RHS Spring Flower Show Cardiff
Exhibitors
The RHS Spring Flower Show, Cardiff is a horticultural haven in the heart of the city with nurseries and gardens showcasing the best in Welsh horticulture.
Show gardens
Acorn Gardens
A Day by the Shore
The design of this garden is intended for a young person or couple and the space is typical of a small terraced house back garden. The theme is the Welsh coast, based on two of the designer’s favourite local places - Lavernock and Southerdown. The design uses golden section geometry and draws on the natural patterns and imagery of the the Welsh coasts to create a contemporary garden.
Sand, pebbles, rock pools and cliffs dripping water have been reinterpreted in this garden. The water feature in the garden is based on the image of a cliff, the rock pool into which the water falls will be constructed of Pulham Stone (Pulhamite) - a kind of concrete used by Victorians to make rock formations. Planting in the garden is ornamental, the majority of which are selected to survive the dry conditions likely to be encountered as the climate changes. The blue and greyish green of the Eucalyptus and chamomile, the silver of Astelia and the brighter green of Miscanthus all reflect the coastal colours that inspired the garden.
This is the first time that Christine Wilson has exhibited for the RHS. Her route to garden design has been a long one as she initially trained as an interior designer before working as an excavator/illustrator on archeological sites in France, Egypt and Turkey. Christine now works in Cardiff as a botanical illustrator, writer and garden designer.
Anthea Guthrie Garden Design
The Ambrosial Forest - Food for the Gods
This edible forest garden will display unusual and unexpected edible plants such as mahonia berries, violets and primroses alongside woven willow sculptures of gods of the forest.
Caerphilly County Borough Council
The Salsa Garden
The Salsa Garden is a contemporary design influenced by the imagery of the Navajo and Pueblo Native American Indians and their deep respect for Mother Nature. This concept has been interwoven into the design, which reflects the art, wisdom and legend of their culture.
With long hot summers set to stay, the design uses drought-tolerant plants and incorporates systems to cut water consumption. Three septic tanks are converted into separate seating areas that at the same time hold fresh rainwater used to water plants. A trickle irrigation system under the soil surface waters the plants and reduces the loss of water to evaporation.
Gale's Landscape & Garden Creations
Inscape (Inturf)/Jo Gardens - Garden Design
The Inscape Garden
The Inscape Garden offers a tranquil garden space that could be recreated within the boundaries of a typical suburban back garden in Cardiff. It aims to show what can be achieved without costing the earth; with limited hard landscaping and the empasis on plants, the Inscape Garden offers an abundant and attractive habitat for wildlife, while being economical to build. All the plants and materials can be obtained locally.
The formal layout of the garden is softened by the loose informal nature of the planting. Central to the garden is the lawn, which offers a sense of space, and a soft foil to the early-flowering perennials set within the borders. To the edge of the lawn are six silver birch trees, which give height and form a light canopy over the whole garden.
A series of inter-connecting water features links the garden together; a shallow water rill is fed from the raised pool and appears to flow under the terrace then under the lawn before re-emerging as it falls into the shallow pool at the front of the garden.
The garden is enclosed on two sides by bespoke oak hurdle fencing, providing privacy and shelter to the garden and also a stylish backdrop to the array of green, textured foliage plants.
The South Rise Leisure Gardeners Society
Tomorrow’s Gardens Today
This garden reflects contemporary concerns with reducing our carbon footprint, and exploiting sustainable resources in the garden. This allotment garden is dedicated to using renewable energy from solar panels and wind turbines to avoid CO2 emissions and growing fruit and veg throughout the year. Raised beds made from recycled material produce three crops a year and allow cultivation without digging, while a compost bin made from recycled uPVC gives warmth for propagation with a solar-powered ventilation system to control the temperature.