Pollyanna Wilkinson x Edward Bulmer Natural Paint: A palette rooted in the garden

As the worlds of garden design and interiors continue to move closer together, a new collaboration with award winning garden designer, Pollyanna Wilkinson, offers a beautifully considered example of how colour can connect home and landscape in a more harmonious, nature-led way.

Launching during this year’s Belgravia in Bloom and RHS Chelsea Flower Show season, Pollyanna’s Palette introduces three new paint shades inspired by the quiet beauty of the English garden: Helleborus, Thicket and Shadow. Together, the colours reflect a growing appetite for outdoor spaces that feel immersive, restorative and deeply connected to nature.

At its heart, this palette is not about decoration, but about belonging and the benefits of getting outside into the garden. We have always believed that colour should not impose itself upon a space, but instead settle into it, and Pollyanna shares this sensibility deeply.

Her gardens are known for their naturalistic planting and a refined sense of flow, where architecture and landscape are held in gentle equilibrium.

What has been particularly important to us throughout this collaboration is the shared belief that colour has a role beyond aesthetics. It can shape mood, influence how we inhabit space, and ultimately encourage a more grounded way of living. Pollyanna’s approach to planting is layered, intuitive, and deeply responsive to place. It mirrors our own commitment to natural materials and earth-derived pigments.

Together, we have explored how paint, planting, and material can work in concert to create environments that feel restorative rather than performative.

As Pollyanna herself notes (scroll down to read the whole Q&A), she uses paint in the garden “to conceal and to harmonise rather than to shout.” This idea was central to our development of the palette and the pairings with our existing shades.

The aim was never to introduce new voices into the garden, but to ensure that what already exists—light, foliage, structure and surface, were allowed to take centre stage.

The launch of Pollyanna’s Palette also coincides with our installation at Belgravia in Bloom 2026, where this year’s theme, Fairytales in Belgravia, is reimagined through a “Secret Garden” concept at our  London Townhouse.

From 18th May, visitors will be welcomed into an immersive landscape of painted furniture, layered planting, and naturalistic wildflowers. It is conceived as a gentle retreat from the city, an invitation to experience how colour and nature might coexist when neither is asked to dominate.

This year’s installation is also shaped by our ongoing partnership with the Soil Association, an organisation whose work underscores the essential role of soil in sustaining life, biodiversity, and the materials we bring into our homes. It is a reminder that colour does not exist in isolation, it is ultimately rooted in the earth itself.

“Pollyanna’s Palette” introduces Helleborus, Thicket, and Shadow, can you walk us through the inspiration behind each of these colours?

Shadow is very much inspired by the desire to make certain elements recede in a garden. Not everything needs to be a feature, some things need to quietly exist in the space without fighting for attention, hence shadow, for me, is the perfect tone when you want something to do just that, sink into the shadows. Perfect for sheds, gates, fences. Thicket was my quest for the subdued green which will sit harmoniously with foliage, evoking natural greens found in nature. And Helleborus is very much inspired by its nanemsake, the moody maroony purples of its namesake.

Your work is known for its naturalistic planting style, how did you translate this into the palette?

I use paint to conceal and to harmonise rather than to shout, so my goal, was to create a palette which would blend with rather than compete with the organic elements of a garden.

How do you see these colours being used?

Shadow is a brilliant option for anything you want to recede: sheds, fenced, gates, trellis work- the intent being that foliage grown in front on on top of with really pop against the darker tones. My hope with dark paint is not to create a dark box, but to create a foil for which plants can better be highlighted. Thicket is the ultimate green for anything from benches to gates-it’s a timeless classic. Helleborus is a stunning colour for a feature, whether it be a front door, side gate or bend, it is a subtle pop of colour.

Why did you choose Fawn and Mummy from the existing colour range?

Why did you choose Fawn and Mummy from the existing colour range?

I have an aversion to white walls in the garden, within a season they always look depressing and green in the UK, so both Fawn and Mummy offer excellent options when you want a light tone without reaching for a white – they are far more forgiving and won’t show up the dirt, and work in harmony with a lot of paving tones!

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Favourite podcast to listen to whilst gardening or being outdoors, or do you prefer the sounds of nature?

I mostly listen to audiobooks. I get through dozens a year whilst gardening- I’m deep in Sarah J Maas territory at the moment. If I’m in the mood for a podcast, my favourite is ‘The rest is entertainment’.

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You’ve built a reputation for creating gardens that feel both contemporary and timeless, how do you strike that balance when working with colour?

Keeping it classic and site specific means it can’t go out of style.

What is your go to snack whilst designing a garden?

Not necessarily whilst gardening as that would be peculiar, but my go to snack is always cheese, ideally stilton.

What is your favourite plant, or is that an impossible question? One you use time and time again.

I absolutely do not have one and I’d be a bit worried if I did as the trick with designing gardens isnt to shoe horn in my favourite plants but to respond to the garden, the client and the location. No two gardens are the same and life would be so boring if I used the same plant over and over. I do have a deep abiding fondness for roses however, and grasses are incredibly useful.