Professor Nigel Dunnett dies, aged 63

Condolences and tributes have been pouring in from the industry after it was confirmed yesterday (Sunday 26 April) that Nigel Dunnett passed away on Sunday morning.

Dunnett is renowned for his work behind the planting design at Tower of London Superbloom, the Barbican, and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for the 2012 Olympics.

He joined the University of Sheffield in 1994 as Professor of Planting Design and Vegetation Technology, and he has been described as “one of the leading voices in ecological and naturalistic planting. His work changed how planting is understood and valued, showing how it can be both beautiful and resilient.”

Dunnett was widely seen as a visionary whose work transformed how people think about planting in both public and private spaces. His legacy will endure in landscapes across the world, and in the work of the designers, students and gardeners he inspired.