Friday, June 17, 2011

Tim's Bloom 2011 show garden log: building the Growise garden step 4

The finished boardwalk or "catwalk" in the show garden at Bloom 2011
We had a lot of fun designing the boardwalk and this came next on the construction schedule.  In many ways it was the most impactful feature of the garden and the design certainly hinged on its successful implementation.

Boardwalk construction sequence
Alluding to the landscape change theme present in the garden, the boardwalk deliberately cuts across the centre of the garden and is metaphorically a landscape fissure when the garden is viewed as a whole.  Its linear form also provides contrast with the other flowing forms and shapes used. 

I deliberately chose the "Movie-Star" red colour to provide a strong colour contrast with other natural tones and textured finishes used in the garden.  The paint used in the boardwalk is Irish made (in Celbridge) by the really helpful people at ColorTrend and is water based so it is an environmentally friendly paint. Apparently, pilots of planes passing overhead en route from Dublin Airport could pick out the boardwalk quite easily - no wonder President Obama’s helicopters were buzzing overhead at one point!

The boardwalk extends diagonally across the garden and tapers towards the rear giving some linear perspective to the viewer.  On a more practical level, it also provides some additional lateral access in to the planted areas of the garden, although it is not intended that there is access off either end. 




Arnott's models sashaying up and down the catwalk
Garden journalist  Roz Drinkwater in the Sunday Business Post was particularly taken with the boardwalk when she commented"...under Ireland’s grey skies, there’s a lot to said for a bold splash of colour and Tim Austen provided it with a funky red catwalk that cut a swathe through his mass planted Growise Garden..." 

The boardwalk or "catwalk" cuts through the planting

I have to confess that I did indeed intend to create a "catwalk" like feature and this worked wonderfully for garden visitors most notably when the models from Arnotts visited and when Mairead McGuinness MEP (poss. future Irish President) visited and we had a hoot!

Mairead McGuiness, Camelia and Tim Austen with an arrangement by Austen Flowers & Events
MEP Mairead McGuiness models on the catwalk in the Growise Garden



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Posted by Tim Austen at 6:25 PM
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4 comments:

  1. Tim, I am always looking for new ideas for the gardens here. Every once in awhile I pick another blog to follow and today you are the lucky one! I am interested in garden design and you can check on my past posting to that fact. I do very simple gardening helps for friends, not as a business so I am way less professional than you, but we do share that same interest. Living here on Lake Michigan in USA gives me wonder views to work with. The lake really does all the work! I just add a little here and there! Look forward to more of your postings. Jack

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  2. Hi Jack,

    Thank you for choosing to follow my blog. As this is a friendly community, I would be pleased to follow you back! Look forward to sharing ideas.
    Tim

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  3. Hello Tim,

    I love your design. The garden looks alive with the leaves of the plants trying to cover the boardwalk. The "garden runway" is great but I think it will look better if the color is a bit darker, like burgundy or something. But all in all, great job.

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  4. Hi Nina,

    Thank you very much, so glad you like the garden. I also like your renaming of the boardwalk to 'garden runway'. Believe it or not, a friend commented that his friend (a pilot) could see the boardwalk as he flew over the park and that it was 'a good landing marker'! I deliberately chose the "Movie-Star" red colour to provide a strong colour contrast with other natural tones and textured finishes used in the garden but hey, burgundy could be cool too! I think the feature gives the option to choose one's own favourite colour.

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