Exhibitors
Roof gardens New for 2007
DHL Logistics in association with Bespoke Gardens
The DHL Sun Chariot Garden
Designer: Andrew Marson (Bespoke Gardens)
Sponsor: DHL Logistics
Contractors: Bespoke Gardens, Crowe Garden Design, Sheila Hassock Garden Design
Click on the images to view a hi-res version
The Sun Chariot is a 3,400 year old Bronze Age statue of the sun, gilded on one side, on a horse-drawn chariot. It depicts the belief that the sun was pulled across the heavens from east to west during the day, showing its bright side, and back again at night showing its dark side.
In The DHL Sun Chariot Garden visitors can swing into the sun or shade at a press of the button. The latter-day Sun Chariot, at the heart of this garden, has a sunny and shady side too. The sun reference in this garden relates to global warming - the garden designer, Andrew Marson, believes our relationship with the giver of life is ambiguous to say the least. The garden addresses climate change and water shortages in the south east of England; the planting is drought tolerant.
The centrepiece within the garden is the large, semi-circular oak seat, which allows the visitor as much or little sun as they like. The floor area is an oak deck, which articulates in a series of circles from the doorway.
The drought-tolerant planting is inspired by Beth Chatto’s dry gravel garden. The dominant colour theme is blue with yellows and creams. Helictotrichon sempervirens and Stipa tenuissima grasses are used to further delineate the circular structure of the garden and a Eucalyptus pauciflora subsp. niphophila adds height.
This is Andrew’s first garden at Chelsea. After a decade of cerebral gymnastics, working as a conference interpreter for the EU, he felt his creative calling and, in his late thirties, turned his passion for design and plants into reality. Andrew has worked in close cooperation with two fellow designers - Adrian Crowe (Crowe Garden Design) and Sheila Hassock (Sheila Hassock Garden Design), also Chelsea first timers, to plan and create this garden.