campus notes bradstone design challenge

This year's Harrogate Spring Flower Show saw a new innovation with the Bradstone College Garden Design Area - Back Gardens. Seven colleges rose to the Bradstone challenge to design and create a small back garden.

Each College was allocated a different Bradstone product and a family profile, covering a wide range of ages and lifestyles. They also had to incorporate a “wheelie-bin” (provided by Harrogate Council) – the innovative ways demonstrated by the various gardens of hiding or accommodating a wheelie-bin proved very entertaining.

Bishop Burton College, Beverley, tasked with designing a garden for a couple in their late 20s with a huge mortgage, were delighted to learn that they had scooped the Premier award in the category.

Bishop Burton's 'top of the class' winning design

Dr. Annette Parkes, Tutor on the Foundation Degree in Garden Design at the College was delighted with their award: “The students thoroughly enjoyed the process and they all are absolutely delighted, I am very proud of them. As far as the learning process, they sourced all the plants, did the planting plan and built it.”

The design offered a sophisticated environment with clean classic lines with a sense of unity and calm evoked by the limited palette and rhythmic planting. The garden was low maintenance with durable and practical materials to enhance the long-term value of the property.

The team used Panache – Charcoal paving as the basis for their design. The students who designed and created the garden are all part-time and the Premier award is a fitting accolade to their hard work and enthusiasm in creating such a lovely garden.

Leeds Metropolitan University were awarded Gold for their garden designed for a family in their mid 40s with a small mortgage and regular income with featured paving Old Riven-Autumn Gold/Bronze/Cotswold mix.

Gold was also awarded to Craven College, Skipton, for their Restorative Garden. Aimed at a family in late 40s with two children, both at college, this garden featured Gironde paving and was constructed with simple paved areas surrounded by modern, soft planting with a striking canal dissecting the garden and lending a calming atmosphere through its gentle movement.

Silver Gilt went to Askham Bryan College, York – Garden for family in late 50s, empty nesters and retired – for ‘Locus amoenus’, a nice clean design based on an Italian style garden. They used Travertine – soft beige paving.

Riseholme College: University of Lincoln and Park Lane College, Leeds, were all awarded Silver Gilt. Askham Bryan College, Harrogate, was awarded Silver.

The College Garden Design area certainly became a focus of interest for visitors to the show and a great talking point. Top marks to both the flower show organisers and to Bradstone for sponsoring this innovative competition and supporting our trainee designers and horticultural students.

Judging by the success of this first competition we feel sure that the College Garden Design Area will be a feature of the show for many years to come.