Tags
Ash Dieback, Conceptual Gardens, Desolation of Smaug, Dutch elm disease, Garden, garden design, Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, John Dixon Hunt, Limestone pavement, Royal Horticultural Society
“A ubiquitous feature of garden-making in all cultures has been the inclusion of references within the site to other places, events and themes. I shall call this re-presentation, the presentation over again in garden terms of a whole range of other cultural and natural elements and occurrences. Knowledge of both – the garden formulations and their ‘referents’ – enhances the experience of each.”
John Dixon Hunt, in Greater Perfections: The Practice of Garden Theory
At a flower show a show garden is a dislocated entity, self-contained, it has to stand alone without its surrounding place or location, its genius loci. It refers to itself, its concept, and is judged by it (specifically in Royal Horticultural Society terms). All show gardens are conceptual to some extent, as they are designed and respond to a brief. However at Hampton Court Palace Flower Show (the largest flower show in the world and one of the series of RHS shows around the country) there is a specific category of Conceptual Gardens “designed to challenge preconceptions about garden design”, a suggestion of deliberate provocation beyond the usual.
This year’s offerings seem to reflect difficult times, with themes of death and destruction, ecological and man-made disasters, but with (usually at least) the possibility or promise of regeneration, a salvaged future, hope for mankind, or at least a means of coping.
Ashes to Ashes illustrates the threat to our ash tree population from Ash Dieback or Chalara Fraxinea but with a positive outlook – “from the devastation a spiralling glade of new growth emerges… elm trees rising phoenix like from the ashes.” This refers to the 1960s epidemic of Dutch elm disease from which some healthy trees have survived.
Designed by Bruce Waldock of Outerspace Designs, with the participation of The Conservation Foundation, this gold medal winner is inspired by the project to micropropagate cuttings from mature healthy elm trees growing in the British countryside to distribute to schools, landowners, community groups, local authorities. their new life will be monitored. “We want to interest a new generation in the elm, so much a feature of British life and landscape for centuries” says David Shreeve, director and co-founder of The Conservation Foundation.
It is not known at present why some trees survived Dutch elm disease but maybe Ash Dieback may similarly not be the end of the ash.
Desolation to Regeneration in many ways uses a similar concept, but based on the, in fact essential, process of forest fire encouraging regeneration of the forest. Another linear design begins with a similar use of red and other hot-coloured planting, moving through grey smoky plants into the fresh greens of new growth and regeneration. Here however, a mythical landscape is created, based on the forthcoming film ‘The Desolation of Smaug’, the second part of The Hobbit, based on Tolkien’s novel. Sounds, smoke and smells supposedly (I didn’t notice smoke or smells!) accompanied the photographic backdrop with metal and charred wood sculptural forms added to the planting, crackling fire sounds turning to bird song as regeneration took place. Designed by Catherine Macdonald of Landform this was a gold medal winner and Best Conceptual Garden.
More doom and gloom in I Disappear ‘The Most Heavy Metal Garden in the World’, designed by Luk Arec, which draws attention, with the help of the Metallica song, to the continued loss of allotment land to development and building projects. A seated human figure breathes in purified air created by plant photosynthesis, helped through producing our own crops and being self-supporting. This won a silver medal.
Planted fridges were a nice idea in Tip of the Iceberg by Caroline Tait and John Esling, also popular with visitors as well as picking up a silver gilt medal.
Falls the Shadow by Sheena Seeks, silver medal, was inspired by sight and the way in which we see. “Although our eyes receive images, like a camera obscura, it is our brain that makes sense of these images and the world around us.” The black tower has a viewing hole and all the elements within the garden represent the seeing parts of the eye.
Spirits of the Land, silver medal, by Japanese designer Mariko Naka takes inspiration from Shinto religion. “The planting represents the continuity of living things and rock depicts the eternity of spirits. The threads signify the spirits of the wind. The hanging rings and the clear tubes, filled with sand from different areas to represent the joining of spirits, symbolise a sense of harmony.”
These two and The Clints and Grykes Garden seemed more landscape based and naturalistic although still Conceptual Gardens.
This silver gilt medal winner was designed by Benedict Green of Belderlos Landscapes, an abstraction of the clints (slabs) and grykes (fissures) of British limestone pavements (as seen in Yorkshire I recall). This is a modern and minimal look, using sustainable materials, rather than quarried stone.
I lost track rather with where the Conceptual Gardens began and ended and in fact after fighting my way through the crowds and battling the heat I started losing the will to live anyway. However I did persevere although I discovered afterwards that I had missed many of the show gardens in the end. Here are some others I did see and enjoy.
The Ecover Garden, gold medal winner and Best Show Garden, designed by Matthew Childs was much lighter in tone than the Conceptual gardens although still with a message to impart. In fact it was positively frothing with optimism and good intentions. “Water is life” and we depend on our aquatic environments, but they are under threat from pollution, waste plastic and toxic residues. Ecover of course provides sustainable solutions and its garden symbolises how through its strips of recycled plastic (as used in their packaging) weaving or waving through the blue and white planting symbolising moving water, between monolithic walls and gravel paths inspired by coastal cliffs and river gorges. The toilet cleaner fountain, bottle handle bench and laundry cap lamp were a bit much for me, but I did like the planting.
Mid Century Modern, was another gold medal winner, also best ‘Low Cost high Impact Garden’! Designed by Adele Ford and Susan Wilmott for Outdoor Creations it was very orange, and did look very 50s and graphic, as was its inspiration.
I think my favourite of all was Between the Lines, a gold medal winning Summer Garden, designed by Maurice Butcher. Modern and natural it seemed the ideal spot to linger, particularly with some nearby shade.
Related articles
Pingback: For Our Sins | dianajhale
Pingback: 98: Between Painted Peonies and Garden Conceptions. | Almofate's Likes
Ah, yet another lovely stroll with Diana, her camera, and her wit! I laughed aloud at your decision to persevere. Of course, congratulations on being Freshly Pressed. Well done!
Like you, I suspect the gardens offering the most shade on such day of heat might have gained my favor over the rest. As always, lovely, thoughtful and thought-provoking.
Karen
I appreciate the art involved here, but real gardeners don’t need unnatural abstract additions to create original gardens. whatever floats your boat i guess
i love the concept.. but its creepy..
Beautiful post! I wish I had a garden 🙂
Hi. The Clints and Grykes garden is fascinating! So many species in a small space! Jane
Very bizarre arrangement. I don’t know what to make of such nicely ordered chaos.
Do you mean my blog or the gardens?
Hahah. Some of the gardens I meant. Lol. No worries. It is an interesting piece that really re-defined my idea of a garden.
Great! That was the aim, so thank you.
What awesome pictures! Do you have a favorite flower?
Thank you! Difficult to pin it down to one but I do like alliums and fritillaries.
Thanks for your answer. Have a colorful day. http://www.segmation.wordpress.com
Pictures are worth thousands of words, it’s nice to see the attention to detail from your end. Thanks
Thank you so much for commenting.
I never thought something like this exist..
It is certainly original, but maybe not unique.
nice post .. and also congrats on being freshly pressed … 🙂
.
http://www.bayofhealth.wordpress.com
a way towards a healthy life
Thank you!
I loved this post. The pictures for the most part reminded me how beautiful gardens can be. The Clints and Grykes Garden were our favorites. Interesting patterns.
Thanks for looking. That garden is quite abstract isn’t it?
My wife and I have gone to some interesting places. Nature is filled with abstract forms. The Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, the mountains of the Carolina are among these forms that can take your breathe away.
Love the Desolation to Regeneration garden. I misread the Tolkein title as ‘Desolation of Smug’, which certainly struck a chord. The Ecover Garden is great too. All this looks a lot more interesting and thought-inspiring than what they usually have at Chelsea (although I have only ever seen it on the tele).
They seem to have adopted a different approach from Chelsea. As I haven’t been here before I don’t know how typical it is though! I was certainly fascinated to see these examples.
i love the photography part nice pictures
Thanks for commenting.
Where are you ma dea
I would love to venture the footpaths and experience the artists concepts. As an organic gardener, I’m fascinated by the reuse and recycling of organics as well as the byproducts of over consumption and their incorporation into landscaping and design.
Fantastic article; much appreciated!
That seemed to be a major theme this year – maybe not surprisingly. There is so much going on now. Some of my other posts have included recycling initiatives too.
Thanks for the ‘heads-up,’ I’ll enjoy reading your blog, I’m sure!
Unique!
Definitely!
I love all of the different ideas–especially the spooky ones.
Definitely some different ideas here – thanks.
Awesome site.
http://www.phillybookpicks.wordpress.com
Thanks!
How interesting. Not what I would expect at a garden show. (Although I don’t think I’ve ever been to one!). ‘I Disappear’ almost performance art. Like the look of the Shinto garden. Thanks Diana.
Maybe I have a convert! It is just another form of creativity, in the right hands anyway. Many Eastern religions/ philosophies use gardens as a way of expressing ideas – interesting.
Fascinating, thoughtful, and thought-provoking. I find it both astounding and amusing that a Metallica song was used to press home a point; makes me wonder what might turn up at Chelsea next year.
My favourite is the Ecover garden – for its planting, as you have also pointed out, rather than the gimmicks.
Thanks for this.
Glad you found it thought provoking – everyone seems surprised by the Metallica inspiration! Thanks for appreciating and commenting.
Ah thank you for this. I’m a garden designer myself and I’ve given up going to the shows unless I can get in before…as you say the crowds and the heat!! So you’ve given me a lovely calm walk through without all the bother thank you 🙂
It’s not surprising that ‘Desolation to Regeneration’ won best conceptual garden – you can tell that the execution is of really high quality…the RHS are sticklers for perfection.
The Ecover planting looks like frothy washing, particularly the second picture, very clever!
I’m with you on Between the Lines, it looks very restful. I think that’s Deschampsia grass, I use that all the time!
Just in case you’re interested me and my then business partner won a silver at HC in 2003 with our garden Modern Lovers which is here
http://www.blossom-garden.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/A%20Garden%20for%20Modern%20Lovers%20-%20Hampton%20Court%20Show%20Garden
Everybody said we were robbed (of a gold) and of course we agreed! Something to do with the fact that they could see our edges (of hard landscaping).
Last year I worked on Sarah Prices garden – you can be sure there were no edges showing on that 🙂
Thanks again for the great post.
Hey I didn’t realize you designed gardens – I love the adobe background of Modern Lovers. It really sets off the vivid colours of the plants. Well done for a silver. My sister in law had a garden at Chelsea when she was a student which got me interested, but I hadn’t been to the Hampton Court Show before. It was very different.
Thanks for enjoying!
Many thanks. Yes, HC definitely has a different feel than Chelsea. It was also a really hot spell in 2003 and we got absolutely roasted – including the plants. We had verbascums which were beautiful soft shades of buff which turned yellow! We made use of the swimming pond garden just round the corner and also the natural pond which is to be found outside the perimeter! It’s been so long I’ve forgotten what it’s like… 🙂
Strange gardening, but I guess it was interesting. At least interesting to see and learn about.
It does challenge the accepted idea of gardening, which is the intention – thanks for being challenged!
Very interesting. I would never have imagined something like ‘I Disappear’ appearing at the Hampton Court Flower Show.
It was quite an eye opener for me not having been before – politics and gardening are not a usual combination!