HORTICULTURE
A PLAYFUL VOYAGE
INSIDE THE TIDE STRETCHING THEIR IMAGINATIONS TO THE LIMIT, THE GARDEN’S EXPERT STAFF – WITH THE HELP OF SOME PUPPET MASTERS – HAVE CREATED A TRULY UNIQUE CALYX EXHIBITION. JOHN SIEMON REPORTS.
H
orticulture is often considered a fusion of science and art, and our latest Calyx exhibition – Inside the Tide – certainly lives up to this descriptor as visitors explore a whimsical journey inside an aquatic seascape. More than 12 months in the making, each Calyx exhibition requires many hands and brains to weave a successful outcome. Starting with a series of ideation workshops, the Horticulture team settled on a working title of ‘Under the Sea’ and explored the
24 THE GARDENS AUTUMN 2022
endless possibilities – and challenges – that a seascape would present. Participating in our design workshops this year was our Landscape Designer, Sitthichat (Sitty) Bamrung, who ingeniously converted thought bubbles into visual concepts to test our ideas and further resolve them into detailed designs, including the green wall. In a departure from our previous exhibitions, this year we have invested in a series of organic-shaped raised beds that allow for an infinitely
re-configurable design for future displays. Through simply reorienting or adjoining beds, the look and feel of the exhibition area will remain fresh and provide enhanced mobility for maintenance and visitor interactivity. We have also constructed a series of giant mobile beds which, if required, we can remove or reposition to increase event or venue space. A further point of difference for this exhibition is a partnership with Erth Visual & Physical, a renowned
