Future Gardens (Part 2) Permanent and Designer Gardens

My previous post showed the setting for these gardens which are part of a Butterfly World Project which is presently being built near St Albans.

There are 3 permanent gardens, a charity garden and 12 designer gardens. The designer gardens are open until 4th October 2009. Afterwards they will presumably be demolished but I don’t know if new ones will replace them. I hope so.

First let’s look at the  3 permanent gardens which are designed by landscape designer Ivan Hicks. The first one is pure fun as you look at the garden through the eyes of an insect. Can you see the Digger who kindly agreed to pose so you had an idea of the large scale of the garden? Click for a closer look.

'Through The Flowerpot' Garden

The Second garden shows how a wildlife habitat can be made from the most unusual objects including toys, books and household items.

'Theatre of Insects' Garden

'Theatre of Insects' Garden

The Third is a fantasy garden with small circular gardens designed to reflect wasp galls inside a leaf.  Each one is a mini wildlife garden on a different theme. (Galls are round swellings formed on plants when a gall wasp lays eggs and plant tissue swells around the larvae).

'Spangle Gall' Garden

The charity garden is in part a memorial to a 12 year old boy called Harry who died of meningitis in 2007. ‘Harry’s Garden’ hopes to raise awareness of the work done by the Meningitis Research Foundation and the Child Bereavement Charity. The garden explores the possibility of using straw bales as a planting medium.

'Harry's Garden'

Then we have the Designer gardens. I’ll give you a taster of what is on show. The quotes are from the information  posters attached to each garden. They give you some idea of the designers’ intentions.

Nest - “By using willows that can be coppiced and burnt as carbon neutral fuel, Nest points to ways our children may keep warm in the future”.

'Nest'

‘Nature’s Artistry, Autumn’s Edge’ - This  garden explores ” the sense of becoming and regeneration in autumn, using material sensitive to natural form, and weathering”. The tall ‘rushes’ for example were made of cork, cardboard, metal and stone.

'Nature's Artistry, Autumn's Edge'

‘Release Garden’ - “is inspired by the music of Wagner and it explores the way in which gardens, like music, can affect people both physically and emotionally. The garden follows a pattern often found in classical music: a symphonic build up, then a sense of release followed by a point of calm”.

It started at a path lined with logs….

'Release Garden' the entrance

….and finished with a pool. This was one of my favourite gardens.

'Release Garden' the conclusion

‘Narratives of Nature’ – “shows how a contemporary scheme can be a setting for a wealth of edible plants, which are usually seen as intruders into our gardens. Many of the plants are native, and provide food for insects, birds, as well as people”.

'Narratives of Nature'

‘Welcome’ – “is planted with nectar-rich flowers such as lavender, scabious and verbena to extend a welcome to butterflies. It is inspired by the fragility of man’s relationship with nature and invites us to ask why we are prepared to put that delicate balance at risk”.

'Welcome'

Whether I like or dislike a garden it is always fun to view them. If you are near enough to visit these gardens please do. They are worth a look.

Those of you further afield will have to make  do with my two posts and the Future Gardens  website!