Gardening World Cup 2016 – Japan
Garden Designs
I was invited to create a garden for the Japanese Gardening World Cup and for some unknown reason, I thought if ever I’m going to build a rock garden, then why not go to Japan and build one? And it became as much about the experience of spending 20 or so days in a completely different culture creating this garden, as it was about the final outcome.
The design was inspired by my love of stonework and geology, of water and mountains. It was also about memories of my dad taking me to quarries as a kid and teaching me to carve with a chisel when I was about 8 years old. I also admire the Japanese passion for craft and fine detail.
It was my first experience of the Japanese technique of burning timber (shou sugar ban), which we used as detailing on the seat and the 3 little cubes that fed into the water.
The idea was to create a garden that you wander through and discover a place at the end to sit to escape the world. I wanted it to feel as if you’d discovered this little spot and maybe tidied it up a bit, so it was relaxed and even a bit raggedly looking. There was a little stream with steppingstones across and rocks you could clamber up or use to sit on in different spots and take in the different viewpoints.
The emphasis was very much on the materials, the sculptural quality of the stone, the water and the overall atmosphere rather than the planting. Rather, the plants were used as the backdrop and threaded through to complement the design.
It was awarded a Gold medal and best construction.
