The French connection
An interview with garden designer James Basson on The Renault Garden at Chelsea
RHS Shows Department
Tuesday, May 01, 2012
Last year, James worked with Sarah Eberle on the gold-medal-winning Monaco garden, but this year he’s on his own and bringing a breath of French air to the new Fresh Gardens category.
What the garden is about
James Basson will recreate a slice of the landscape from the South of France, where he is based. James was the natural choice to design a forward-looking garden for Renault. His Fresh garden design supports the principles of the ‘circular economy’- putting back what you take out.
The circular economy is promoted by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Renault is one of its founding partners. The Renault Garden shows an environmentally-aware approach can be put into a garden design.
Renault Garden Day 2
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Plants ready for planting in
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Finishing the Renault Garden pillars
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More planting in the Renault Garden
The French carmaking company has a tradition of producing popular cars and is at the forefront of technology, as they introduce a range of electric cars which produce zero-emissions (tailpipe emissions) and minimise envionmental impact.
Renault is committed to protecting the environment, sourcing local materials or utilising waste products in new ways. This is reflected in the Renault Garden by James’ use of puddingstone for hard landscaping- a waste product which can later be recycled.
James uses a restricted list of plants in contrast to the puddingstone. He has chosen plants that thrive in Mediterranean conditions, such as thyme.
Exclusive interview with the designer
James Basson takes time out to talk about the inspiration behind his design at this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
You’ve produced quite an unusual design for Renault UK; what was the inspiration for it?
‘Les Vallons Obscurs’ are hidden valleys behind Nice, composed of puddingstone. They provide an unlikely microclimate supporting ferns and teeming with waterfalls, surrounded by the contrasting barren Mediterranean landscape. My inspiration for the planting came from these ‘oases’ of flourishing vegetation.
What is puddingstone?
It’s a naturally-occurring sedimentary conglomerate of pebbles surrounded by fine clay deposits which through thousands of years of compaction have transformed into naturally stabilised concrete. Its ability to retain moisture and nutrients means it can sustain incredibly abundant plant life.
What does the garden have to do with Renault UK launching their electric car range?
The message is about recycling. Puddingstone is usually a waste product - ours came from a building site - and we are using it for all the defining structures of the garden, not only the paving, the pillars and the pathway; but also as a mulch and a planting medium. This demonstrates how versatile it is as a recycled product and fits in nicely with Renault’s eco2 programme that ensures vehicles are 95% recyclable at the end of their life.
Is this what the circular economy is about?
Yes, it’s based on the premise that all production, whether it’s for cars or for Chelsea Show gardens, is reusable and sourced locally as far as possible. Recycling a local waste material such as puddingstone on the site, we are able to demonstrate exactly what a circular economy should be achieving.
I believe Ellen MacArthur, the solo yachtswoman, is involved in the circular economy initiative?
Yes, The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has been fundamental in educating and encouraging projects that embrace the value of this philosophy. Renault is one of the original partners in the Foundation and is leading several large-scale projects for it.
How does your garden fit into the new ‘Fresh’ garden category at Chelsea?
It’s to do with taking local materials and giving them a fresh look, creating a dynamic garden ambiance. This is a slice of landscape abstracted, re-jigged, translated and concentrated to create a very intense representation of this particularly dramatic environment.