Gardeners grow for gold
A GARDEN telling the story of Stoke-on-Trent from its industrial past to the current modern day city is to go on display at the world's most prestigious flower show.
The 'Transformation' garden is one of only 15 show gardens vying for gold at the centenary year of RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
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BLOOMING MARVELLOUS: An artist's impression of how the Potteries garden will look at the Chelsea Flower Show.
The Stoke-on-Trent Garden Partnership has now unveiled what it hopes the garden will look like when it comes into bloom ahead of the exhibition in London in May.
The garden has been designed by Stoke-on-Trent City Council's landscape team and includes recognisable features such as a pottery kiln and a sunken seating area which is supposed to represent the £350 million City Sentral development in Hanley.
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The designers have previously won RHS Tatton Park Flower Show medals.
Councillor Ruth Rosenau, cabinet member for regeneration, planning and transport, said the Chelsea Flower Show would be an ideal venue to showcase what Stoke-on-Trent has to offer.
Mrs Rosenau said: "The area is literally getting its biggest makeover in a generation.
"Stoke-on-Trent is transforming into a contemporary modern city while still retaining its very special character.
"I am proud we are showcasing these landmark developments on the Chelsea Flower Show stage."
More than 20 sponsors have come together to finance the project.
Many of the backers are local firms including Tunstall-based Johnson Tiles, The Trentham Estate and Staffordshire Housing Association.
The main sponsor is Bartholomew Landscaping, based in London.
Managing director Barry Burrows said: "We are utterly delighted to be bringing the design, conceived in Stoke-on-Trent, to full bloom at the Chelsea Flower Show.
"We are excited to work with our partners in the Stoke-on-Trent Garden Partnership to do Stoke-on-Trent proud."
Staffordshire University graduate Nigel Matthews was commissioned by British Ceramics Biennial to design and make a ceramic feature to be used in the show garden which includes two metres of ceramic flowers.
Nigel, aged 50, said: "It's a great opportunity to work on such a challenging and exciting project, promoting the city's heritage, traditions and skills in a contemporary context."
RHS Chelsea Flower Show runs from May 21 to 25.
7 Comments
by I_Norris
Tuesday, February 26 2013, 11:42AM
“Bartholomew Landscaping, based in London. seem to think the seating area is housing not City Sentral from there website "whilst a sunken seating area will occupy a prominent position at the front of the garden to promote the contemporary living spaces being created in the city"”
by LongTallSarah
Saturday, February 23 2013, 9:13PM
“I also thought the decision to close Greenhouse 2000 was short-sighted, but it doesn't take away from the fact that getting a show garden at Chelsea is a massive achievement.
The excellent displays for which Stoke City Council won successive gold medals at Tatton Park were specifically in a category of Local Authority park bedding schemes. This is a chance to talk up Stoke-on-Trent - which has some fantastic green spaces, parks and countryside most of the country don't know anything about and would envy if they did - at one of the world's most prestigious horticultural events. Whatever the local politics, if the Potteries area is going to recover, it needs outside investment and it needs things like this to show a positive, forward-looking face to the world to bring that in. After all, Glasgow was saying it was 'miles better' long before it actually was - but the strategy worked, and now it is!”
by callum16
Saturday, February 23 2013, 1:45PM
“It makes me laugh as well that the land scape team are takeing all the credit for winning all the awards at tatton park when it was a team effet which included greenhouse 2000.It takes a bit more work than just drawing a picture to produceing a award winning flower bed.so sad that its gone and never coming back.”
by pj123
Saturday, February 23 2013, 1:23PM
“This from the morons that closed Greenhouse 2000 which was making a profit?”
by callum16
Saturday, February 23 2013, 1:19PM
“They have done this many times at rhs tatton park.What makes this show any diffent except it costs alot more time & money to do.”
by BucknallMel
Saturday, February 23 2013, 12:50PM
“But where is the vast bulldozed area representing the council's fairytales of a future? And the seating area should have dummies scattered round representing the drunks and junkies who are the hallmarks of our 'contemporary modern city'.”
by strandedhere
Saturday, February 23 2013, 10:40AM
“...and the compost heap represents the new Civic Offices.There's gold in them thar hills.
Don't be afraid of the scarecrow.”