Gardeners create beautiful living wall inspired by ball’s Where The Wild Things Are theme
If you’ve passed through Green Templeton College’s Lankester Quad in recent days you may have noticed a new addition to the landscape: a beautiful living wall.
The beautiful living wall is situated in Lankester Quad
The eye-catching burst of lush plants and colour was created by Head Gardener Michael Pirie and Assistant Gardener Carolyn Serra, after the Green Templeton Ball Committee 2019 first floated the idea of a living wall that complemented this year’s ball theme, Where the Wild Things Are.
In March, the committee contacted Michael to ask if a living wall could be built that reflected the wonderfully vibrant world imagined by author Maurice Sendak in his classic 1963 children’s picture book.
Assistant Gardener Carolyn Serra explaining the features of the living wall during its construction in June 2019
Michael and Carolyn were inspired by Sendak’s illustrations of animals dangling from tree branches, surrounded by luscious foliage, and began creating a jungle-esque wall filled with draping plants and floral displays.
The base of the structure was crafted from plywood, with paving grids slotted together to keep the contents in place. A mixture of compost and grit was used to ensure the wall wouldn’t be too heavy or get too waterlogged.
The base was created with plywood
Paving grids were used to keep the mixture of compost and grit in place and secure the plants
Features of the wall include these stunning Calibrachoa
To bring the magic of the jungle to Green Templeton, the winding grasses forming the tree trunk-like structure at the centre of the wall are Ophiopogen planiscarpus ‘Nigrescens’, surrounded by Aglaomorpha cor ferns.
Woven throughout are trailing plants Calibrachoa, Alyssum ‘Wonder White’, Lobelia ‘Cobalt Blue’, and Herniaria glabra.
Parsley and chamomile were dotted around the wall to provide a wonderful scent on a sunny day, while the ball committee added their own carnations for extra vibrancy and colour.
The wall has been a popular spot for photography, with students cocooned by greenery as they pose for pictures, as if transported into Sendak’s magical world. It will be situated in Lankester Quad throughout the summer.
You may also like to view Michael and Carolyn’s stunning Garden of Ancient Greece in the Radcliffe Observatory gardens opposite the greenhouse, which contains allusions to the world of classical antiquity and the architecture of our iconic observatory.
Just one week to go until Community & Giving Week 2026.
From 20–26 June, we`ll be celebrating the people, generosity, support and sense of community that help students thrive during their time at Green Templeton.
Throughout the week, we`ll be sharing opportunities to join in the celebration along with challenges and highlights from across college on our stories.
Whether you`re a student, alum, fellow, staff member or friend of Green Templeton, there are plenty of ways to take part.
Follow along next week as we celebrate our global community and the difference it makes to student life.
#supportstudents
#Oxford
#OxfordUniversity
#GivingWeek
The college hosted some very exciting guests last week! @gtc_gcr invited some Alpacas (and a Llama!) to come in for a student wellness event. They were indeed a welcome distraction for all!
A huge congratulations to everyone from @greentempletonboatclub who took part in Summer Eights 2026.
The club fielded an impressive five crews across four days of racing on the Isis, demonstrating commitment, teamwork and determination in one of Oxford`s most iconic rowing events.
📸 Gareth Ardron Photography
Congratulations to everyone who`s graduated on Saturday 23 May.
Echoing what alumna Catherine Heffernan (DPhil Sociology, 1998) said in her speech, we hope you enjoyed every second of your graduation.
👏You have earned your degree - a major milestone in your life.👏
#Graduation
#OxfordUniversity
#GreenTempleton
