COUNTRYSIDE BORDER COMPETITION RAIN GARDEN 2020
After being selected as one of six garden design practices to build a border at the Belvoir Castle Flower and Garden Show 2020, we were not only relieved when the show finally went ahead, but also really chuffed with the way the border looked! It got a great response from the public, who loved the wild feel of it, as well as the warm end-of-summer palette and the movement from the grasses.
Thanks goes to London College of Garden Design for sponsoring the Countryside Border competition and the show organisers for pulling off one of the only garden shows – socially distanced of course – to go ahead this year!
2020
The Autumnal colours looked stunning bathed in the September sunshine, with Crocosmia ‘Emily McKenzie’ and Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Blackfield’ in particular drawing a lot of attention, the former bringing an exotic touch to the naturalistic swale – inspired border.
For us this was about choosing plants for a purpose – a functional scheme that would challenge notions of traditional planting design. Moisture-loving plants were positioned at the base of the bank and more drought tolerant species further up.
As we hoped, the border was also enjoyed by a multitude of pollinating insects, showing that beautiful planting design can benefit wildlife and people alike.
