Designed by Adam Frost, it is a modern family garden, providing an environment where families can enjoy not only a connection with nature and food for both themselves and wildlife, but also an outdoor space where they can spend time with family and friends.
Matthew Compton, Trading Director for Garden and Seasonal at Homebase said: “We are delighted that this wonderful garden and our hardworking team have been rewarded with a Gold medal. We are hugely grateful to Adam for creating the garden with us and we hope Adam’s vision and creativity will inspire even the most novice of gardeners to grow someChelseamagic in their own gardens.”
The garden attracted crowds of visitors on Monday having been officially opened by actress, broadcaster and ambassador for Alzheimer’s Society, Lynda Bellingham.
Accepting the medal, Adam Frost said: “I’m delighted to receive a Gold medal at the centenary of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. I have really enjoyed bringing this garden to life, and would like to thank Homebase for its support during the design and build of the garden, as we are both committed to getting people more engaged with the great outdoors.”
The Homebase Garden – ‘Sowing the seeds of Change’, is an ornamental kitchen garden which brings together a planting mix of both floral and edible plants and showing how both can both marry well together. The garden is also purposely multi generational – helping a younger generation understands more about the natural world while being accessible and enjoyable for older generations.
Much of Adam’s inspiration comes from the late Geoff Hamilton, who created the Barnsdale Ornamental Kitchen Garden in 1990 and who Adam trained under in his early years as a gardener.
The garden is worked into three unique but complementary spaces: at the front is a lawn area with a beautifully handcrafted oak beehive under fruit trees. The centre of the garden hosts a cooking area with a bespoke steel and stone ‘cooking box’ surrounded by drystone walls, which are designed as ‘wildlife walls’ as the plants that grow within are planted to encourage and attract a range of inhabitants.
At the back of the garden there is an arbour area with seating with a beehive-inspired water feature that drops water into steel water tanks. The arbour is constructed of oak and detailed with steel waves, under which will sit a large oak dining table perfect for bringing family and friends together.
The garden also has walkways with dipping ponds, planted with lilies and a range of water plants, and surrounded by gravel ’picking paths‘ running from the main walkways, making it more accessible for older members of the family to get in and weed borders and encouraging children to help pick food and flowers.
The different areas of the garden are connected by a twisted steel feature, linking in the arbour, furniture and ‘cooking box’. The bed edges will also be made of steel.
To celebrate the garden, Homebase has introduced a wide range of plants, seeds, garden ornaments and products which have featured in or are inspired by The Homebase Garden – ‘Sowing the seeds of Change’. The Chelsea Collection aims to assist gardeners of all levels to re-create a bit ofChelseain their own gardens. Whether it’s trying your hand at growing some vegetables, planting some shrubs or adding some insect houses to your garden, everyone can take try and replicate a part of this stunning garden. In addition, all of the plants within the Chelsea Collection are covered by Homebase’s five-year plant guarantee on hardy plants.
The garden has been created in association with Alzheimer’s Society, Homebase’s official charity partner. Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Society commented: “We are very proud of our association with Homebase at the centenary of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Gardens have a great value for people with dementia. They are spaces to breath in fresh air, smell flowers and enjoy socialising with family and friends. Gardens can really help reduce the feelings of isolation that so many people with dementia experience.”
As part of Homebase’s activity to raise valuable funds for the charity, at the end of the show plants from the garden will be sold and proceeds will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Society.
