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The Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2009

During the 2008 Malvern Spring Show I came runner-up in the Chris Beardshaw mentoring scholarship. I was given the opportunity to design a show garden at Malvern Spring Gardening Show 2009 and to have a garden at the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2009.

I came up with the principal design after spending a week's holiday in the wonderful and exotic Caribbean. I loved the way that there was a contrast in the type of plants that grow and thrive so well there, both the very arid Desert style plants and the very lush tropical exotics. I wanted to be able to compare the two within one large garden. The dimensions I chose were 10 x 20 metres - a good size to divide up into two gardens of 11 x 10 and 9 x 10 metres. The desert became the larger garden and the oasis the smaller. Within each garden I wanted a different structure so as to show the comparison again, one a Bedouin tent, the other a breeze house.

Eventually this was the garden I came up with, with its description. (Click on the picture to bring it up full size.)



3D design

A relief from the blazing, arid heat of the desert which surrounds it, this calming, tranquil oasis is lush with exotic planting from around the world. The sound of trickling water soothes the mind and cools the atmosphere, creating a restful and relaxing haven. A stilted house captures the cooling breezes and offers a comfortable area in which to sit and contemplate. The entrance transports the exhausted traveller from an extreme environment to a luxuriant, fertile place, where the spreading leaves of the palms and bananas offer respite from the intensity of the desert.

The Garden is currently being exhibited at the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2009, Stand GW8. Please do come and see me.


STOP PRESS (if that applies to websites)... Monday 6 July 2009... I can now report that the design has attracted a lot of favourable comments and the RHS Silver Medal. Photographs will follow soon - please check back or come and visit the Show, open to the public between Thursday 9th and Saturday 11th July.