Gardens that are conceptual and meant to provoke thought. Gardens that are meant to be looked out and then to ponder upon.
But are these gardens fresh as a daisy, or mad as a box of frogs? You decide...
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| Beyond Our Borders by APHA - Gold |
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| Dark Matter Garden for the National Schools' Observatory - Gold |
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| Breakthrough Breast Cancer Garden - Silver Gilt |
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| Pure Land Foundation Garden - Silver Gilt |
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| Water Station Garden by Pepa s Krasa - Silver Gilt |
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| World Vision Garden - Silver Gilt |
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| Home: Personal Universe Garden by T's Garden Square - Silver |
Two Fresh Gardens we missed were The Fragrance Garden from Harrods - Heart Notes which won Silver Gilt, and Thinking of Peace by Lace Landscapes who won Silver.
Any favourites?
Mark :-)
This gardening blog follows our journey as we create our Tropical and Exotic themed garden. We hope you'll enjoy the journey as much as we do. We started our Exotic Garden in 2005 and this site will show its development, as well as our travels, both abroad and within the UK to gardens, nurseries and friends.
I supposed one should look at garden shows like fashion shows. The items on display (gardens, clothes) are not meant to exist in the real world. Instead they're inspirational, or aspirational. Viewed through this lens, I'm able to enjoy garden shows much more than I used to when all I could think was how unpractical they were.
ReplyDeleteLots of nice elements scattered throughout the various display. My favorite: Pure Land Foundation Garden. Love that wall. Very Gaudi-esque.
Same sentiments here Gerhard. And they've also done something very similar before using copper or bronze and it looked amazing!
DeleteI don´t know why but I liked the Dark Matter Garden. I also like Personal Universe Garden, and World Vision Garden is weird but interesting.
ReplyDeleteDark Matter is even more fantastic in person Lisa :)
DeleteThey all have some merit but as Gerhard says they are "fashion shows". I believe the judges are now looking for more new ideas and those people doing an impression of a Jekyll garden or a drift of grasses do not stand a chance these days. Plants and botany play second fiddle to stage design. One thing for certain is you can look and like some of the tricks in this theatre and import a few to your own garden.
ReplyDeleteIndeed Don. The theatrics are entertaining but elements of them do trickle down to domestic practical levels.
DeleteThese types of gardens excite and inspire me, even though as a whole I usually see them as over the top and/or impractical. That Dark Matter garden though: I think I just found my new deer fence. Like Gerhard I really like the curvy wall of the Pure Land Foundation garden.
ReplyDeleteThose sunken cactus gardens are freaking me out.
Both Dark Matter and Pure land looked even more amazing in person Alan. And those curvy iron bars would make great deer defences!
DeleteThese are all pretty darned cool. Hmm...that fence in the fourth photo down is a lovely idea as is the cactus in the middle of the pool. Again, keep the photos coming, I love them all.
ReplyDeleteA bit more to come Tamara :)
DeleteMy favorite was the Dark Matter Garden, although I also liked the Personal Universe Garden (probably due to water-envy). The World Vision Garden was conceptually interesting but not something I could see translating into a personal garden.
ReplyDeleteThe intricate rusted steel window wall is very cool, and the lumpy moss(?) on the vertical planters. Thanks again for the coverage, so fun to see this.
ReplyDeleteFresh as a box of frogs. Love the Gaudiesque undulating walls in the Pure Land Foundation Garden. Not necessarily for a home garden but in the right spot (an urban plaza in the middle of skyscrapers?) this would be a beautiful art garden. The water feature in the next to last image is incredibly cool and could come and live in my garden any time (if I had space.) Boxes of cacti floating on water in the world vision garden messed with my mind a bit.
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ReplyDeleteThe Dark Matter garden is definitely weird but interesting. Not something I would have but fun to see. Lot of frogs in these gardens.
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