A GARDEN designer from north Dublin has won silver at one of Britain’s most prestigious flower shows at Tatton Park in Cheshire.
Stephen Dennis, from Skerries, won the medal for his modern garden design that includes a living chandelier of sky planters.
“I’m very happy. The silver gilt is the highest award I’ve achieved; it’s only about four marks off the gold,” he said.
The 45-year-old has already claimed two bronze medals and a silver with previous entries at the venue near Manchester.
The Royal Horticultural Society Flower Show at Tatton Park is the highlight of the north of England’s gardening calendar. This year there were nearly 500 exhibitors.
There were 33 gardens including 16 show gardens, nine back-to-back gardens, five orchestra gardens, three visionary gardens and three young designers.
Stephen’s winning design, called Remount, was inspired by an old British garrison in Lusk that no longer has a roof and was becoming overgrown.
His take on this uses old Cheshire brick, cobbles and partially rendered walls with overgrown ivy to create the ‘barn’.
The ultra-chic modern garden includes a living chandelier of sky planters hanging over a patio table.
“Whether relaxing with a glass of wine or surfing the iPad, Remount is where you can take some time out,” he explained.
An ornamental tree in purple, together with a meadow of herbaceous perennials and grasses in purple, green and white, completes the display.
However Mr Dennis had to overcome several problems, particularly from the weather.
“The weather has been horrendous. We’ve been here for two-and-a-half weeks and it’s rained every day … any problems with the finished garden are weather-related.”
He is now one of the leading designers in contemporary garden design. He believes the future of gardening is ‘vertical’.
“Imagine if you have a wall, you can turn it into a living wall with plants.”
hnews@herald.ie
– Teresa Gallagher
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