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Tatton Park RHS Flower and Garden Show - Show Gardens

Show gardens

Some of the UK’s best designers produce the larger show gardens at Tatton, presenting new ideas and explosive concepts. Up to 225 sq m in size, the show gardens showcase a range of superb designs.

2008 Show Gardens - Tatton Park RHS Flower and Garden Show

Tatton Park RHS Flower and Garden Show - Show Garden Exhibitors 2008

The one thing Tatton Park RHS Flower and Garden Show gardens never do is sit on the fence! They’re vibrant, intriguing, inspiring, beautiful and memorable. And 2008 was no exception.

Some of the UK’s best and newest designers create the larger show gardens, presenting new ideas and explosive concepts. Up to 225 sq m in size, the show gardens showcase a range of superb designs.

This section also includes two school gardens

The Adlington Relax and Reflect Garden

Exhibitor: Adlington - Designer: Dan Milner - Contractor and Sponsor: Adlington.

The Adlington Relax & Reflect Garden was inspired by a new lifestyle concept exclusively for those aged over 55.

At the End of my Garden

Exhibitor: Marie Curie Cancer Care supported by Wesleyan Assurance Society
Designer: Toby & Stephanie Hickish - Contractor: Summers Gardens - Sponsor: Wesleyan Assurance Society.

This garden represented the poignant work carried out by Marie Curie Cancer Care in providing end of life care and support for terminally-ill patients.

Go With The Flow

Exhibitors: Aughton Green Landscapes & The Big Pond Company - Designers: Harry Levy & Geoff Carter - Contractors: Aughton Green Landscapes & The Big Pond Company.

Water was the main feature of this garden with a bridge crossing over the main pond area. Assumed to be part of a larger garden in the North West of England, this was a space to relax, enjoy the sounds of water and look out for wildlife.

Real Life by Brett

Exhibitor: Brett Landscaping and Building Products in association with Geoff Whiten - Designer: Geoffrey Whiten.

This garden provided flexible feature areas that could be easily adapted to suit your lifestyle.

Cheshire Al Fresco

Exhibitor: Candy O’Connell Garden Designs - Designers: Candy O’Connell & Karen Calnon - Contractor: Williams & Ironmonger - Sponsor: Avantage.

Inspired by Southern European-style gardens, Cheshire Al Fresco stimulated the senses in a practical, usable and sustainable garden with scented planting, water and herbal plants encouraging biodiversity and environmental sustainability.

Celebrating Cheshire’s Year of Gardens ‘08

Exhibitor: Cheshire’s Year of Gardens 08 - Designer: Chris Beardshaw - Contractor: Jes Oughton Landscapes, Peter Dowle Plants & Gardens.

Cheshire’s diverse natural landscape and rich variety of public gardens inspired celebrity designer Chris Beardshaw in the creation of his commission for Cheshire’s Year of Gardens 2008.

Lucifer (Talk of the Devil)

Exhibitor: Clive Scott Garden Design - Designer: Clive Scott.

This garden was inspired by the fiery-coloured Crocosmia and celebrates the 10th anniversary of the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park.

Teenage Cancer Trust Garden – Punk’s Not Dead supported by Magnus

Exhibitor: Dragonfly Garden Design - Designer: Jon Tilley - Contractor: Dragonfly Garden Design & Build - Sponsor: Magnus, In association with: Teenage Cancer Trust.

Dragonfly Garden Design's first garden at Tatton and explored the cultural clash between teenagers and their parents’ generation, so was sure to resonate true with many visitors.

Hot Dry Days

Exhibitor: Easy Tropicals/August Garden Design - Designer: Clive Mollatt (August Garden Designs) - Contractor: U2 Garden Concepts.

This Mediterranean garden for relaxation highlighted the increasing potential of growing tropical plants in the UK due to the changing climate we have experienced in recent years.

Always There

Exhibitor: North West Samaritans - Designer: Paul Hensey (Elysium Garden & Landscape Design) - Sponsor: North West Samaritans - Contractor: Foxcroft Landscapes.

Always There celebrates National Samaritans Day, which takes place during show week on 24 July 2008.

Natural Distinction

Exhibitor, Designer and Contractor: Jackie Knight Landscapes - Sponsors: Jackie Knight Landscapes with Greenwood Nurseries & Hardspring Design Studios.

Natural Distinction combines hard materials to produce a beautiful English garden. Water tumbled through golden sandstone rocks into a large reflective pond.

Tales from a Chinese Garden

Exhibitor: Cheshire’s Year of Gardens 2008 - Designers: Manchester Metropolitan University, MIRIAD, Ed Bennis, Prof John Hyatt - Contractor: Manchester Metropolitan University - Sponsor: NWDA.

This garden used Chinese plants to reflect many aspects of Chinese culture including art, literature, poetry, painting, calligraphy and mythology.

Aqua Life

Exhibitor: Outer Spaces - Designer: Phillippa Probert - Contractor: Premier North West - Sponsor: Merseybeams, Cambrian Concrete Products.

Phillippa Probert's show garden Aqua Life included several natural water features and combined a modern and traditional design within the landscaped plot.

My own little bit of the lakes

Exhibitor: Paul Dyer ‘Very interesting water feature and landscape company’ - Designer: Paul Dyer

This rock and water garden showed how to create natural effects using rock and water in an average garden.

A Midsummer’s Day

Exhibitor: Russell Watkinson Landscapes - Designer: Russell Watkinson - Contractor: Russell Watkinson Landscapes.

This garden embraced tradition and history in all aspects of its design. Ornamental planting was brought together with re-usable plants and reclaimed hard materials to present a garden of historical interest that would best suit an old house or large space.

The Cool Garden

Exhibitor: South Lakeland Parks - Designers: Jane McNeela/Alison Ryan - Contractor: Damien McNeela of McNeela Construction - Sponsors: South Lakeland Parks, PEC Lodges.

This geometric garden fronted a holiday lodge and included a lot of evergreen for all-year structure as well as plants for interest throughout the peak season. The open family space concentrated on structure, height and water with minimal inclusion of colour.

Cultivating Young Minds

Exhibitor: Just Living Gardens - Designer: Philip Hinchcliffe (Just Living Gardens) - Sponsors: Extended Schools (Children’s, Young People and Families Directorate) – Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council, Natural Paving Products (UK), Street College, The Enterprise Factory, Stoller Charitable Trust, The Rotary Club of Oldham Metro.

Working with six schools in the Oldham area, the designer used the garden to reflect the difficulties that young people can have with education by showing how different routes can lead to the same outcome.

East Meets West

Exhibitor: Urban Vision Partnership/Casey Group of Companies - Designer: Urban Vision Partnership and Dan Sterry - Contractor: Casey Group of Companies.

Illustrating a combination of Eastern and Western landscaping styles, this garden was a stylised living space for quiet contemplation and relaxation. Planting is typical of that found in the two regions, including Japanese maple, jasmine and bamboo. A zen platform illustrates elements of a traditional Eastern garden and a wall surrounding the garden reflected Western enclosed styles.

Show Feature - Manchester’s Museums & Galleries

Exhibitor: Manchester’s Museums & Galleries.

This show feature was a source of information on the cultural sites in Manchester.

Show Feature - Success Breeds Success

Exhibitor: Vale Royal Borough Council - Designer: Martin Thornhill (Streetscene Manager, Vale Royal Borough Council).

In 2008 the team took you on a journey through a collection of all three of its previous award-winning show features at the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park.

Show Feature - Chill Out! (Bedding Plants are Cool)

Exhibitor: British Protected Ornamentals Association (North West Group) - Designer: Derek Smith - Contractor: British Protected Ornamentals Association (North West Group).

Once again the members of the British Protected Ornamentals Association (North West Group) were using a quirky and humorous theme to promote their bedding plants.

Show Feature - Go on, have a grow...

Exhibitor: BBC North West Tonight - Designer: Reaseheath College - Contractor: Reaseheath College

Growing your own fruit and vegetables was a big trend in horticulture in 2008. There are many benefits to growing your own, including making it easy to eat your 'five a day' and have a healthy diet.

Show Feature - Metamorphosis

Exhibitor: Reaseheath College - Designer: Reaseheath College - Contractor: Reaseheath College.

Linked to Reaseheath’s wildlife-themed garden, this interactive activity zone appealed to visitors, and especially to children, with live insect displays, goodies and baddies identification and information on planting.

School Garden - Salt and our Community

Exhibitor: Oaklands School/Winsford Education Partnership - Designer: Oaklands School.

The purpose of this garden, which celebrated the salt industry of Cheshire and the North West,was to promote collaborative working among schools through the Winsford Education partnership.

School Garden - St Vincent’s R C Primary School

Exhibitor: St Vincent’s R C Primary School - Designers: Children of St Vincent’s School.

This eco-garden, was created by children of all ages at St Vincent’s R C Primary School and explored the idea of sustainable living/gardening.

2007 Show Gardens - Tatton Park RHS Flower and Garden Show

Tatton Park RHS Flower and Garden Show - Show Garden Exhibitors 2007

Anthony Nolan Trust: The Bubble Garden

Aughton Green Landscapes & The Big Pond Company: The Water Garden

Bezza Nursery: Into The Light

Cater Allen Private Bank: Cater Allen Private Bank Garden

Brewin Dolphin Securities: The Brewin Dolphin Garden

Classic Landscapes of Sale: Suttons Growing for Health Garden

Clive Scott Garden Design: Heatwave

Matthew Unwin: Tetrad

Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA): The Carbon Neutral Garden

Outer Spaces: Forest Fusion

Reaseheath College with Muller Dairy & Stonemarket: Luscious Living

Russell Watkinson Landscapes: Life Begins At …

South Lakeland Parks: Paradise Found

Spaced Out UK: Spaced Out - A garden of observation and discovery

The Prince’s Trust: A Personal Journey

(2008)