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4Head
The 4Head Garden of Dreams
Designer:
Marney Hall; co-designer: Heather Yarrow
Sponsor: 4Head
Contractor: Squires Landscapes
4Head - click to
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Click here to view a panorama of this garden.
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A dreamy, peaceful garden planted with species chosen for their calming and soporific properties, the 4Head Garden of Dreams illustrates the stress-relieving properties of plants. The garden promotes the role of Mentha x piperata in 4Head as an effective natural treatment for headaches.
This garden is set in secluded, tranquil woodland and protected by a thorny hedge from harsh realities beyond. A small brook emerges from shaded tree roots to meander through a sunlit glade towards a large central pool, which surrounds an island. On the island is a stunning 'living' sculpture, which is a dreaming girl composed of mud, twigs, grasses and plants. The dreaming girl is inspired by the famous 'Mudmaid' from the Lost Gardens of Heligan and created by her sculptors, Sue Hill and Peter Hill of the Eden Project.
The pool is bordered by open meadow, with profuse use of plants selected for the calming properties of their perfume and their subdued colours. With plants such as vervain, borage, lavender and chamomile, the palette is limited to blues, mauves, white, the palest of yellows and green.
Many of the herbs that will be used in this garden are known to possess medicinal benefits. Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum) has calming properties, wild marjoram (Origanum vulgare) will lift spirits and calm nerves and mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) is a mild anaesthetic and is used to induce sleep.