Show & Public Gardens

Hampton Court Flower Show - Show garden

In 2014, Coolings Garden Centre in Knockolt, Kent where I teach garden design courses, asked if I'd like to design a show garden for them at Hampton Court Flower Show to celebrate their 100th year anniversary. My design aimed to be an inviting social space, surrounding the visitor with an array of colour and structure that celebrated Coolings diversity in planting. I took inspiration from the bands of structural hedging in Thames Barrier park, classical amphitheaters and shrubs with vibrant foilage colour such as Euonymous, Berberis and Cornus. The results gave our first attempt at a show garden a bronze medal and garden was later rebuilt at Coolings to be enjoyed as a public garden for customers.

Greenwich & Bexley Hospice – Sensory & Culinary garden design

Greenwich and Bexley Hospice were fortunate enough to have some beautiful established gardens on their grounds but a problem remained that the majority of residents who are in wheelchairs or beds could not access them. The gardens were seen from afar so to create an area that could not only be seen but engaged with would undoubtedly benefit the residents. The challenge was how this could link to the existing building and grounds. The space to design was uneven and lacked inviting planting or seating but was in close proximity to the busy heart of the hospice building. I felt that a series of set decorative gravel pathways would give a smooth surface to residents in wheelchairs whilst also giving a warm texture that related to the architecture of the building. Creating raised planters would enable residents to not only see, smell and touch the planting but also engage in gardening should they wish. The pathways radiate from the central seating zone, which has the acoustics of a water feature and blocks of lavender scent. The centre space is designed as a relaxing space for residents but also for family and friends visiting. Due to the size of some of the beds there is also an option that more space can be created by some of the planters being built on heavy duty castors. The garden combines decorative and culinary planting and aims to give residents and visitors a variety of sensory experiences with multiple views and focal points.