The Design
The design for our RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show garden is inspired by a growing concern for the state of the planet and the need for everyone to contribute to helping the situation. The designer, Joe, explains:
“Like many people, I’ve felt helpless when facing so many seemingly huge changes when it comes to our planet and the environment we live in. However, we can each make such a significant difference even through the ‘little’ things we do – making conscious choices to encourage and nurture wildlife and the environment, as well as ourselves. This garden conveys a message that good things can come through even the biggest challenges we face, even when things seem insurmountable we can still take action to make a difference.”
The garden aims to draw attention to the fact that we need to be aware of the effect we are having on the planet. That damage has been done but there is hope, the damage can be repaired if we are mindful in our actions and choose the right path to nurturing our environment rather than destroying it.
The garden shows a wasteland of rubble and dead trees with a crazy paving pathway that sweeps through it, representing the destructive aspect of humankind.
Half way round the garden the crazy paving breaks apart with a mass of twisted metal reinforcement creating a diversion on the path, leading you off to new path. As the path breaks apart, it gives way to a swathe of luscious planting that leads up and around a central mound.
In the centre, atop the mound of rubble is a block of ice with an iris frozen inside it. The ice will gradually melt over the course of the show, highlighting the state of our rapidly changing environment.
All around the garden are signs of regeneration of life through human activity – staked trees, plants, man-made habitats for wildlife, all of which shows that life and stability can be reestablished if we all use our power to make a difference.
