Long Rake Spar was delighted to donate stone to Gaysha – Resin Paving and Flooring to help create the ‘Outside Inside’ Garden designed by Emma Bannister of Landscape Consultancy Ltd who is working with the charity National Association of Premenstrual Syndrome (NAPS).
The garden won a silver-gilt medal at this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show and was inspired by the stories of those who suffer from severe premenstrual syndrome. The common native planting on the outside contrasts with the inaccessible space and distorted planting inside.
The design features a resin bound pathway installed by Gaysha, using stone donated by Long Rake Spar and metal edgings by Dural UK. The show garden looked fantastic and is even more impressive as it was Emma’s first show garden.
Upon arrival, visitors saw an area of hazel woodland with native ferns and wildflowers, with the inside hidden behind a Somerset willow screen. As they walked along the curving path, the inside gradually reveals itself through gaps in the screen until a round window reveals the central feature – a corkscrew hazel in a bed of Bowles’ golden grass. These plants were grown by the Edwardian plantsman E A Bowles in an area of Myddelton House garden that he called his ‘Lunatic Asylum’. He referred to these plants as his ‘maniacs’.
The outside and inside are connected by the overarching willow and steel canopy – symbolising the effect of fluctuating hormones on the brain. The outside planting includes recently coppiced hazel trees – symbolizing energy, cycles and regeneration.
It is a very well deserved win for a garden that highlights such a serious issue.
Contractor: Gaysha – Resin Paving and Flooring
Designed by: Emma Bannister
Built By: Landscape Associates Ltd