Naturally Resilient: Inspired by the Norfolk Coast

The border 

The long border design is inspired by the east Norfolk coast and surrounding areas, with the key theme of Natural Resilience. A sustainable, ecologically sensitive planting scheme helps to stabilise erosion, enhance biodiversity and thrive in challenging coastal conditions. The design mimics the natural patterns and ecology by selecting hardy, resilient and locally inspired flora that feels rooted in place, while supporting biodiversity and essentially soil stability. 

The design features five vertical pieces of driftwood, used as sculptural elements, their natural, organic forms enhancing the coastal scheme, with sand and areas of local flint shingle used to mimic the habitat.

The planting

The atmosphere aims to be naturalistic, airy and subtly dynamic, responding to wind and light. The colour scheme is blue, purple and pink with splashes of white, intertwined with the grey, silver and green of the grasses. Varied textures feature, from the roughness of the Eryngium variifolium to the delicateness of the Knautia arvensis and Centaurea cyanus amongst the grass leaf blades.

Key structural plants include native deep rooting Ammophila arenaria for soil stabilisation, mixed with Deschampsia flexuosa and Eryngium varifolium for their architectural foliage. Drought tolerant and chosen to thrive in dry, windy and saline conditions, ensuring compatibility with the native ecosystem, long-term resilience and reducing erosion with their deep and fibrous root systems.

About the designers – Susan Harvey & Konstantinos Gargaletsos - H&G studio

Harvey & Gargaletsos studio collaboration was established when Susan and Konstantinos met while studying garden design in 2021. 
 
Susan is a highly experienced architect with 25 years dedicated to residential projects, encompassing listed buildings and conservation areas. Susan possesses extensive knowledge of design, detailing, and materials. Susan has cultivated a strong interest in horticulture and garden design. Her architectural background provides a valuable asset in her approach to garden design and planting. Susan is currently teaching the Principles and Practice of Garden Design (Level 3) at Capel Manor. 
 
Konstantinos has also studied courses on the history of English landscape gardens at Oxford University and botanical illustration at Royal Botanical Gardens Edinburgh and has worked as a seasonal gardener for Historical Palaces at the gardens in Kensington Palace. He holds a particular fascination for Japanese gardens and is a member of both the Japanese and Mediterranean garden societies. Previously, Konstantinos had a long career in graphic design & art direction in music, TV and fashion. 

The garden legacy

After the show the border will be relocated to Terrington Community School, King's Lynn.