Designers shortlisted
Three garden landscapers have been shortlisted for the top design prize at this year’s BBC Gardener’s World show, which takes place this week (June 16-19) at the NEC in Birmingham.
Each year ahead of the event, The Association of Professional Landscapers challenges landscapers from across the UK to submit designs for a themed garden, to be in with a chance of being awarded the Best APL Avenue Show Garden – this year’s theme is ‘Work, Rest and Play.’ The three shortlisted companies are Big Fish Landscapes, Landscapes of Distinction and Gordius Ltd.
Big Fish Landscapes’ Memories of Mountains
– a Garden Retreat has been designed by Cheltenham-based Jonathan King and is influenced by the tranquil and spiritual mountain retreats in China’s Zhejiang Province, which aims to bring a sense of calm to an urban terrace. The main paved area has been designed with yoga or meditation in mind.
Landscapes of Distinction’s Nurturing Through Nature was designed by Kim Parish of Cornwall and is inspired by the world’s experiences over the past two years, specifically finding ways of fostering a better work-life balance as more of us move to a flexible, ‘hybrid’ way of working.
Finally the Gordius Team Ltd Garden, by Surreybased Anna Pawlowska, has a professional family in mind and is intended to suit both recreational and social purposes. The design incorporates a love of nature, which is demonstrated through eye-catching plants and wildlife features, while showing responsibility to the environment through the use of reclaimed materials.