August 2011
The RBC Blue Water Garden Chelsea Flower Show 2012
Nigel Dunnett with
Concept
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The garden is a private, enclosed space and includes a full range of water conser vation features, together with wildlife-friendly elements.
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Most ‘sustainable’ gardens, take a naturalistic and organic form, however the RBC Blue Water garden is geometric in structure and shows how even the most formal of gardens can be environmentally-beneficial.
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Today, water is equally valuable: a resource to be conser ved, preser ved and treasured. And again, in a different way, water is at the ver y heart of the sustainable garden.
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All rainwater runoff (including that from the pavilion roof) drains into a central bio-swale that takes the form of a double rill along the main path through the garden, and excess runoff is collected in the reflecting pools.
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The RBC Blue Water Garden shows how rain garden and water conser vation concepts can be used in the most formal of settings.
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The planting is dramatic, colour ful and naturalistic in Nigel Dunnett ’s typical style, and is loosely modelled on beautiful examples of dr y meadows from around the world (i.e little or no irrigation is required)
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The garden built structures (walls, buildings and seats) are based on dramatic vernacular architecture and landscapes of the same areas.
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The garden is geometric in structure, with strong focal points, and a satisfying interplay of buildings, paths, planting and water
The RBC Blue Water Garden Chelsea Flower Show 2012
Supporting Images
‘Paradise Gardens’ at the Alhambra, Grenada, Spain:
Water at the heart of the garden in an arid landscape
Traditional gardens of arid lands placed water at the centre of the garden: water channels, rills and reflecting pools celebrated water, and to create a cool and refreshing environment in the arid landscape. Lush planting added to the atmosphere of peace and beauty. Today, water is equally valuable: a resource to be conserved, preserved and treasured. And again, in a different way, water is at the very heart of the sustainable garden. Bio-swales can take the place of the rill and water channel, creating linear elements in the garden, Rainwater collecting pools become the reflecting pool , and dramatic naturalistic planting creates a joyful setting, with no need for irrigation.
radise Gardens’ at the ambra, Grenada, Spain:
ter at the heart of the garden in arid landscape
Images Supporting Supporting Images
‘Paradise Gardens’ at the Alhambra, Grenada, Spain:
‘Paradise Gardens’ at the Water at the G hrenada, eart of the garden Alhambra, Spain: an arid landscape
Water at the heart of the gar an arid landscape
The RBC Blue Water Garden Chelsea Flower Show 2012
Supporting Images Drystone stacked structures of the Gordes region, Provence, France and The trulli houses in Valle d’Itria, Italy
local stone and gravels, and the natural The interplay of vernacular architecture, drystone walls, vegetation of dry places forms the starting point for the design of the garden. Images taken from the Gordes region, Provence, France and The trulli houses in Valle d’Itria, Italy. The garden has a simple palette of materials: natural stones and gravels, white lime-washed walls, pale blue water features and door and window frames.
Drystone stacked structures of the Gordes region, Provence, France
Drystone stacked structures of the Gordes region, Provence, France
The RBC Blue Water Garden Chelsea Flower Show 2012
Supporting Images
Swales: linear landscape elements for collecting and moving rainwater runoff
Bio-swales are linear vegetated features that collect rainwater runoff and either transport it or enable it to infiltrate back into the ground. They can be richly planted and have high ecological value. In a garden or park setting they can be dramatic features (e.g top right at the London Olympic Park, where bioswales follow the main path network) Typical swales contain a mix of open water, and planting. In dry weather they may not contain water, and they may fill up completely in very wet weather (bottom right)
Swales: lin Swales: l inear l andscape e lements fof Swales: linear landscape ecollecting lements collecting and mm oving rainwater run collecting and oving rainwater ru
The RBC Blue Water Garden Chelsea Flower Show 2012
Planting Strategy Tall Lilium martagon Mix. Masses of dramatic Turks Cap Short Penstemon and Poppy Mix. Beautiful blue Woodland Mix. A cool underplanting with Lilies emerging through white umbellifers. Predominantly and purple penstemons, with grey‐leaved white violas, green ferns, grasses and pink, purple, white and blue perennials and grasses. grasses and textural plants, interspersed with perennials, with scattered black‐leaved emergent poppies of soft apricot. Actaea 200 25 25 5 100 100 75 200 50 50 20 30 200 100 5 100 25 300 100
Alchemilla erythropoda Ammi majus Ammi visnaga Angelica sylvestris 'Vicar's Mead' Asphodelus albus Astrantia 'Roma' Atriplex hortensis rubra Briza media Centaurea cyanus Cirsium rivulare 'atropurpureum' Clematis recta 'Moonlight' Erysimon 'Bowles Mauve' Lilium martagon Linum rubrun Melanoselinum decipiens Melica altissima alba Molopospermum peloponnesiacum Orlaya grandiflora Salvia nemorosa 'May Night'
Beautiful blue Woodland Mix. A cool underplanting with ey‐leaved white violas, green ferns, grasses and persed with perennials, with scattered black‐leaved pricot. Actaea 30 50 100 100 100 350
Actaea simplex 'Brunette' Aquilegia 'Green Apples' Epimedium ‘Frohnleiten’ Luzula Hohe Tatra Onoclea sensibilis Viola cornuta 'alba'
5 100 30 50 200 100 30 50 15 50 20 100 30
Agave striata Allium cernuum Artemisia 'Valerie Finnis' Consolida ambigua Festuca 'Elijah Blue' Hordeum jubatum Papavar spicatum Penstemon 'Heavenly Blue' Penstemon 'Raven' Scabiosa columbaria nana Scabiosa ochroleuca Sesleria nitida Verbascum blatteria albiflorum
30 50 100 100 100 350
Actaea simplex 'Brunette' Aquilegia 'Green Apples' Epimedium ‘Frohnleiten’ Luzula Hohe Tatra Onoclea sensibilis Viola cornuta 'alba'
Bio‐Swale Mix. Purple Thalictrums and blue Trees. A grove of Gleditsia 'Sunburst' Iris emerging through white and pink pavillion, while tall Fraxinus on the perennials, with grasses. perimeter screen surrounding bui
100 50 100 100 100 50 100
Key Plan
Anthericum liliago Deschampsia cespitosa Iris latifolia Lychnis flos‐cuculi Lychnis flos‐cuculi 'Alba' Thalictrum 'Black Stocking' Thalictrum 'Ellin'
7 Gleditsia triacanthos 'Sunbur 10 Fraxinus Excelsoir 'Westoff's
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Bio‐Swale Mix. Purple Thalictrums and blue Trees. A grove of Gleditsia 'Sunburst' frames the Iris emerging through white and pink pavillion, while tall Fraxinus on the garden perennials, with grasses. perimeter screen surrounding buildings
100 50 100 100 100 50 100
Anthericum liliago Deschampsia cespitosa Iris latifolia Lychnis flos‐cuculi Lychnis flos‐cuculi 'Alba' Thalictrum 'Black Stocking' Thalictrum 'Ellin'
7 Gleditsia triacanthos 'Sunburst' 10 Fraxinus Excelsoir 'Westoff's Glorie'
'
orum
The RBC Blue Water Garden Chelsea Flower Show 2012
Supporting Images - planting strategy
Formal vistas and structures
Asphodel
Naturalistic plantings of dry regions Formal vistas and Formal vistas and strutures strutures Naturalistic plantings of Naturalistic plantings of dry regions dry regions i.e Martagon lilies in the i.e Martagon in the scree wild on lilies mountain wild on mountain scree
Formal vistas and strutures
Naturalistic plantings of dry regions i.e Martagon lilies in the wild on mountain scree
Lilium martagon
The RBC Blue Water Garden Chelsea Flower Show 2012
Supporting Images - planting strategy
Woodland mix Short penstemon/poppy mix
Bioswale mix
The RBC Blue Water Garden Chelsea Flower Show 2012
Plan
Key Key vista
Trees
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Clipped Hornbeam Hedge - 1.8-2m high
Planting
Limestone paving
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Bound gravel
Lime washed rendered walls 05
Water - rill
Garden Features
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Central double rill - bio-swale
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A sequence of low white lime washed walls of graduated height provides formal structure
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Strong vistas along a formal double axis
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The Garden Pavilion - based on the distinctive ‘Trulli ’ buildings of Puglia, Italy, and has a conical ‘dr y stone’ roof, with white lime wash walls
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05
0m
5m
Timber benches located at the end of the cross axis create a peaceful seating area
10m
The RBC Blue Water Garden Chelsea Flower Show 2012
A’
Sections
Sectional Elevation AA’
B
A
B’
Sectional Elevation BB’
The RBC Blue Water Garden Chelsea Flower Show 2012
Perspective Views Overview of garden design
The RBC Blue Water Garden Chelsea Flower Show 2012
Perspective Views Main view along rill to ‘ Trulli’ inspired garden pavilion
The RBC Blue Water Garden Chelsea Flower Show 2012
Perspective Views Lime-washed graduated walls as a backdrop to naturalistic planting
The RBC Blue Water Garden Chelsea Flower Show 2012