2011 – Irish Sky Garden

Irish Sky Garden, supported by tourism body Fáilte Ireland and Cork City Council, is a traditional garden suspended 25 metres above ground and set within a 16m-long ovoid steel hanging pod. Hoisted by a crane, the floating garden, inspired by the film Avatar, is a Chelsea first.

Beneath the pod, the contemporary garden features 25 circular pools of water spread out across the landscape to reflect the garden pod above. Mirroring the spherical pools are soft globes of box, forming a cloud-like landscape that are interspersed with a forest of silver birch, large clipped hornbeams and pine trees for height, each drawing the eye upwards. Hugging the ground beneath and creating a rich, verdant landscape cut through by a steel ribbon, are soft grasses, sedges, lavender and marguerites.