Press releases

Novel inspiration for garden design at The RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park

Some of Britain’s best known literature has provided inspiration for novel garden design at this year’s RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park (19-23 July).

Visitors to this year’s show can enjoy the transformation of literary excellence into show-stopping garden design as some of our favourite novels are given a horticultural makeover at the floral extravaganza.

Designed by Christopher Moss, Far from the Madding Crowd will depict the escapism and tranquillity of Thomas Hardy’s 19th century novel of the same name. This tranquil garden features a thatched open hut accessed via a timber bridge suspended over a large pond. The garden will incorporate a range of sumptuous, exotic plants that are easy to maintain, as well as providing a diverse habitat for wildlife.

Isak Dinesen’s autobiographical Out of Africa has inspired Louise Ward and Lucy Hunter to create an Art Deco style show garden. The best-selling book, later adapted into the 1985 film starring Robert Redford and Meryl Steep, describes the experiences of a group of European settlers to Kenya during the early 20th century. The centrepiece of the garden will be an elevated tree house with a cascading water curtain falling into a plunge pool and surrounded by lush planting, drawing obvious similarities to the colonial Kenya described in the novel.

Conwy County Borough Council, competing in The RHS National Flower Bed Competition at the show, with its take on Lewis Carol’s Alice in Wonderland. The book has a special place in the hearts of local people, as the ‘real Alice’ regularly spent holidays on the west shore of Llandudno. The flower bed will feature upright floral sculptures of Alice, the Mad Hatter and a white rabbit, placed on a checked floral table cloth with two fabricated playing cards.

Lancaster Council’s use of Laurence Binyon’s poignant war poem The Fallen is aptly timed with the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme this month (July). The bed has been designed around one of the poem’s most poignant lines, “at the going down of the sun we will remember them”, depicted with the rays of a setting sun planted from red through the colour spectrum to yellow.

Alfred Tennyson’s poetic tribute to the British cavalrymen involved in an ill-advised charge during the Crimean War, The Charge of the Light Brigade, has inspired designer Clive Scott’s show garden that will take visitors  ‘Into the Valley’. The garden will adopt the form of an open book with planting to reflect the mood of the poem; sabre-like Crocosmia 'Lucifer' will stand proudly amidst flowing Stipa tenuissima and the end of the valley will see a phalanx of Perovskia atriplicifolia 'Blue Spire' (Russian sage).

Kris Hulewicz, show manager for the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park, comments, “As the show develops and competition for medals heightens, we are seeing an increasing level of innovation and cultural influence on design schemes. Using well known literature and poetry helps visitors feel familiar with the gardens and adds an additional layer of enjoyment to the displays.”

The RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park is renowned for its avant-garde designs and fresh, young talent. With an extensive array of shopping opportunities, from plants and garden accessories to gourmet food and books, advice from the RHS Advisory Stand and packed pavilions to peruse, including award-winning displays in the Floral and National Plant Society Marquees, Tatton reflects the true essence of summer.

The RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park takes place between 19 and 23 July, with 19 July reserved for RHS members, and is open between 10am and 7pm. (On the Sunday the show shuts at 5pm, with the sell off starting at 4pm). To book tickets call 0870 906 3311 (public) or 0870 906 3810 (RHS members) or online at www.rhs.org.uk/flowershows

Notes to Editors

For more information contact Catherine Turner or Erin Portsmouth at Fido PR on 0161 274 3311 or e-mail: catherine@trustfido.co.uk or erin@trustfido.co.uk

www.rhs.org.uk/pressoffice

The RHS is the UK’s leading gardening charity dedicated to advancing horticulture and promoting good gardening. RHS work includes providing expert advice and information, advancing horticulture, training the next generation of gardeners, helping school children learn about plants, and conducting research into plants, pests and environmental issues affecting gardeners.

An interest in gardening is all you need to enjoy being a member of the RHS. For more information visit www.rhs.org.uk or call 0845 130 4646.

Founded in 1804, the Royal Horticultural Society is Britain's largest gardening charity and is committed to being the leading organisation demonstrating excellence in horticulture and promoting gardening. Renowned for its outstanding gardens and inspirational flower shows, the RHS is a key source of advice and information for all gardeners. It encourages gardening through its publications, trials, lectures, education programmes and scientific research and is home to the Lindley Library, which contains the most comprehensive collection of horticultural books in the world.

Membership of the Royal Horticultural Society offers many exclusive benefits including a monthly copy of The Garden magazine; free entrance to RHS Gardens Wisley in Surrey, Rosemoor in Devon, Hyde Hall in Essex and Harlow Carr in North Yorkshire; free access to a further 88 beautiful gardens across Britain and 20 gardens in Belgium and France; access to seeds collected at RHS gardens; free gardening advice and privileged tickets to 18 RHS flower shows, including the Chelsea Flower Show, the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show and the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park.

For further enquiries about membership of the RHS contact: Membership Department, Royal Horticultural Society, PO Box 313, London SW1P 2PE; 0845 130 4646 Monday - Friday 9.30am - 5pm or via the RHS website

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