Milton Keynes, UK, 2015-1-15 — /EPR Retail News/ — Multi award-winning garden designer Adam Frost returns to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2015 with a striking modernist garden inspired by the Bauhaus movement and the work of one of its most famous proponents, Marcel Breuer.
Designed as an urban community garden, The Homebase Urban Retreat Garden will celebrate the striking design principles of the early 20th century design movement, by incorporating modernist materials such as concrete and corten steel, with simple geometric shapes to create a garden that sits comfortably within an urban setting and in which the local community and wildlife can flourish.
Adam describes the design for The Homebase Garden as blending the structures of the urban environment with the softness of nature to show how green space can be successfully incorporated into our towns and cities. Referencing the Bauhaus movement he said: “Much of the modernist housing designed by architects of that period was created around community landscape and gardens. Bauhaus promised a reunion of man with nature through community living and it’s this spirit that I want to reflect in The Homebase Garden.”
The layout will have a strong architectural form with a dynamic backbone that combines linear concrete walls with geometric hedging breaking the space into clearly defined water, lawn and planting divisions.
Designed as a space for the whole community, where people can come together and enjoy community life, Adam has incorporated two striking water walls in the form of pressed steel leading into long pools of water that can double as paddling pools in summer. A series of layered cedar wood rings will provide seating throughout the garden.
The architectural focal point at the rear of the garden will be a striking corten steel structure set among a bed of tree ferns. Designed to represent a modernist building, the frame will create an unexpected insect hotel and home for birds and wildlife.
In front, a commanding cedar-clad building will provide a unique viewing area from its roof offering a second perspective of the garden looking down over the layouts and the sculptural form of six imposing Cercidiphyllum japonicum (Katsura) trees. Covered with a new mix of wildflower turf seen for the first time at RHS Chelsea, the roof will provide another haven for wildlife including a colony of honey bees housed in a Bauhaus-inspired cedar beehive with corten steel roof.
Planting and wildlife
The planting palette has been designed with wildlife in mind. Simple, fragrant plants that allow insects to flourish including Irises, Geraniums, Deschampsia and Digitalis, will sit alongside Taxus domes which provide nesting space for insects and birds and Cercidiphyllum japonicum (Katsura) trees which act as a source of food for the resident bees. Grasses and wildflowers will bring a softness to the urban setting while two impressive tree ferns positioned behind the corten steel and cedar-clad building will add a structural element to the palette.
Colours will be rich and earthy, moving from deep crimson to burnt orange to reflect the orange-brown patina of corten steel whilst the lush green foliage of the ferns and hedging will stand out against the imposing backdrop of the concrete framework.
Materials
Drawing on the raw industrial materials favoured by architects of the Bauhaus movement, the garden will feature smooth poured concrete, corten steel and cedar, which typified buildings and home furnishings of that era.
Cedar cladding will lend a different, softer character to the garden punctuating the boldness of the concrete and steel and emphasizing the vertical lines of the space, while a long boarded path winding through the centre of the garden echoes the curves seen on some of the most iconic Bauhaus buildings and highlights the value of incorporating wildlife corridors into our urban environments.
Adam said: ‘‘The whole ethos of the Bauhaus movement was to create remarkable looking products that were simple in design and that could be easily replicated from the basic starting point of geometric shapes. I’ve designed the Homebase garden to reference the Bauhaus with the inclusion of modern design styles, something that anyone can do in their own garden and that lends itself in particular to an urban setting.”
The Homebase Garden Academy
Students from the recently launched Homebase Garden Academy will be working alongside Adam to create the garden. The pioneering programme, now in its second year, was set up to help Britain’s next generation of gardeners’ kick-start their career. Putting into practice the skills they have learnt since joining in September 2014, the scheme’s latest intake of students will help Adam build the garden when it arrives on site at the RHS Chelsea showground in May 2015.
Adam continued: “I’m delighted that students from the Homebase Academy will once again be helping me to bring the garden to life. My hope is that the garden will encourage aspiring gardeners to create their own version and by doing so, encourage the growth of both our urban communities and wildlife.”
Jon Kemp, Head of Garden at Homebase, said: “We’re very excited to unveil the 2015 Homebase garden for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and to be working once again with Adam Frost. Adam has an outstanding pedigree in garden design and has already created two exceptional Gold medal-winning gardens for us at the Show. We’re confident this year’s garden will be another huge success.”
The Homebase Chelsea Collection
To coincide with the Chelsea Flower Show, Homebase will be bringing back it’s Chelsea Collection – a range of plants, garden ornaments and garden furniture inspired by Adam’s garden and available in store from April – July 2015.
The 2015 RHS Chelsea Flower Show runs from 18 – 22 May 2015.
ENDS
Note to Editors:
For more information or a full plant list please contact Suzanne Hind suzanne@suzannehind.com or Theresa Osen theresa@suzannehind.com. Tel: +44 (0) 207 502 8505 or +44 (0) 7813 208 168.
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About Homebase
Homebase is a leading home enhancement retailer with around 60 million transactions a year, selling around 38,000 products for the home and garden. It has 316 large, out-of-town stores throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland and a growing internet offering at www.homebase.co.uk. In the financial year to February 2014, Homebase sales were £1.5 billion and it employed some 18,000 people across the business.
Homebase is part of Home Retail Group, the UK’s leading home and general merchandise retailer.
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