NEWSPRINT What’s new in the world of garden design Compiled by Zia Allaway

SGD launches Charles Jencks new website

Jencks’ landscape THE SOCIETY OF Garden Designers around Maggie’s has launched a new comprehensive Highlands at Raigmore website to offer a more user-friendly Hospital in Inverness

Photo: Nick Turner experience to Members and consumers alike. The new site incorporates established Society initiatives, such as the GDJ and SGD Awards, that previously had independent websites, as well as CHARLES JENCKS sections for events, news, courses, careers and the SGD Suppliers Directory. DIES AGED 80 For consumers, the site includes a

Maggie’s Centres Photo: Maggie’s detailed ‘find a designer’ section, helping people locate Member designers across THE SOCIETY OF Garden Designers was sad to artists and garden designers, including a number the UK and overseas. It also features a hear the news that Charles Jencks passed away of SGD Members, to create beautiful buildings new film to help demystify the process on 14 October 2019 at the age of 80. A cultural and healing landscapes. of working with a garden designer. theorist, landscape designer, architectural Explaining his ethos, he once stated: “To see SGD Chair Sarah Morgan said: “We historian, and co-founder of the Maggie’s Cancer the world in a Grain of Sand, the poetic insight of are delighted with the new streamlined Care Centres, Jencks was an icon in the world of William Blake, is to find relationships between the website with improved functionality architecture and design. big and small, science and spirituality, the universe that I feel sure our Members will benefit Famous for his Garden of Cosmic Speculation, and the landscape. This cosmic setting provides the from and enjoy using. The wealth of his 30-acre sculpture garden at his home in narrative for my content-driven work, the writing inspiring images, new films and the Dumfriesshire, and earthworks at Jupiter and design. I explore metaphors that underlie both comprehensive designer search facility Artland near Edinburgh, as well as more recently growing nature and the laws of nature, parallels that links the public directly to our the Crawick Multiverse, Jencks pushed the that root us personally in the cosmos as firmly as a Registered Members will be invaluable boundaries of what we think of as landscape plant, even while our mind escapes this home.” for anyone embarking on a new project.” design. His gardens are a celebration of nature, In 2012, the SGD named Jencks the recipient of sgd.org.uk both intellectually and through the senses, and the first SGD Lifetime Achievement Award (then also show Jencks’ sense of humour, playing tricks called the John Brookes Award) for his outstanding with perspectives and our perceptions. contribution to the landscape and garden design Together with his late wife Maggie Keswick, profession. The Society made a short film with Jencks set up the Maggie’s Cancer Care Centres Charles Jencks to commemorate the Award, and to provide a place where those diagnosed with this can be viewed on the SGD YouTube channel. cancer and their friends and families could find charlesjencks.com advice, support and a breathing space in a natural environment. He designed the landscape for the first Maggie’s in Edinburgh in 1996, shortly after his wife died of the disease, and there are now 20 “JENCKS PUSHED THE centres across the UK and abroad. Jencks’ work BOUNDARIES OF WHAT for Maggie’s is testament to what he and others have achieved through collaboration, combining WE THINK OF AS the skills of health professionals, architects, LANDSCAPE DESIGN”

JANUARY 2020 GARDEN DESIGN JOURNAL 7 James Basson’s Bohemian garden NEWSPRINT

CLIMATE CHANGE WORKSHOP

THE ANNUAL who will be exploring NEWS IN BRIEF PALMSTEAD workshop ways to calculate, will focus on the reduce and offset our A year of challenges of climate carbon footprints. plant health change and the design Speakers include In 2020, the International and horticulture designer Marian Boswall Year of Plant Health will be industry’s impact on MSGD, botanist Sophie celebrated throughout the the environment. Leguil and landscape world to highlight the benefits of MEMBERS EXHIBIT AT WUHAN healthy plants, while promoting The day features architect Noel Farrer. responsible practices that MATT KEIGHTLEY MSGD Matt Keightley’s presentations from The event at Ashford reduce the spread of pests and and James Basson garden, titled ‘Se climate and ecological International Hotel, Kent, diseases. The Department for MSGD were among Detendre’ (Relax), experts, landscape is on 22 January. To book, Environment, Food and Rural the international cast was inspired by the architects, designers visit palmstead.co.uk Affairs (Defra) is planning a of designers who took Champagne houses and organisations and click on ‘Events’. range of events, with national plant health week taking place part in the Wuhan World of France, and evoked from 20-27 April. Garden Show in China the sense of luxury ippc.int/en/iyph in autumn 2019. and sophistication Each designer was associated with Sustainable given a country to the industry. Rosewarne designs standard for represent, and James He designed a plant- Barcham Basson focused on filled courtyard garden memorial garden UK tree nursery Barcham Bohemia in the Czech where visitors could has gained ISO 14001:2015 Republic, with its rich unwind and indulge in PRE-REGISTERED certification, which specifies landscape of mountains, the sparkling drink. The SGD Member Rosalind the highest level of compliance marshes and forests. garden combined elegant Rosewarne has to standards of environmental His garden paid perennial planting, designed a memorial responsibility. Mike Glover, MD, said: “We have set ourselves homage to the Romany shady pine trees, and garden at Bedfordshire rigorous objectives, such as people, whose free a reflective pool. Crematorium for SANDS, increasing our recycling levels lifestyle inspired the rosebanklandscaping. the charity that provides and reducing the use of peat.” Rosewarne’s Bohemian movement. co.uk.scapedesign.com support for those affected memorial garden barcham.co.uk by the death of a baby. Rosewarne’s garden signal the transition from LI introduces provides a quiet space one space to another, but #RainbowPlaces for bereaved parents, also from one path in life The Landscape Institute has either alone or with their to the next. sands.org.uk; launched #RainbowPlaces, a cross-industry LGBT+ and families. Two moon gates rosewarnegardens.com allies networking group. #RainbowPlaces will provide a platform for people to talk about their experiences, to develop and implement ideas of how to make the industry CAMFED GARDEN AT EDEN more inclusive, and to lead by The double borders example in building a network THE CHELSEA GOLD- supports excluded girls at Newby Hall with LGBT+ professionals and MEDAL winning CAMFED and young women in allies across all sectors. Garden, designed by rural sub-Saharan Africa, landscapeinstitute.org Jilayne Rickards MSGD, enabling them to go to Newby Hall crowned has opened in its new school, learn to grow Public concern for Garden of the Year home at the Eden Project their own food, and natural spaces in Cornwall. become change-makers According to research by YORKSHIRE’S NEWBY HALL has been named The garden tells how in their communities. Nature England, nine out of 10 the nation’s favourite country house garden after the Campaign for Female jilaynerickards.com; adults are concerned about the growing threats to the natural scooping nearly a third of the votes in a public online Education (CAMFED) edenproject.com environment, with two in three poll for the Historic Houses Garden of the Year. worried about biodiversity Newby’s magnificent 40 acres of gardens and loss. While more people are woodland triumphed against seven other gardens in a spending time in nature than contest sponsored by Christies. The gardens include ever, the figures also still show one of the longest double herbaceous borders in the clear inequality of opportunity, UK and two heritage orchards. Newby Hall will also with children from deprived areas 20% less likely to spend be hosting the three-day Harrogate Autumn Flower time outside than those from Show, which is moving to its grounds later this year. affluent areas. newbyhall.com Rickards’ CAMFED Garden

JANUARY 2020 GARDEN DESIGN JOURNAL 9 NEWSPRINT

GOULD AND CHAPMAN WHAT’S ON Artist’s impression CLIMB KILIMANJARO of the islands UNTIL 5 JANUARY KATE GOULD MSGD and her project manager Keith EXHIBITION: DAVID SMITH, Chapman have scaled Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in YORKSHIRE Grant Associates reinvents aid of Perennial, the UK horticulture charity. Kilimanjaro Yorkshire Sculpture Park presents a Singaporean islands is the world’s highest free-standing mountain and on major exhibition of over 40 works by reaching the top, they said it was the hardest challenge the pioneering and highly influential A MASTERPLAN TO to coral reefs, will form they have ever undertaken. They are asking people to American artist David Smith the backdrop for leisure (1906-1965). ysp.org.uk reinvent the Singaporean donate via the website justgiving.com/fundraising/kgg islands of Sentosa and Pulau attractions, and new You can also help the charity by attending the annual UNTIL 9 FEBRUARY Brani as a global leisure sustainable public realms will Perennial Party, this year hosted by EV Restaurant in PLAY, PROTEST AND and recreation destination, also be created. London. The ticket price of £25 includes a glass of bubbly, PELICANS, LONDON set within a biodiverse The plan to reinvent Turkish mezze, and the chance to win prizes in the raffle. A colourful people’s history of London’s tropical landscape, has been Sentosa-Brani forms part To book, go to perennial.org.uk and click on ‘Events’. Royal Parks at the Garden Museum, unveiled by UK landscape of a government scheme showing how they have been architecture practice Grant to rejuvenate Singapore’s used as wartime training grounds, Associates. The blueprint Greater Southern Waterfront, protest sites and pleasure gardens. for re-imagining the islands and Grant Associates will be gardenmuseum.org.uk will be rolled out in phases collaborating with many of 15-16 JANUARY over the next two to the partners that worked with HTA CONTACT CONFERENCE three decades. it on the multi-award-winning 2020, DIDCOT The islands’ natural Gardens by the Bay. This year’s theme, ‘State of attributes, from ridges grant-associates.uk.com the Horticulture Nation’, will include updates on plant health, sustainability, technology, and more. hta.org.uk/contactconference

25 JANUARY – 1 MARCH BEARDSHAW’S NEW ROLE GIANT HOUSEPLANT Gould and Chapman reached the peak TAKEOVER, SURREY AWARD-WINNING designer, of Kilimanjaro At Wisley, step into a house plantsman and broadcaster reclaimed by its plants long after Chris Beardshaw has become the human inhabitants have left. an Ambassador for RHS Malvern rhs.org.uk/wisley Spring Festival. He grew up in Worcestershire and has been a 25-27 JANUARY regular at the show over the years. RSPB BIG GARDEN He created his first show garden UK’s first houseplant BIRDWATCH, NATIONWIDE Photo: Richard Kendal at Malvern in 1999 and has also Help the RSPB keep a record of bird hotel suites open populations in the UK by taking part mentored scholarship winners, and been a judge and in its annual survey. rspb.org.uk speaker at the show. In his new role, Beardshaw will help THE JOY OF Plants has created the UK’s first promote the Festival, while developing a number of exciting houseplant hotel suites, offering guests an immersive 30 JANUARY initiatives, to be announced in spring. The RHS Malvern overnight forest-bathing experience in the heart of BEHIND THE SCENES Spring Festival runs from 7-10 May. rhsmalvern.co.uk London’s concrete jungle. The three studio suites at TOUR, LONDON design-led hotel Leman Locke have been transformed Join Chelsea Physic Garden Head into lush indoor jungles created by award-winning of Plant Collections Nell Jones on biophilic designer and architect Oliver Heath, ‘Plant a special winter tour of the gardens. Geek’ Michael Perry, and creative designer and founder chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk 250k new plants for of Grace & Thorn Nik Southern. 31 JANUARY thejoyofplants.co.uk SGD AWARDS CEREMONY, Chatsworth’s Arcadia LONDON Find out who has won the UK’s most A SERIES OF major new Designed by Tom Stuart- prestigious garden design awards plantings, including more Smith MSGD and supported at the Landmark Hotel. sgd.org.uk than 250,000 flowering by the Gucci fashion house, perennials, shrubs the new area, known 31 JANUARY and trees, are set to as Arcadia, comprises LAND ARMY TALK, LUTON transform an overlooked, meadow-like glades At Luton Hoo, Alex Amos explores undeveloped 15-acre connected by woodland how the Women’s Land Army walks, and features a major helped to feed the nation in WW1. woodland in the heart lutonhooestate.co.uk of Chatsworth’s gardens new sculpture installation. in Derbyshire. chatsworth.org/garden One of the Joy of Plants suites

10 GARDEN DESIGN JOURNAL WWW.SGD.ORG.UK NEWSPRINT

View of Mayfield Park NEW PARK PROPOSED FOR MANCHESTER from Hoyle Street THE £1.4BN TRANSFORMATION of Mayfield into the middle of the 30-acre regeneration scheme. a vibrant, mixed-use neighbourhood in the heart Studio Egret West, the overall masterplanner for of Manchester city is set to begin later this year, Mayfield and landscape architect for Mayfield following the submission of a planning application Park, is working alongside LCR, which is wholly for its first phase of development. owned by the Department for Transport, as well At its heart will be Mayfield Park, the first new as Manchester City Council, Transport for Greater park to be built in the city centre in more than 100 Manchester, and regeneration and property years. The 6.5-acre public space will be created on development company U+I. the banks of the River Medlock, which runs through mayfieldmanchester.co.uk

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON? KATHERINE LEE & ADAM VETERE

Katherine Lee and Adam to garden owners on KIDS’ behalf asking for design Vetere (pictured left) ideas. I then got in touch and offered my services, both graduated with but I felt the project needed two heads rather than flying colours from the one and asked Katherine, who I had met while at the London College of Garden London College of Garden Design, to come on board. Design in 2019, and each The garden is a green has since launched their What was your brief? educational space filled with wildlife own design practice. Lee: The clients wanted a legacy garden that Vetere has been designing would allow the children to play outside and learn gardens for friends and about nature and how to grow plants and flowers. also included hedges for hide-and-seek, and bird, family since he was We put together a brief by interviewing all the bug and bat boxes to encourage wildlife. a teenager, but spent children, parents, staff and stakeholders to see many years working in what everyone wanted. After assessing their What style of planting are you using? commercial finance until his love for plants and wishes, we knew this had to be a garden, not a Lee: As well as the productive crops, we’ve filled good design prompted a career change. Lee also playground – a green educational space filled with this sensory garden with lots of fragrant plants worked in the City and as a psychologist before wildlife, which the children could engage in. and flowers in a rainbow of colours to capture the she took on the challenge to become a garden children’s interest. In the sand play area, we’re designer. The designers have secured a portfolio What is the idea behind the design? using tropical-style plants, such as phormiums and of clients individually, but they are also currently Vetere: The design inspiration came from the Trachycarpus, to lend a Robinson Crusoe look. working together on a project to create a garden children, staff and parents. It is split into a number for the charity, KIDS, which supports children with of different zones for different activities, so there’s Were there any challenges to overcome? disabilities. Here, they talk to us about how they an area for water, somewhere they can play in Vetere: The sloping site meant that several areas of developed the design. sand, quiet places to relax and a space for growing the garden were inaccessible or unusable for all the fruit and vegetables. We started with the original children, so we addressed this problem by levelling How did the project for KIDS come about? tarmac path, which we will re-lay in resin-bound and terracing it. Also, to keep within budget, we’ve Vetere: The KIDS charity pitched to the National gravel, that winds through the site. At one end, used relatively inexpensive materials and shrubs Garden Scheme (NGS) for funding to support we’ve designed a multifunctional amphitheatre, and perennial plants that will be easy to maintain. a garden for the children they serve at their with a herb and vegetable spiral opposite, Basingstoke nursery. I heard about it because I allowing children with physical disabilities to For more information, visit adamvetere.co.uk; open my garden for the NGS, and they put a call out access all areas to grow their own food. We’ve katherineleegardendesign.co.uk

12 GARDEN DESIGN JOURNAL WWW.SGD.ORG.UK