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Page 1: RHS Flower Show Tatton Park · PDF file(earth, air, fire and water). ... features that ranged from sculptural depictions of the wind ... September 2014 RHS Flower Show Tatton Park

September 2014 | The Garden 7978 The Garden | September 2014

RHS Flower Show Tatton Park

Tatton ParkRHS Flower Show

2014A carnival theme and the RHS Young Designer of the Year competition were among the highlights of this year’s showPhotography: Lee Beel, Neil Hepworth and Tim Sandall

‘A Taste of Wythenshawe’ This community garden, in the Show garden category, was designed by second-year students of Reaseheath College, Cheshire. It incorporated an innovative and creative approach to growing edible plants including (right) constantly watered salad leaves. (Sponsor: Wythenshawe Community Housing Group.)

‘Elemental’ There were five gardens entered into the Elements gardens category, new for this year, which took on the four elements (earth, air, fire and water). These were reflected in garden features that ranged from sculptural depictions of the wind to intense, fiery-toned planting schemes. This garden (below) featured a triangular pool to represent water, and charred larch wall cladding to symbolise fire. (Design: Ian Price.)

‘Maggie’s Forest Garden’ This Show garden featured layered planting that evoked the essence of a forest garden. Timber planters represented the 15 Maggie’s Centres, a network of drop-in centres across the UK to support cancer sufferers, while swings and water brought movement and tranquillity to the design. Many of the plants in the garden support wellbeing, either through medicinal use or by providing nutritious food, and reflect the health and care ethos of Maggie’s Centres. (Design: Amanda Waring and Laura Arison; sponsors: Stonemarket, North Midland Construction.) »Gold

Gold

Gold; Best Show garden

Trichosanthes cucumerina var. anguinaThis club gourd from Nepal, on the stand of W Robinson & Son, Preston, displayed impressive fruits and scented flowers which open at night. Best grown in a glasshouse as young plants need to be heated. A packet of seeds is £2.50; 01524 791210.

Coreopsis ‘Pumpkin Pie’ Displayed by Proctor’s Nursery, Staffordshire, plants of this attractive perennial produce masses of burnt-orange flowers with a red eye. Plants in a 1-litre pot cost £4; 07803 940759.

Plants on show

Hosta ‘Curly Fries’ Shown by Mickfield Hostas of Suffolk, this distinctive selection has narrow, curly-edged leaves. Growing in a container best shows off its elegant, arching habit. Cost: £18; 01449 711576.

Trachycarpus ‘Prince George’This hardy palm is said to be a hybrid between three species of Trachycarpus (including rare T. princeps), and has a slightly silvery, elegant habit. Shown by Ainsworth Displays, Hampshire. Limited stock. Plants in a 10-litre pot cost £49.99; 02392 255057.

Thunbergia alata ‘Arizona Glow’ Tynings Climbers of Somerset featured this fine black-eyed Susan which can be grown as a perennial if kept frost-free. Plants cost £6; 07812 134849.

Bergenia ‘Dragonfly Sakura’ Displayed by Harperley Hall Farm Nurseries, County Durham, this fairly compact selection has semi-double blooms reminiscent of apple blossom. Plants should be available spring 2015; 01207 233318.

Gladiolus ‘Rotary’ Pheasant Acre Plants of Mid Glamorgan displayed several new selections of gladioli, including ‘Rotary’ which bears tall stems of bright yellow and orange blooms. A pack of 10 corms costs £4.95; 01656 664086. »

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September 2014 | The Garden 8180 The Garden | September 2014

RHS Flower Show Tatton Park

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‘Industrial Transitions’ Caroline Lord’s design celebrated Manchester’s industrial heritage. The garden’s rill and pond represented the city’s docks and canals, and the rails and seating area referenced factories and railway lines. It showed what could be done in a small urban space with a modern design and textural planting. (Sponsors: Flair Rugs, GK Wilson Landscape Services, Haynes International and Travis Perkins.)

‘See the Wind’ Joan Mulvenna and Andrew Lee’s creation was inspired by the beauty of the wind blowing across a field of barley in summer. Large blocks of planting, comprised of mauve alliums and salvias, contrasted with lighter-toned grasses such as Hordeum jubatum. All contributed movement to the design and allowed the viewer’s eye to track and visualise the wind. The focal point of the garden was a shimmering ‘wind cloud’ sculpture which provided an enchanting vision of the wind’s activity.

Burnt effects‘Elemental’ by Ian Price featured burnt wood panelling at the back of the garden to represent fire (see p79) 1 . Alex Schofield spent 16 hours charring four frames for his orange and red Perspex panels in ‘Prehistoric Modernism’ (see p82) 2 , while the boundary fences were heavily scorched to represent the destruction of a wildfire in Chris Myers’ Elements garden ‘Recovery’ 3 . 1 2 3

Design details Carnival plantingCoinciding with the flower show’s carnival theme this year, some gardens’ planting schemes exploded with bold colour, providing an eye-catching display. The planting in ‘Tatton Reflects’ 4 featured a rainbow of vibrant colours, comprised of vivid selections of lupins, phlox and rudbeckias (design: Tatton Park Gardens; sponsor: Cheshire East Council). ‘The Narrows’ by Pip Probert included bright shades of indigo Agapanthus and pink achilleas 5 (sponsor: Beers Building Supplies).

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Floral Design StudioThe Floral Design Studio at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park was dedicated to floral arrangements and displays. This year there was a new RHS floristry college competition with the theme of ‘carnival’, in keeping with the rest of the show. Below is the entry from Cheshire Area of NAFAS.

School gardensThe 22 school gardens were designed by primary and secondary schoolchildren from the North West (pictured is the garden by The Co-operative Academy of Manchester). Literature-themed gardens were built by the children and their teachers, and were the result of a year’s fun and hard work.

‘Vogue’ Inspired by formal, contemporary gardens, and by fashion, Belinda Belt (from Greenbelt Landscapes), worked with fashion designer Roberto Cavalli to create this Show garden for the British Association of Landscape Industries. Loosely based on the set of a fashion show, the garden had a stencil-patterned feature as its focal point. Surrounded by Agapanthus and grasses, along with formal water features, six birch trees completed the garden’s contemporary finish. (Sponsors: Crowder’s Nursery and London Stone.)

Gold; Best Elements garden Silver-Gilt Flora

Gold; Best Summer garden

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82 The Garden | September 2014

RHS Flower Show Tatton Park

‘Prehistoric Modernism’ Alex Schofield’s garden was a response to the often dull UK weather; he focused on bringing fire and light into the garden. Perspex screens provided tinted views and reflected light back into the plot. The planting consisted of ornamental grasses and perennials, and at the centre lay a ‘sun trap’ deck and unusual fire pit.

‘workOUT’ Clare Broadbent’s design suggested that a garden can be a convenient alternative to the gym. The planting was predominantly red, a colour for ‘motivation and invigoration’, while other features included a pergola pull-up bar, and a bicycle watermill that aerated the pond.

‘The Sky’s The Limit’ The winning young designer, Sam Ovens, focused on maximising outdoor space. He raised everything skyward and designed his hard landscaping (a bespoke timber deck and seat,

and concrete stepping stones) to have a small footprint on the ground. He used grasses to great effect – Stipa gigantea added texture and height at the back of the garden – while Verbena bonariensis and purple Agastache punctuated the scene.

Gold

More on TattonFor more on the RHS FlowerShow Tatton Park 2014: www.rhs.org.uk/tatton

✤ Download lists of the medal winners from all the garden categories and the Floral Marquee.✤ View image galleries of plants, show features and garden highlights. ✤ Browse the garden profiles and take inspiration from the show. ✤ Watch videos on Young Designer of the Year (by The Garden Editor Chris Young) and plant combinations (by Features Editor Phil Clayton).

RHS National Flower Bed CompetitionThis winning flower bed was designed by the Parish of St Helier, Jersey, in the Channel Islands. It celebrated the 350th anniversary of the naming of New Jersey, USA, and the island’s connections with the American state.

Gold; RHS Young Designer of the Year 2014

Silver-Gilt Flora

Gold

RHS Young Designer of the Year competition This year’s finalists, mentored by garden designer Paul Hervey-Brookes, all took thought-provoking approaches in their designs along the theme of ‘avant-gardening’.


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