Pooh and Alice at Hampton Court
Winnie-the-Pooh and Alice in Wonderland celebrated anniversaries with gardens at this year's show
Two of Britain’s best-loved childhood fictional characters celebrated landmark anniversaries at this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, with gardens illustrating some of their most famous moments.
Garden designer Anthea Guthrie teamed up with Botanica World Discoveries to mark the 90th birthday of Winnie-the-Pooh. Botanica World Discoveries: Winnie the Pooh Begins His Journey is a garden of childhood make-believe and adult creativity inspired by the retreat where A.A. Milne created the famous bear in 1925. The garden is complete with familiar elements taken from the captivating stories including the famous bridge, where Winnie and Piglet play Pooh sticks, and a woodland clearing, where a picnic is laid for the characters from Pooh Corner.
Meanwhile, Charlie Bloom created The Tea Party to celebrate 150 years since Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was first published. Taking inspiration from one of the most notable scenes in the book, the designer transported visitors into the world of make-believe and created an opulent scene of controlled structure and floral chaos through the use of vibrantly coloured planting of varied textures and shapes.
“Unlike the traditional Show Garden, this little gem is more a piece of theatre to entertain the imagination and encourage more people – especially youngsters – to pick up the book and get immersed in this strange, quirky world,” said Charlie.
Fiona Davison, Head of RHS Libraries and Exhibitions, said: “Gardens are a wonderful medium for telling stories as both these fantastic, fun designs show.
“Gardens and story-telling have a long and knotted history, with plants and gardens having helped feed and enhance many great literary stories over the years. Some of our most noted authors including Beatrix Potter, Jane Austin and Frances Hodgson-Burnett have used their own gardens as settings for their timeless tales."
