Urban show gardens with a twist
15 February 2012
How to breathe life into unsightly, derelict city streets and help to cut crime – that’s the tough brief given to the RHS Young Designers Owen Morgan and Alexandra Froggatt, in designing the show gardens at this year's RHS London Plant & Design Show.
The result is two very different gardens. Alexandra Froggatt’s Gold award-winning garden, Smoke and Mirrors, (above) uses a combination of light colours, wide, curving paths and mirrors to create the illusion of space. She has included green walls and evergreen plants, such as dogwood, to inject a splash of colour and fulfill her aim of creating a lush, urban oasis that allows some privacy for the owners.
The Come Together garden by Owen Morgan, given a Silver Flora award, focuses on the concept of a modular solution for an alleyway that requires public access and has minimal planting opportunities. The result is a fashionably coloured ‘Hot Orange’, free-standing, self-supporting frame that could easily slot into an alleyway. Owen used ivy panels, commenting that they are detachable and maintenance friendly.
Easy to replicate
Fortunately for those who are interested in transforming an alleyway in their area, the concepts behind both show gardens are easy to replicate on a low budget. Individual aspects of both gardens such as the green wall and slatted screens in Smoke & Mirrors, and the orange frame or plants in pots in Come Together can be copied for instant effect without burning a hole in your pocket.
Both show gardens will be on display at the RHS London Plant & Design Show (14-15 February).