Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Students set to blossom over summer at flower shows
Brothers David Rich, a final year student, and his brother Harry, a graduate from 2008, will show their garden, 'Un Garreg' (one stone), at the Chelsea Flower Show in May, after winning the best in show at last year's Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Flower Show in Cardiff. The duo run their family landscape architecture business, Rich Landscapes, based near Brecon, Wales.
Harry said: "Our 'naturalistic' show garden at Chelsea is inspired by the growing separation between man and nature. It is about creating a humble, naturalistic space crafted from one stone."
David added: "Leeds Met has provided us with the knowledge and freedom to develop our own individual style, allowing us to draw inspiration from what we see and feel and implement that into our designs."
In July, 2007 RHS medal winner and 2009 BA (Hons) Garden Art & Design graduate, Heather Appleton, will present her work at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. Heather's show garden, 'The QEF Garden for Joy', is sponsored by the Queen Elizabeth Foundation for the Disabled and will be used by the Foundation in a home for disabled teenagers in Surrey.
Heather commented: "I decided to call it the Garden for Joy as one of the things that struck me when I visited the home was the sheer and utter joy there. When I mentioned it to the charity, I discovered that one of their supporters is named Joy so I ran with the theme."
Heather's garden contains no three-point-turns and is based on a circle and the 'Q' in the QEF logo. To build on the theme of joy, it has a bubble screen across the front of the garden in copper and a bubble machine.
Finally, in late July, Seven Peas, made up of final year students Sam Buckley, Catheryn Gausden, Sam Maindonald,Kateryna Vasyliushchenko - Vainus, Natalie Graham, Waheeda Kothdiwala and Andrew Brotherton, will present their recuperation garden for St Gemma's Hospice at the RHS Tatton Flower Show.
Sam Buckley commented: "Our design is a very immersive and experiential design for a small garden space; the concept is about escapism from stresses and pressures and about recuperation. We have designed a Pod which sits within the planted garden space in which the user can escape into: it contains LED lighting, soft interior and music in which all the cares and stresses can be quelled. The exterior is a mini journey and interpretation of the Yorkshire rugged landscape, using sustainable and localised materials, the user is taken on a mini journey through moorland planting, water rills, and dry stone walls on a curved path that winds downward and into the Pod sanctuary."
The team are working alongside St Gemma's Hospice with the aim of donating the garden after the show. They have already raised almost £2,000 in support of the project and donations can be made through their Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/sevenpeasinapod
Steve Heywood, Senior Lecturer in Landscape Architecture at Leeds Metropolitan, said: "Garden design is an integral part of the Landscape Architecture course at Leeds Met and this is the third year that we have representation at all three major RHS shows from current students, past students and staff members. The Rich boys have begun their epic two week build at Chelsea already and I am delighted that Heather is on board and part of the team and she has been sharing her experience and knowledge as a part-time lecturer here. We are also delighted to be working alongside St. Gemma's Hospice and that the Seven Peas students will continue to work with them after their graduation to retro fit the show garden into the hospice."