SMALL CONCEPT
The Secret Life of Pets
SPONSORS: Universal Studios, Sanctuary Synthetics DESIGNER: Mark O’Loughlin E: info@sanctuarysynthetics.ie W: www.sanctuarysynthetics.ie Ever wonder what your pets get up to when you’re not around? This apparently ordinary suburban garden is home to Max the Jack Russell Terrier and Gidget the Pomeranian. Everything seems normal at first - but it all changes when the humans are gone! Once the owners’ backs are turned, the garden transforms. The lawn retracts to reveal a pool where the pets kicks back, the garden shed becomes a groovy cabana with a disco ball, and Max’s kennel has a satellite dish. It’s party time for the pets, and Max, Snowball, Mel, Gidget and Tiberius can be found enjoying the life they have when we’re not looking. Look out for the fun characters hanging out all over the garden, but be quick – once the humans return, everything is back to normal! “The Secret Life of Pets” is in cinemas from June 24.
Sharing the Load
SPONSOR: Saint John of God Hospital, Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
DESIGNER: Padraic Woods “Sharing The Load” depicts how someone suffering from mental health issues can feel, as well as the positive outcomes that can be achieved by seeking support. This is also an important opportunity to tackle the stigma surrounding mental health, and show that there is always light at the end of the tunnel and that recovery is possible. The designer is hoping encourage people to consider Mental Health First Aid so that we can support each other in our communities. The structure is a giant see-saw that depicts the highs and lows that are experienced by people suffering with mental health issues. Tight planning of trees to the rear of the garden creates a shaded area, which represents how a person suffering from deep depression can feel. Dark coloured planting and plants with spikes and thorns depict a person who is trying to block out the world because they are finding it difficult to cope. Loose gravel from the centre of the tunnel towards the rear of the garden will give the sense of instability. In contrast, the front of the garden is a colourful, bright, positive space to show that life gets easier when help is sought. Following the show, Padraic will rebuild it on the grounds of Saint John of God Hospital, Stillorgan.
The Legend of Tarzan
SPONSOR: Warner Brothers DESIGNER Liat and Oliver Schurmann Company: Mount Venus Nursery E: mountvenusnursery@gmail.com This show garden is inspired by “The Legend of Tarzan”, the breath-taking adaption of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ classic tale, coming in July 2016. The garden invites visitors into a verdant African jungle, with a skilled design that seems deeper and larger than the garden’s dimensions. A series of pools step down through the landscape, disappearing into the undergrowth and back-drop beyond, subtly playing with the viewer’s perspective. In the distance, an army of miniature gorillas adds a touch of the surreal, and suggests the wildness and danger of Tarzan’s tropical home. The hanging mist and mysterious sounds transport the visitor into the rainforests of Africa, to experience in person the legend of Tarzan!