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| PEOPLE AND PLACES |
02 / 07 / 07 |
Hampton Court Gardens 2007 |  | |
Children's gardens, growing your own fruit and veg, sunken gardens, conifers and lime green were noticeable features at the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. I visited on Sunday during the build-up process, when some gardens still looked like they had a long way to go before completion, and when the rain and the mud weren't helping matters. Here's a snapshot of 10 that made an impression...
Water Gardens
| | 'View Across the Water'
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View Across the Water
A clever trompe l'oeil (trick of the eye) comes into play here with perspective. The conifers look full size and in the distance; they're actually in miniature and in the foreground. One of four Water Gardens, View Across the Water should make you pause in contemplation as it draws your eye beyond the small jetty. Water lilies, marginals, shrubs and a range of herbaceous plants that thrive in both dry and moist conditions are included. Dwarf conifers also make an impact in a number of other show gardens.
Designed by Simon Harman; more water-garden ideas from Lilies Water Gardens UK.
| | L'Esprit Jardin
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L'Esprit Jardin
This garden is made up of several connecting components from a contemporary geometrical design planned in and around water. A central decking platform overlooks the watery surrounds and the lines of grape vines (Vitis vinifera) on square plinths set within the water itself. There is lush, green planting to the sides and rear softening the rigid right angles. A large, rectangular structure housing bottles represents sponsor Grand Marnier. L'Esprit Jardin is not for traditionalists, but it has a pleasing simplicity and makes you want to take a pew and linger. The emphasis is on socialising and relaxing outdoors.
Designed by Vanessa Adorni; more water-garden ideas including natural swimming pools from Anglo Aquarium Plant Co Ltd.
Show Gardens
| | Child's Play
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Child's Play
This is a lot of fun and it's also very practical for children. Aside from the tunnels set in grass mounds to clamber through, the soft surfaces in the form of a rubber patio, sandpit and plenty of grass, promote safe play. The planting is tactile encouraging children to touch – as with the soft and feathery Astilbe, ever-popular at Hampton Court. Trees give dappled shade to protect young skin from the hot summer sun. Vegetables are also included to involve and educate children as to where our food comes from. It's a clever, uplifting design that children are sure to love.
Designed by Chris Gutteridge & Antony Cox; more design ideas from Second Nature.
| | 'Then & Now'
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Then & Now
If you're visiting the show, keep an eye out for this, one of my favourite gardens – Then & Now. It's actually two gardens; one representing the 'then' of 1940, and 'now' featuring a highly contemporary design, with the two divided by a wall. The 1940s' ultra-practical garden belongs to a semi-rural terraced house with wattle fencing, crazy paving, a coal bunker, sunken lawn and herbaceous borders including the old variety of antirrhinum 'White Wonder'. In the vegetable garden a key feature is the large white coldframe completed by a garden shed and compost bin.
Step across and you're in a completely different world where art meets garden. The alignment of clipped box has dramatic visual effect. Add galvanised posts, square and opaque glass panels and a silver-blue colour theme and you have something more in line with a surreal artwork or dream sequence. The lavender twist tree Cercis canadensis softens the straight lines of the fencing. There's also a square pond and surrounding this are tall, elegant conifers (Cupressas sempervirens 'Pyramidalis'), underplanted with Isotoma. Stand in line with the dividing wall so you are looking at both gardens at once, and you may well agree that this is sheer genius.
Designed by Elizabeth Stoner.
| | The 'I'll Drink To That' Garden
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The 'I'll Drink To That' Garden
Like many of the show gardens, 'I'll Drink To That' comprises several areas and you can enjoy sections of it individually. This is a new garden at Cornwall's Eden Project so is home to plants that thrive in warm dry conditions, such as the evergreen shrub Protea (pictured) and the subshrub Aeonium with its deep-purple leaves. An environmentalist's paradise, it displays a grass-covered roof, reclaimed timber seating, water-saving ideas such as porous clay paving and prominent, sustainable woven willow arches set at intervals on winding paths. The borders contain a topsoil made from a mix of recycled materials from Cornwall, which may become available for the public to buy shortly. Added to this, the surfaces are wheelchair-friendly. The name of the garden has its sponsor to thank – Banrock Station Wines.
Designed by Paul Stone Gardens.
| | The Centrepoint Garden
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The Centrepoint Garden
One of my favourites, this large, ambitious design needs to be seen as several different components, each representing some aspect of caring for vulnerable young people in line with the goals of its sponsor – the charity Centrepoint. The lime-green raised beds filled with veg could be copied easily – and this vibrant colour itself has quite a presence at the show.
The play area for toddlers and chill-out section will appeal to many. One repeated feature across the gardens is a sunken area; this one comprising a central patio surrounded by deep-red bench seating, with dense, colourful planting in raised borders behind, in turn protected by a framework hedge. Perhaps more than any other garden, you could take ideas from this one and turn them into realities.
Designed by Claire Whitehouse.
| | The Unwind Garden
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The Unwind Garden
If a garden could win a medal based solely on how well it represented its title, 'The Unwind Garden' would be streets ahead of its competitors. It has a resounding relaxing quality, in part achieved by its emphasis on the circle with round elevated deck, pool, curved pathways and light, cool-green planting encased within a tall hornbeam hedge. Some gardens feature planting that is so dense and colouful it feels like overkill – like you need sunglasses. Not here. A well-blended mix of colours and shapes harmonise with the pale colours of the hard landscaping. No need to walk through several sections; this is a holistic whole that you could practically scoop up, wrap around you and fall asleep in.
Designed by Mike Harvey; more landscaping ideas from Arun Landscapes Ltd.
Conceptual Gardens
| | In Digestion
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In Digestion
Conceptual Gardens return to Hampton Court for the second year running. This effort wows on two levels. Trying to ignore its black-and-white geometrical structure for the moment, the green carpet supporting it is made entirely of lettuce seedlings. A few trays at the side of the garden on the day I visited showed the lettuce happily and densely growing away. In attempting to explain its theme, I'll say the central white structure represents the digestive tract shown as several cross-sections. Between each cross-section are carnivorous plants digesting insects, while the lettuce is digesting its own nutrients from the soil and will, in turn, be digested. It's all about never-ending consumption, getting the balance right – how much is enough, or too much? – and sustainability. Finding myself somewhat lost for words, I can only bask in its sheer white light of brilliance and wish it well.
Designed by Tony Smith; more about the artist and this design from Tony Smith Gallery.
| | Freedom of Movement
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Freedom of Movement
Inspired by Henry Moore's sculpture Knife Edge, as well as the female form, this dominating cantilevered wood structure certainly has sculptural qualities. For gardeners it may raise questions (and answers) about planting in a shady or overcast location. Swathes of grasses are interspersed with plants tolerant of dry conditions, such as Callistemon, Corylus, Cotinus and Eucalyptus.
Designed by Marcus Green; more about designs based on movement from Marcus Green Horticultural Design.
Small Garden
| | The Green & Light Garden
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The Green & Light Garden
This garden is intended as an urban plot for a professional couple accessed through patio doors. As small, courtyard gardens can be shady, mirrors, stained-glass panels, water, shiny foliage on plants and hard landscaping in a pale colour all work together to counteract this. The space is used effectively with wooden seating framing raised beds, which in turn can accommodate cushions or planted containers. Low-maintenance planting is set out in blocks of yellow with yellow accents. Sculptural grasses, evergreens, ferns and golden bamboo provide year-round interest and colour. Subtle lighting and inspirational water features complete the picture.
Designed by Helen Williams Garden Design; more about garden products and services from Garden Care Supplies Ltd.
* See more images of these gardens on the Gallery.
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