GARDENS around the York Observatory in Museum Gardens are being given a space-themed makeover.

The project, run by head gardener Sjaak Kastelijn, blends exotic plants with landscaping to bring the gardens back to their botanical roots.

Sjaak said: “We’re planting new plants around the existing trees and naming them after stars and planets.

“We’re also incorporating objects to represent asteroids in the Solar System and creating paths to make it easier for visitors to see the plants.”

The initial landscaping will take two to three weeks, with the whole border due to be finished by April.