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Newsprint
What’s new in the world of garden design Compiled by Zia Allaway
TOM STUART-SMITH’S JELLICOE GARDENS OPEN IN KING’S CROSS
A NEW GARDEN that celebrates Persian landscape traditions and English garden-style planting has opened in the heart of London’s King’s Cross. Designed by landscape designer Tom Stuart-Smith MSGD, the garden pays tribute to the late Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe (1900–96), founding member of the Landscape Institute, and was opened by his nephew, Michael Pares (pictured above right, with the garden designer).
Jellicoe was renowned for his waterthemed designs such as those at Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire and Shute House in Wiltshire, and his ideas and those featured in the 16th-century Bagh-e Fin, a traditional Persian garden in Iran, are a central feature of Tom’s design.
Situated between the Aga Khan Centre – itself home to six gardens, terraces and courtyards inspired by different parts of the Islamic world – and the residential developments Luma and Fenman House, the Jellicoe Gardens are a significant new public space within the northern part of the King’s Cross Estate and provide a tranquil oasis for local residents and visitors. The Estate now comprises 26 acres of public realm, which includes a number of green spaces designed by Dan Pearson MSGD in the squares and along Regent’s Canal.
Hanif Kara, representing the Aga Khan Development Network which, together with property developer Argent, commissioned the garden, commented: ‘Through the green spaces – six in the Aga Khan Centre, two in nearby Victoria Hall, the fountains in Lewis Cubitt Square, and now Jellicoe Gardens – visitors to King’s Cross can gain new insights about the diversity of Islamic landscape design originating from different geographic regions and see their contributions to garden design around the world.’
Tom Stuart-Smith worked in association with Townshend Landscape Architects, the masterplan landscape architects for King’s Cross, who delivered the paving and pathways within the garden and their integration with the wider public realm.
kingscross.co.uk; tomstuartsmith.co.uk.
John Sturrock Image:
LDA DESIGN WINS SGDSPONSORED LI AWARD
CAROLYN WILLITTS MSGD was among the panel of Landscape Institute Award judges who selected LDA Design’s Sighthill Regeneration Masterplan as the winner of the SGD-sponsored Excellence in Landscape Construction award.
The plan (pictured below) is for a new neighbourhood on a former industrial site in Glasgow, with 850 new homes, parkland, and lochans, burns and wetlands to provide flood protection and boost biodiversity.
The Landscape Institute’s top prize, the President’s Award, was won by Guangzhou Urban Planning & Design Survey Research Institute for the Guangzhou Ecological Belt Masterplan and Implementation. The project restores the ecology of the waterfront in the Chinese city of Guangzhou, which was threatened by pollution. The design also won The Dame Sylvia Crowe International Award.
For a list of all LI award-winners, visit
awards.landscapeinstitute.org
Image: Morgan Sindall
Image: Morgan Sindall
NEWS IN BRIEF
Adjudication update
Congratulations to Adam Vetere and Anna Butterfield, both of whom have passed their first adjudication projects, and to Kate Poore and Lucy Conochie, who have both passed their second adjudication projects.
sgd.org.uk
SGD members scoop top Pro Landscaper prizes
GDRN, led by pre-registered SGD member Paul Duffy, picked up the Supreme Winner and Design and Build Under £30,000 prizes at the Pro Landscaper Small Project Big Impact Awards 2021 for a garden filled with beautiful planting and detailing in northwest London. Pre-registered member Adam Vetere was also among the winners, scooping the Planting Design under £20,000 for his Ravine Garden.
prolandscapermagazine.com
Apprenticeship opportunities
Hertfordshire-based business The Garden Company, led by James Scott MSGD, has created apprenticeship opportunities for its new team members and team leaders. ‘The last 18 months have shown what a buoyant industry we work in, and it’s clear that we need to attract more people into landscaping and horticulture,’ says James. ‘I feel that the new Apprenticeship Standards training, introduced nationally last year, offers a great vehicle for this.’ thegardenco.co.uk
Kew’s collections to go digital
A £15m government investment to digitise the world’s largest collection of plant and fungal specimens, held at the Royal Botanic Garden Kew, will be a ‘game-changer’, allowing researchers to access it free of charge. Director of Kew Gardens, Richard Deverell, said that this valuable online resource will help scientists around the globe to tackle the twin threats of biodiversity loss and climate change. kew.org
Image: Jonathan Kemper on Unsplash]
Directory of therapeutic horticulture launched Historic Houses Garden of the Year Award 2021
AN ONLINE DIRECTORY of Social and Therapeutic Horticulture in Britain has been set up by general practitioner and SGD Student member Dr Richard Claxton, to connect both prescribers and members of the public with their local Gardening4Health schemes.
Richard was keen to prescribe gardening therapies to his patients but says that while social prescribing, part of the NHS’s Universal Personalised Care programme, is actively encouraged by the government, he found a lack of co-ordination and publicity about the schemes available.
The Directory aims to solve this problem and currently lists just over 400 different therapeutic gardens and organisations. However, Richard would like help to increase that number so if you know of any schemes in your area, which are not already included in the directory, please contact him via gardening4health.co.uk. GORDON CASTLE WALLED Garden in Moray, Scotland (pictured below), has won the 2021 Historic Houses Garden of the Year Award, after a record-breaking number of votes. The Scottish garden received more than 3,000 votes, more than any other in the competition’s 37-year history, and it is the first Scottish garden ever to win the award, which is sponsored by Christie’s.
The garden saw off stiff competition from Harewood House in Yorkshire, Lowther Castle in Cumbria, and five other extraordinary British gardens. Its current owners, Angus and Zara Gordon Lennox, have spent the last seven years transforming the garden from a near abandoned grass field into a productive and beautiful space, showcasing the very best fruit, herbs, vegetables and cut flowers. historichouses.org
Image: (Right) Charles A. Birnbaum / The Cultural Landscape Foundation
Julie Bargmann (below) and her reimagining of a former Navy Yard in Philadelphia, now headquarters of fashion retailer, Urban Outfitters.
Images: (Top and left) Barrett Doherty / The Cultural Landscape Foundation
WINNER OF INAUGURAL OBERLANDER PRIZE ANNOUNCED
THE INAUGURAL biennial Oberlander Prize has been won by Julie Bargmann, Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Virginia, and the founder of Dump It Right There (D.I.R.T.).
The prize is a named after the late celebrated landscape architect Cornelia Hahn Oberlander and includes a $100,000 award and two years of public engagement activities that focus on the laureate’s work, and landscape architecture more broadly. It is bestowed on a recipient who is ‘exceptionally talented, creative, courageous, and visionary’ and has ‘a significant body of built work that exemplifies the art of landscape architecture’.
Julie has been recognised for her work in bringing contaminated and post-industrial landscapes back to life. The Oberlander Prize Jury Citation says of her: ‘Julie has been a provocateur, a critical practitioner, and a public intellectual. She embodies the kind of activism required of landscape architects in an era of severe environmental challenges and persistent social inequities.’
tclf.org; dirtstudio.com
Miyawaki-style mini forest for Nottingham
NOTTINGHAM IS TO become home to a Miyawaki-style mini forest, one of only a handful of this new kind of forest to be planted in the UK – other locations include Edinburgh, Glasgow and Frome. The Nottingham planting is thanks to the environmental group Green Hustle, working in collaboration with the Sherwood People’s Forest Project, Nottingham Open Spaces Forum and Nottingham City Council Parks and Open Spaces team.
Miyawaki forests, based on the work of Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, offer the benefits of a larger woodland in small city spaces. Covering an area about the size of a tennis court, the tiny forest will comprise young trees planted densely in enriched soil and kept watered and weed-free for two years. The trees form a biodiverse environment while helping to counter the effects of climate change. greenhustle.co.uk
CEDRIC MORRIS’ HOME TO BECOME CENTRE FOR ART AND GARDENING
BENTON END, THE former Suffolk home and garden of artist-gardener Sir Cedric Morris (1889–1982) and his partner, artist Arthur Lett Haines, is to be given a new life as a centre for gardening, art and creativity. The Pinchbeck Charitable Trust acquired Benton End in 2018 but has now generously transferred the ownership to the Garden Museum, with an only request that a consideration of £350,000 towards its value be paid to the Charitable Trust in 2024. The garden was as influential in its day as Sissinghurst, for the irises Morris bred there, and it became one of the first modern gardens to adopt a naturalistic design, showcasing many unusual plants that the artists grew and painted. The revived Benton End will similarly aim to support and inspire artists and gardeners, following the ethos of its previous owners. gardenmuseum.org.uk.
Image: Lucy Skellorn
Image: Sarah Cook
New garden for Galeri arts centre
THE OUTDOOR SPACE at Galeri, Caernarfon’s arts centre, is to be given a make-over with a design by pre-registered member Robert Hughes (concept pictured). His brief was to increase the soft landscaping and create a green setting for an alfresco café, as well as add interest to counterbalance the car park. Robert’s design, which is waiting for final planning approval and should be built this summer, increases the area in front of the centre by removing four of the parking spaces and adding seating and areas where local sculptors’ work can be exhibited. Planted raised beds will screen the café from the parked cars. roberthughesgardendesign.co.uk
NEWS IN BRIEF
Environment Act becomes law
The Environment Act, which will protect and enhance our environment for future generations, has now passed into British law. It aims to halt the decline of species by 2030, requires new developments to improve or create habitats for nature, and tackles deforestation overseas. It will also encourage businesses to create sustainable packaging and prevent the export of polluting plastic waste to developing countries.
Community garden grants from NGS
The National Garden Scheme (NGS) is awarding grants to fund amateur gardeners from community groups, to enable them to create a garden or similar project with a horticultural focus, such as an allotment, for the benefit of their local community or a charitable group. Successful applicants will need to show how they will bring a community together, sharing skills and knowledge to enable people to create a space that will inspire a love of gardening. Applications are open until 28 February 2022. ngs.org.uk
Reprint for Bloom’s bestseller
Adrian Bloom has reprinted his classic book, Bloom’s Best Perennials and Grasses, offering designers and gardeners a valuable reference tool and the opportunity to dip into his vast knowledge of plants, gained from almost 60 years in horticulture.
thebressinghamgardens.com
New president for Garden Museum
The Garden Museum has announced that gardener, broadcaster and writer Alan Titchmarsh MBE VMH DL will be its new President. Alan is only the second Garden Museum President and takes over the role from the Marchioness of Salisbury, who was in post until her death in 2016. gardenmuseum.org.uk
WHAT’S ON SGD MEMBERS ARE PRINCIPAL PRIZE WINNERS 10 TO 11 JANUARY AT BALI’S NATIONAL SGD CPD DIGITAL – CUT THROUGH THE NOISE, GET LANDSCAPE AWARDS
GREAT CLIENTS
Business development expert Denise Quinlan will lead this virtual twoday course, helping you to review and improve your current business presence to attract new clients, and understand your motivations, values and purpose while exploring and bringing out your USPs. Visit sgd.org.uk and click on ‘Events’.
13 JANUARY SGD CPD DIGITAL – ROOF GARDENS WITH JOHN WYER
John Wyer FSGD will explore the design elements and practical considerations that go into making a roof garden, including permits, planning, transporting goods to the roof, aspect, weather conditions and planting schemes that will tolerate wind and heat. Visit sgd.org.uk and click on ‘Events’.
20 JANUARY AND 17 FEBRUARY SGD ADJUDICATION DESIGN ADVICE SESSION
The January session will be run via Zoom by Emma Mazzullo MSGD, and David Robinson MSGD will lead the course in February. These workshops provide you with an overview of the quality of your work, and tips on how to develop it to adjudication standard. Visit sgd.org.uk and click on ‘Events’.
27 JANUARY 2022 TO 3 MARCH 2022 CREATING A FRAGRANT GARDEN
This course at Keyneston Mill Botanic Gardens in Dorset is for anyone wishing to design a garden that offers fragrance throughout the seasons. The course consists of six workshops on consecutive Thursday mornings, led by the Head Gardener.
keynestonmill.com
Members of the SGD scooped BALI’s Principal Awards in three design categories at the National Landscape Awards ceremony in December. Andy Kirman MSGD’s small courtyard garden (pictured below) won the top award in the Design Excellence – Overall Scheme under £50k category, with the judges liking it for its ‘outdoor rooms leading from the [house that] deliver the utility required by the clients’, together with the restricted planting palette, which creates a sense of calm and serenity.
Rosemary Coldstream MSGD secured the Principal Award in the Design Excellence – Overall Scheme between £50k–£100k category, for her Buddha’s Garden in London. The judges applauded both the outstanding design and Rosemary’s ‘technical expertise and ability to create outstanding plans’, which ensured a first-class build. The Principal Award for Design Excellence – Overall Scheme over £100k was scooped by Gavin McWilliam MSGD, for a garden in west London, designed in collaboration with Andrew Wilson FSGD, Hannah Quarmby and Catherine Wright, all of McWilliam Studio. The judges said the ‘superb design…handles the complex levels beautifully’, ensuring the garden flows seamlessly ‘while retaining the elegance that the imposing Listed Building deserves’.
Garden Club London, headed by Tony Woods MSGD, picked up the Principal Prize for Employer Excellence – Turnover under £2.5m; the judges commented that ‘there is a genuine feeling that one person’s success is everyone’s success, and this is resulting in the entire company working together to be the best it can be.’
Graduate Gardeners was awarded the highest accolade, taking home the prestigious Grand Award, as well as the Principal Award for Domestic Garden Construction – over £250m, and a Special Award for Best Design and Build, for the studio’s stunning private garden in Cheltenham. For a list of all the principal award winners, visit
baliawards.co.uk
8 FEBRUARY SGD CORE CPD – CLIENT BRIEF AND DESIGNER CONTRACT DOCUMENTATION
Emma Mazzullo MSGD will run this course for pre-registered members, which will cover the client brief, designer contract documentation, design contracts and fee proposals, and terms of engagement. Visit sgd.org.uk and click on ‘Events’.
Image: Tim Jones Photography
One of the six bridges that link up the NBGW’s Regency parkland walk routes.
THE NATIONAL BOTANIC Garden of Wales Regency Restoration Project has scooped the Institution of Civil Engineers’ (ICE) People’s Choice Award for 2021. The award recognises civil engineering projects across the globe that have had a positive impact on their local communities. Having taken five years to complete, at a cost of more than £7 million, the Regency Restoration Project was the largest of its kind undertaken in Wales and includes two new lakes, as well as bridges, dams, cascades, a waterfall and an extensive network of paths, all set in 300 acres of wooded parkland. The successful project involved members of the community across Carmarthenshire, the council, schools and local organisations, together with consultant ecologists, designers and engineers. botanicgarden.wales
Student Lou Carberry (left) and pre-registered member Lynn Hill (right).
Pre-reg Lynn Hill consults for BBC Beechgrove
A SPECIAL EDITION of the popular TV garden series Beechgrove, which aired last autumn, was made possible with the help of designer and pre-registered SGD member Lynn Hill.
Lynn was appointed by BBC Scotland as the design consultant for the ‘Mucking in’ special, which focuses on the transformation of the 2.8-acre Wimpy Park Community Garden in Alloa, Scotland. She supported young student Lou Carberry as she designed the new garden and the programme follows them through this process and, together with the other contributors and presenter Calum Clunie, the intensive one-week build. The programme is available to view on iPlayer.
lynnhillgardendesign.co.uk
CHARITY SEEKS FUNDING FOR CARE HOME SENSORY GARDEN
A SENSORY GARDEN that will provide natural stimuli for the elderly and those living with dementia has been designed by pre-registered SGD member Freya Willetts, of Lavender Green Gardens, for the London-based charity, The Central & Cecil Housing Trust.
The simple design (concept pictured) for the charity’s north London site makes cost-effective changes to the existing garden, including repurposing the paving to create a gardening activity area furnished with raised planters that will enable residents to grow edible plants and herbs. The designer has also included colourful, scented and textured plants to new and existing beds.
To raise the £25,000 needed to install this garden and three others at sites across London, the Trust has started a series of ‘Move for Care’ step-anddance-a-thon challenges that will keep residents, staff, and other supporters active while raising funds for the gardens. The challenges will take place during January and February; to support their efforts, visit ccht.org.uk and follow the links to care homes and ‘Move For Care’.
lavendergreen.co.uk
PAVING OCEAN PLASTIC WASTE
PLASTIC WASTE COLLECTED from the south-west seas and estuaries around Britain is finding its way into patios and driveways in the form of a sustainable new product called Recycle Base, thanks to Odyssey Innovation and Plymouth University’s Indigo Project.
Low-grade ocean plastics, and plastic from kerbside bin collections that were previously impossible or very hard to recycle are now being ground into tiny pieces at Exeter City Council’s Materials Reclamation Facility before being sent to resin driveway company Oltco, where they are mixed with stones to make the ground reinforcement system.
The council’s shredder and granulator were recently purchased thanks to part-funding from Odyssey Innovation and Plymouth University’s bid to help reduce the volume of plastic waste going to landfill.
Oltco’s Recycle Bound – made with recycled plastic drink bottles, food packaging, and straws – can then be laid on top of Recycle Base to create a smooth, hardwearing finish, ideal for driveways, patios, footpaths, terraces, and courtyards. Both Recycle Bound and Recycle Base can be recycled at the end of their life. oltco.co.uk
Image: Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
Perennial launches free physiotherapy service
GARDENING CHARITY PERENNIAL has launched a free physiotherapy service for people working in horticulture. Gardeners are often prone to injuries and for many who have built their careers in horticulture, the risk is even greater. The Perennial team will help people access the physiotherapy service provided by its partner and leading community services healthcare provider, Connect Health. Once referred, patients will receive a free 30-minute initial consultation by telephone or video, with a qualified physiotherapist who will then create a treatment plan for further treatment, if needed. perennial.org.uk
WHAT’S ON
15 AND 17 FEBRUARY SGD CPD DIGITAL – DESIGNING HEALING AND THERAPEUTIC GARDENS AND LOW-ALLERGEN PLANTING DESIGN
Pre-registered member Olivia Kirk will cover designing healing and therapeutic gardens on day one and on day two, explain why allergies are on the increase and how to counter their effects. Visit sgd.org.uk and click on ‘Events’.
7 FEBRUARY CIRIA TRAINING COURSE - DESIGNING SUDS
This training programme, delivered via four three-hour Zoom sessions, will enable practitioners to plan, design, construct and manage SuDS schemes, and will cover national planning regulations and Local Authority guidance. ciria.org.
7 FEBRUARY KMIS LECTURE: NEW GARDEN AND LANDSCAPE PLANTS – INDULGENCE OR NECESSITY IN AN ERA OF CLIMATE CHANGE?
Dr James Hitchmough will talk about garden and landscape plants in the age of climate change at this lecture held at Kew Gardens. Also available online. kew.org
10 FEBRUARY SNOWDROP AND BULB WALK AT OXFORD BOTANIC GARDEN
Join Oxford Botanic Garden’s horticulturists on a stroll among swathes of unusual and rare snowdrop species and other winter and spring bulbs. obga.ox.ac.uk
21 TO 22 FEBRUARY 2ND WORLD PLANT AND SOIL SCIENCE CONGRESS, PARIS
Covering, among other subjects, plant science research and biochemistry, disease resistance, epigenetics, medicinal and aromatic plant science. plantscience-
biology.agriconferences.com
