Designed for a typical urban apartment block, Kate Gould’s ‘City Living’ garden sits on three different levels and transforms cold, grey dwellings with the use of green outdoor spaces. Plant supplier for this garden were Deepdale and Kelways.
Q&A with garden designer, Kate Gould:
When did you first start working on the original design and how long did it take to perfect?
Running to the wire, this was started in July last year and took only a day or so to pull together in terms of layout and 3D concept. The construction drawing and detailing is a long and ongoing process though and will continue until the final nail, bolt and plant are in place.
What are the stand out features of this particular garden?
It’s fairly tall! We are also making our own cladding panels which will be backlit and the process involved in that is really interesting. It’s something we wouldn’t have had a chance to do in our normal day-to-day work so that is always pleasing.
Did the sponsor provide a detailed brief? If so, how did you interpret this within your design? Unfortunately, or fortunately, we are designer and sponsor so we have been lucky enough to have a blank canvas to work from, but on the flip side of that is having to find the money to pay for it all.
What is so special about having a show garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show?
Ask anyone who has designed or built a garden at Chelsea and they will tell you how much fun and hard work it is. There is something highly addictive about it. If I knew what it was I’d probably try and kick the habit!
How do you hope the public/visitors will perceive this garden?
It would be lovely if the garden conveys the message that no matter how small the space is, it can be greened. No city has to be a concrete jungle.
Q&A with the contractor, Kate Gould Gardens:
What are you looking forward to most about building this show garden?
We have a brilliant team and I’m looking forward to working with them all as well as seeing the structure take shape. There are a lot of capable and experienced heads involved and listening to their ideas about how to build this beast has taught me a lot.
What’s going to be the biggest challenge on the build?
Timing. It all boils down to that. We can build it – not a problem. Can we build it in the allotted time though? Only time will tell.
Are specialist contractors required for any elements?
Everyone has a speciality from fabricators to bricklayers to joiners and concrete specialists. The true speciality is bringing a team of people together who like a challenge and are very much ‘can do’.
Do you think the judges have enough knowledge of the complexity of construction when deciding on the medals?
There are a broad range of judges on each panel with differing specialities. The short time that you have with the judges prior to judging to explain your garden is ideally when you flag up and highlight any specific details that you think are important and that they may not appreciate unless you explain it.
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