Landscaping & design

Winning catwalk design

The Garden of Exaggerated Beauty wins garden design competition sponsored by Provender Nurseries at Capel Manor College

A garden based on the catwalk, stage and dancefloor of a drag queen club has been selected as the winning design for Provender Nurseries' annual Garden Design Competition which is run conjunction with Capel Manor College.

‘The Garden of Exaggerated Beauty’ was presented and designed by Steven Davies a final year student of Level 3 Plants and Planting Design course at the Enfield campus and is a celebration of drag queens to the LGBTQ culture.

Steven’s design was thought to be original, dynamic and an excellent representation of Steven’s aim to bolster the flamboyant characteristics of the existing planting. Strong structural elements have been incorporated throughout and much thought has been given to textures, contrast, colour, and forms in the new plant selection. Unity across the garden is provided by the repeated use of mounds and contrasting strap like leaves.

Existing plants in the garden have been comprehensively and thoughtfully used within the new planting design structure with an existing Cornus Venus tree becoming the ‘embodiment of a performer on the stage reaching out to the adoring crowd’ represented by bold plantings of Astelia and Pittosporum balls.

The design competition is based on an existing show garden at Capel Manor College with some of the existing plants and hard landscaping being retained, working to a brief set by lecturers and Provender Nurseries. Now in its tenth year, this is the first design where students had to work to a set budget for plants and to introduce new plants to the Enfield campus gardens (not featured in other parts of the Capel Manor Gardens) selected from the Provender Nurseries website.

New plants to the Capel Manor College campus include Albizia julibrissin ‘Summer Chocolate’, Lonicera nitida ‘Scoop’ as topiary balls, Inkarho Rhododendrons and Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Bannow Bay’.

The garden will be planted in October 2021 by students and once planted will be used as an educational resource for lecturers to introduce new plant species and cultivars to students of garden design.

In total, thirteen designs were presented to the judging panel of Liz Hughes, Marketing Manager of Provender Nurseries, Nathalie Puget, Garden Design Curriculum Leader and Julie Dowbiggin, National Gardening Centre & Plant Sales Manager. The judges concluded that

Steven’s presentation was very positive, with a strong concept that was put across enthusiastically and would provide a great conceptual garden. The quality of the designs presented this year were strong and some designs were thought to be worthy of submitting to RHS flower shows. Liz Hughes of Provender Nurseries says: ‘All of the students rose to the challenge well in a year when plant availability was at the most challenging I have ever known in 35 years of being in the industry. Interestingly, no two designs Steven Davies the same. “Steven’s design stood out and was presented exceptionally well with many plants having a starring role on the drag queen catwalk. I really look forward to seeing this design planted and complete and creating the first concept garden sponsored by Provender Nurseries at Capel Manor Gardens.’ Steven will also be awarded a cheque for £250.00 and the garden will be officially opened in April 2022 at the Capel Manor College’s Spring Fair. Steven has a background working for London boroughs as a Project Team Leader and Project Manager for urban regeneration schemes and commissioning new landscaping Winning design schemes for public spaces and parks. He now intends to set up a garden design business focusing on small urban gardens that contribute to boosting the wildlife potential of the city. Provender Nurseries are keen supporters of working with students in all aspects of horticulture with the garden design competition being offered to students based at the College’s Regent’s Park campus in 2022.