Exhibitors
Courtyard gardens
Brinsbury Campus, Chichester College
Casa Forte - A Mediterranean Retreat
Designers: Stephen Firth and Nicola Ludlow-Monk
Click on the images to view a hi-res version
Stephen Firth came up with this concept while holidaying with his family in Greece last summer. The concept is to fuse styles from across the Mediterranean region to create a small courtyard with a relaxed holiday feeling that could be easily replicated in a small garden space of a backyard.
The space is enclosed by North African ‘rammed earth walls’ capped with hand-made Roman tiles; these and the wood used are all to give an aged rustic appearance. The ground surface is a combination of crushed limestone areas and geometric tiles set in a mosaic paying homage to the Moorish influence. A porch with a door suggests an entrance to a house beyond. Silver foliage plants on the outer part of the garden capture the feeling of a hot, dry countryside and contrast with cool, lush green foliage within the courtyard walls.
Designer Stephen Firth won a Silver-Gilt at Chelsea 2006, but this is co-designer Nicola Ludlow-Monk’s first time at Chelsea. Nicola says ‘I am a bit in awe of Chelsea…and the responsibility of carrying the torch for our college is a bit daunting, I can only do my best!’