RHS Chelsea 2012: Arthritis Research UK Garden / Thomas Hoblyn
Thomas Hoblyn brings an Italianate garden to RHS Chelsea for Arthritis Reaseach
UK
For his fifth year at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, award-winning landscape and garden
designer Thomas Hoblyn will create a show garden inspired by the great Renaissance
gardens of Italy for leading research charity Arthritis Research UK.
Inspired by the stunning gardens at Villa Lante and Villa d’Este the Arthritis Research
UK Garden will capture the drama, formality and beauty of the Renaissance gardens.
Whilst Hoblyn has retained all classical ideals of order associated with these historic
Italian gardens, he has stripped away the flamboyance and decadence to reveal a
simpler and more minimal design.
The garden explores the Renaissance obsession of man controlling nature, in particular
their desire to tame wild rivers to create spectacular fountains, cascades and jets.
Hoblyn is working with water expert Andrew Ewing to create three water features
to replicate the ingenious trickery and technical engineering that was employed
to great effect in the period. Linked throughout the garden, the water features
– a long fountain seat set against a backdrop of 30 powerful jets, a water cascade
and a shallow mirror pool with infinity edge – will be authentically powered by
gravity and hydrostatic power.
The water cascade, inspired by the Fontana dell’Ovato (oval fountain) at the Villa
d’Este, is an isolated decorative element in the vista and a stunning backdrop that
visually links separate parts of the garden and draws visitors in.
In a nod to the Renaissance quest for divine proportions and perfect symmetry, Hoblyn
has designed the garden using the principles of the Golden Section. A series of
raised beds and gently sloping paths and stairs are aligned to compliment the mathematically
proportioned water elements, whilst a row of evenly arranged, eight meter high Cyprus
trees will tower majestically over the garden.
Hoblyn was keen to reflect the look of the Renaissance gardens today, which is very
much a story of Nature defiantly back in control. So by way of disrupting the main
axis of symmetry, and as a gesture of his admiration to Mother Nature, he has deliberately
incorporated a beautifully weathered Cork Oak at the entrance to the garden.
Materials:
Travatine stone from Tivoli, close to Villa D'Este, has been chosen for the hard
landscaping elements. With finishes ranging from rough hewn for feature walls and
finely honed for the sophisticated mirror pool, it is a further representation of
man's desire to control nature.
Planting:
The planting is decidedly Mediterranean with plants sourced from Spain and Italy
for authenticity. Although the scheme references the original Renaissance ideals
of precision planting with avenues of Cupressus, clipped topiary, knots and parterres,
Hoblyn has interpreted it in a more naturalistic way. Self-seeders will colonise
less-trodden parts of the garden and prostrate herbs will hang down and soften walls,
while naturalised parterres in each of the raised beds will weave like knotted ribbons
through the scheme, clipped in a cloud-like way.
Hoblyn has specially commissioned Jekka McVicar to supply an inspiring selection
of herbs for the garden, in particular Artemesia schmidtiana ‘Nana’ and Thymus ‘Jekka’
as well as the Nasturtium ‘Red Emperor’ which will be seen for the first time at
RHS Chelsea and has been chosen to match the poppy used elsewhere in the garden.
Other key plants include Fritillaria persica and Punica granatum Nanum
Traditional Mediterranean colours of silver and green foliaged herbs will form the
base of the colour palette, with foliage colours rather than flower dominating.
The orange-red of the poppies and nasturtiums will lift the scheme along with ribbons
of burgundy Fritillaria weaving through the naturalised knots.
This will be the first time Arthritis Research UK, the charity leading the fight
against arthritis, will stage a major show garden at RHS Chelsea. The garden’s ‘Renaissance’
theme was devised by the Charity to symbolise its own revival, as Chief Executive
at Arthritis Research UK, Dr. Liam O’Toole explains: The Renaissance theme reflects
so much about the organisation from the quest for knowledge in our research, to
the ‘rebirth’ of the charity with a new brand and future goals. As we mark our 75th
anniversary we believe now, more than ever, how important it is for us to promote
our work in highlighting the negative impact of arthritis. The charity has never
proactively promoted itself before and, as a result, awareness of arthritis is much
lower than it should be, despite affecting 1 in 6 people in the UK. We are thrilled
that we will be showcasing a garden at RHS Chelsea. We know that gardening is a
favourite activity of many of our supporters and an important part of the lives
of people with arthritis.
Designer Tom Hoblyn said: “I have long harboured an obsession for the Italian Renaissance
gardens – the fascinating theory of controlling nature, the divine proportions and
perfect symmetry, majestically portrayed against decadent architecture, truly captures
my imagination. I was genuinely thrilled to be asked to design a Chelsea show garden
for Arthritis Research UK and delighted that their insightful brief not only allowed
me to satiate my love of all things Italian, but to highlight the very important
work that the Charity does”