It formed a 15-metre diameter stage that was filled with plants evoking a piece of the Scottish scenery.
The design began with a Celtic knot motif. Amalie White described the stage as a crossroads where athletes from across the city, the country, and the Commonwealth met. The space connected sport, nature, culture, and art.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla emerged from a blue Tardis to begin the event. The garden sat in the round and was criss-crossed by a saltire shaped walkway, grounding the athletes as they arrived.
Engineering the Greenery
Amalie selected plants to evoke memories of Scotland, from the wild coastline and mountainous terrain to the urban environment. The garden features plenty of Molinia, Sesleria, Calamagrostis, Agastache, Catananche, Perovskia, Sanguisorba, Nepeta, resilient thistles, and multiple perennials that evoke coastal paths, alpine highlands, and loch-sides.
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Future Plans
This is the second time Jamie and Amalie have collaborated. They previously worked together on the Gucci Cruise 25 at Tate Modern.
The garden will go on to have a permanent home which will be announced at the end of the Games. A garden planted by Jamie Butterworth has taken centre stage at the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony 2026.Published: July 24, 2026 at 2:13 pmA garden designed by Amalie White in collaboration with plantsman Jamie Butterworth formed the centre-piece for the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games 2026 last night.
Spanning over 200 square metres of flora, the 15-metre diameter moveable garden was filled with plants that evoked a living piece of the Scottish environment. Hosted in Glasgow, Scotland, the Commonwealth Games opened with this lush green scene and from here, King Charles III and Queen Camilla emerged from Dr Who’s famous blue Tardis.
