Other Senses: Insights from Chelsea 2024. What are the world's landscape designers concerned about? - PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA

In mid-May, London hosted one of the most important events for landscape designers and garden connoisseurs — the Chelsea Flower Show festival. The garden show is primarily a resource for inspiration, because there is simply an insane concentration of beauty! But it is also a place where trends are formed. A kind of landscape "haute couture". Sometimes strange and not always clear. Landscape designer Hanna Galagan shares with PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA readers her impressions of the visit and tells in which direction the landscape industry is moving.

Gardens that heal

This year's "haute couture" was quite unusual. Nothing glamorous like topiary expensive plants or chic furniture and ultra-modern sculptures. Instead, something very earthy and natural, simple and sincere. Almost all designers have shifted the focus to the value and philosophy of the garden instead of emphasized decorativeness, because really the garden has much more potential than "green decoration around the terrace or barbecue area". And the designer's skill is not only to invent interesting, special, extraordinary combinations of plants and materials, but more importantly, to create value so that every visitor can actually feel it.

The theme highlights the therapeutic power of gardens: the garden as a refuge, as an environment for healing, rehabilitation and restoration. It is nature that achieves the maximum effect in this, so the gardens are made in a natural style, and sometimes it seems that this is not even a man-made garden, but a piece of wild nature, such as the garden of Ula Maria.

Muscular Dystrophy UK — Forest Bathing garden. Designer Ula Maria. Photo from the designer's website, RHS and The English Garden

In it, the designer uses the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, that is, bathing in the atmosphere of the forest and reconnecting with nature through our senses. The garden looks very gentle and airy thanks to the white color of the birch trunks and the lace of umbrella flowers in white and lilac shades.

Muscular Dystrophy UK — Forest Bathing garden. Designer Ula Maria. Photo from the designer's website, RHS and The English Garden

This garden has a very calming effect, which is so important because it is designed as a place of solace and reflection for those suffering from muscle fatigue. It aims to demonstrate how an engaging yet accessible garden can offer support and refuge to patients, their families and doctors during and after diagnosis.

Muscular Dystrophy UK — Forest Bathing garden. Designer Ula Maria. Photo from the designer's website, RHS and The English Garden

Another therapeutic garden is a sensory space for stroke recovery.

On the contrary, it is very bright, although it is also naturalistic. Here, nature already gives energy, strength for rehabilitation, and designer Olivia Gonsalves has created such a color scheme, which, together with the aromas and noise of water, helps patients with limited mobility or vision to navigate in the garden. Importantly, the garden's concept and choice of materials were inspired by the designer's own experiences as a stroke survivor and the stories of other stroke survivors.

Stroke Association's Garden for recovery. Designer Miria Harris. Photo source: www.bbc.co.uk

But the garden of designers Sophie Parmenter and Dido Milne (Sophie Parmenter & Dido Milne) was created taking into account the needs of people with autism.

The National Autistic Society Garden. Designers Sophie Parmenter and Dido Milne. Author's photo

The design of the garden was inspired by the "masking" strategy that autistics use consciously or subconsciously to fit in. Cork walls, symbolizing masks, here form a series of sub-spaces dedicated to different types of social interaction — at work, with friends and family, with partners, etc.

The National Autistic Society Garden. Designers Sophie Parmenter and Dido Milne. Author's photo

If we move away from specialized therapeutics to general, as they say, "for everyone", then in an urbanized environment, an important element for stimulating physical, mental and social well-being these days is a garden of wild nature. Anna-Marie Powell created just such a community garden, and it was so popular with visitors that it even won the Audience Choice Award.

Garden designer Anna-Marie Powell at The Octavia Hill garden. Author's photo

There are many individual rooms under the open sky where you can enjoy different views and atmosphere and observe the surrounding biodiversity. The garden is very bright, in contrast to the urban gray, I would say even energetic, and at the same time the melody of the stream and the buzzing of insects have a meditative effect, relieving the stress of urban excess.

The Octavia Hill garden. Designer Anna-Marie Powell. Author's photo

In general, studies show that visiting gardens has a very positive effect on human health and well-being. And this is what Tom Stewart-Smith's garden is dedicated to.

The National Garden Scheme Garden. Designer Tom Stewart-Smith. Photo source: bbc.co.uk, The English Garden and the designer's website

It was created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Garden Scheme, which opens private gardens to visitors, and proceeds from ticket sales and teas go to support a variety of charitable hospice projects, as well as the creation of therapeutic gardens. Tom Stewart-Smith's own garden has also been welcoming visitors for over 30 years. The design of the garden for the show takes into account its final destination, because after the show, the garden will move to a cancer care center. Therefore, the garden is again very natural and soothing, bright and delicate. The crowns of the hazel that Tom chose for the garden are simply incredible and even a little unreal framed by white flowers that emphasize and highlight them, creating a kind of magical feeling.

We are also already familiar with the term "garden therapy" thanks to Sue Stewart-Smith's book, which won the hearts of Ukrainians in such a difficult time for our country. But today, unfortunately, all projects that I know about are completely voluntary. Although I think that sadotherapy is simply mega relevant in our context.

Permanent garden

Another no less important trend, which was in the center of attention, is sustainability, or ecological stability, sustainability, that is, safe use of natural resources, as well as activities without harming the environment.

Each garden declared the key points of ecological stability that were taken into account during its creation. By the way, the show itself was criticized for a long time due to the pointless waste of resources and materials for the sake of a few days, because then everything turned into a pile of construction debris. So the standards of the show have changed and the gardens are no longer created just for the sake of the show for a few days, they have a final destination and "move" to their permanent location after the show is over.

Among the many aspects of environmental sustainability, the following were in focus this year:

reuse of materials. For example, the paving stones for the paths by Ula Maria and Tom Stewart-Smith were taken from a scrap yard, the furniture in all the gardens was made from fallen trees, not felled specifically for the show, or from wood from scrap yards;
the Tom Stewart-Smith Pavilion was created as a carbon sink;
many gardens were created without the use of cement;
in some gardens, the collection and use of rainwater was provided;

The National Garden Scheme Garden. Designer Tom Stewart-Smith. Photo from the designer's website

the plantations took into account climate change trends, therefore, plants more resistant to droughts were used. For example, Anna-Marie Powell replaced the lupines loved by the British with baptisia, which is hardier and even has longer flowering. Tom Stewart-Smith used understory plants that can withstand arid conditions;
all designers followed the principle of "the right plant in the right place", which significantly reduces the resources to support such plantings;
each garden was created as a focal point for maintaining biodiversity.

Clean water

And my own favorite among the gardens, Tom Massey and Jae Ahn's WaterAid Garden, was completely dedicated to the theme of environmental sustainability, namely the conservation and purification of water.

The WaterAid Garden. Designers Tom Massey and Jae Ahn. Photo from Tom Massey's website

In the center of the garden is a pavilion for collecting rainwater. The structure collects every drop of rainfall, filtering and conserving this precious resource for drinking and irrigation, as well as slowing the flow and providing shade.

The WaterAid Garden. Designers Tom Massey and Jae Ahn. Photo from Tom Massey's website

This absolutely cosmic-looking structure is itself an architectural highlight of the garden. She mesmerized me so much that I returned to this garden many times during the day. And each time as the sun moved, the structure looked different, the plants on top seemed to glow in the sun's rays, adding lightness and weightlessness to the structure.

From the inside, the structure is filled with shredded construction waste that filters the water. And it is in this substrate that even without the addition of humus, drought-resistant plants grow on it.

The WaterAid Garden. Designers Tom Massey and Jae Ahn. Photo from Tom Massey's website

All plants were selected to cope with different amounts of water. In particular, there was water violet (Hottonia palustris), which can indicate whether a water source is clean or polluted, and alder (Alnus glutinosa), which has nodules on its roots that can absorb nitrogen and toxic heavy metals from the ground, improving soil health and fertility .

The WaterAid Garden. Designers Tom Massey and Jae Ahn. Photo from Tom Massey's website

Designer Tom Massey says: “Clean water is fundamental to life and I am delighted to be working with WaterAid on this important issue. In recent years, British horticulture has felt the effects of extreme weather conditions, including heat, drought and flooding. As our climate changes, water scarcity and insecurity will become more commonplace - here in the UK and around the world. We can all do something to help mitigate climate change, such as improving soil health, planting greenery to create shade, and most importantly, using water wisely. The WaterAid garden demonstrates how a sustainable and beautiful garden can be created no matter what the future holds.”

And now some details that I liked most about the show and that I will take to my treasure chest of ideas, including natural plantings and combinations of plants, as well as natural, not ideal tree crowns.

Mastery of performance. Author's photo

To be in the resource

And so, as always, the question arises: why should we now review and analyze this landscape couture in such a period, when the landscape is generally out of date?

But isn't it really time for us to have therapeutic gardens, when the majority of the population has at least PTSD, and many have lost their homes, loved ones or acquaintances, some have been left without limbs... Nature gives us a resource to endure in this terrible time, to find points of support . And competently built therapeutic gardens should be an element of rehabilitation for those who have returned from the front or captivity, who were forced to seek shelter or fight disease, etc.

Voluntary efforts are unlikely to cover the need for this. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the value of garden therapy and support from the state. Well, a deep study of the principles of garden therapy is also necessary, because only lazy people don't talk about garden therapy now, but there are rules and recommendations for building such gardens so that they really work and achieve the expected effect. It's not just about beauty, it's about a special energy and atmosphere, as well as a functional load depending on the purpose of the garden.

I had the opportunity to work on two projects of therapeutic gardens.

The first one has already been implemented and is working in the "Dacha" family center of the "Zaporuka" foundation. This is a garden for children who are being treated for cancer and live at the "Dacha" with their parents. So this is a support garden, a garden as a place of strength. There is nothing reminiscent of illness here, everything is blooming here, there is a small piece of forest, a bunch of small meadows that are suitable for both playing and for solitude, a playground, a sports corner and a little blooming meadow. And now we will add a bed for stress relief.

Landscape reconstruction project of three hospitals in Chernihiv. Designer Hanna Galagan

The second project is the reconstruction of the landscape of three hospitals in Chernihiv, including the maternity hospital. It seems like rehabilitation too, but the specifics are different. The most important thing is contemplation, communication, quiet walks and the possibility of solitude. There are forests, open areas, and even rain gardens. I will definitely include the aromatherapy areas. And the medical garden is not only for patients and their relatives, hospital staff also need a place to recharge their batteries, so there are also corners for staff. But the most important thing is that this medical garden does not become a burden for the hospital management, because the funding of the hospital is primarily directed to treatment, and not to the maintenance of the garden. Without maintenance, the garden will turn into a depressing neglected environment. Therefore, it is necessary to find a balance in plantations when they require a minimum of resources. And natural plantings are best suited for this.

Natural plantings in Chelsea Gardens 2024. Photo by the author

Natural plantings in Chelsea Gardens 2024. Photo source: www.tommassey.co.uk

Thus, when building therapeutic gardens, we must approach this consciously, because this is a very delicate topic. And so this year's Chelsea is just a visual guide for us.