches
Three Benches holding Little Yellow Journals, inviting strangers to pause, reflect, and leave behind words that transform solitude into shared connection.
WHO TENDS IT
HEAR FROM THE VISITORS
From the Little Yellow Journal
MY LOVE
MY CURIOSITY
MY HEART
sits beside me, reading
nature sacred
bench stories.
watch
Video
A glimpse of the London garden that inspired Nature Sacred. 21 sec.
