RHS names crème de la crème of young garden designers
Three young designers have been declared the crème de la crème by RHS selection panel as they take their place as finalists in the RHS Young Garden Designer of the Year Competition.
The national competition, which was launched in September 2009 with support from the Northwest Regional Development Agency, asked people aged 28 and under to submit designs for a show garden reflecting an aspect of the North West of England to be created at the prestigious RHS Show Tatton Park, Cheshire, which takes place in July.
Twenty-five-year-old Olivia Stewart from Oxford, William Quarmby (27) from North Yorkshire and the youngest of the bunch Hugo Bugg (23) from Cornwall have made the grade and will be receive £12,000 to realise their gardens at Tatton.
All three finalists won the selection panel over with their fresh design ideas and new gardening perspectives offering a mix of concepts that pay tribute to the North West landscape, eco-systems and architecture. The finalists will be judged at the RHS Show Tatton Park and one will be declared the RHS Young Garden Designer of the Year 2010 and they will win the opportunity to shadow a world-class garden designer in the creation of the Laurent-Perrier garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2011.
Olivia Stewart’s design has been drawn from the spirit and beauty of the Lake District. Her entry celebrates the geology, topography and native flora of the area with a conceptual garden that takes the viewer on a journey through the popular national park destination. She pays tribute to the area by using hard materials native to the national park and its geology.
North Yorkshire furniture-designer-turned-landscape designer William Quarmby takes to the rugged landscape of the West Pennine Moors and its eco-systems as inspiration for his first RHS Show Garden. He will create a garden using planting, materials and structure to incorporate different aspects of the moors diversity, colours and beauty. His design includes a variety of flora found on the moors; all of which play an important role in providing a habitat for insect, birds and animals.
Hugo Bugg has already had a taste for RHS Shows whilst helping out on this year’s Victorian Avery Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, but at Tatton he will turn his attention to creating a garden that reflects Liverpool’s revolutionary Albert Dock. The Albert Dock features the UK’s largest collection of Grade I listed buildings, including the world’s first non-combustible warehouse built solely from cast iron, brick and granite. His design celebrates the work of architect Jesse Hartley, presenting an abstract and simplified interpretation of the Albert Dock. Paying further tribute to the iconic building the garden is constructed using the same materials that were used in its construction in 1841. The contemporary layout of the garden depicts the shape of the dock as it stands today. Prevailing red brick walls and structured planting make up the back-bone of the scheme, and like the layout of the docks the Show Garden scheme has no boundaries and offers a view from all aspects.
Bob Sweet, Head of Shows Development at the RHS was on the selection panel for the competition. He says: “Our three finalists have all brought an extremely high standard to the debut of this competition and they’ve also shown an acute appreciation for the North West region with a variety of interpretations included in the designs.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the gardens come to life in the finals of the competition at Tatton in July.”
The RHS Show Tatton Park takes place between 21 and 25 July 2010, with 21 July reserved for RHS members. Tickets are priced from £19 for RHS members and £22 for public tickets in advance. To book or to find out more, visit: rhs.org.uk/tatton
