Press Release

PENNIES FROM HEAVEN IN CHELSEA

5 May 2006

National Savings and Investments teams up with Heavenly Gardens for Chelsea Flower Show

A beautifully designed geometric garden featuring a variety of rare and unusual plants with a commissioned sculpture as its centrepiece is set to be one of the star attractions in the city gardens category at this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show (23 - 27 May 2006).

The NS&I Garden, designed by Freya Lawson of Heavenly Gardens, Bristol, for a young, professional couple seeking a sophisticated space that reflects the interior of their modern urban apartment, is sponsored by National Savings and Investments (NS&I).  It will feature a bold sculpture cast in bronze resin, 'The Architect', designed and created by renowned sculptor Jilly Sutton, who has produced works for the National Portrait Gallery and many collections around the world.

Click here for a sketch of the garden and here for an image of 'The Architect'.

The garden design

Freya's modern roof garden design features four raised planters, seating and adjustable tabletops for entertaining or work and a rectangular pond in which 'The Architect' will sit, looking out over a planting scheme that incorporates rare and unusual plants and the pale Portuguese limestone which forms the paved area of the garden.

Unusual plants

Much of the planting is from the Restionacae family. Commonly referred to as Restios they are the main genera of the Cape Reed family originating mostly from South Africa. Their upright reed-like habit provides a striking architectural quality and a hedge of Pseudopanax 'Trident' an unusual evergreen shrub with attractive glossy leaves, provides a contrast in form to the Restios and balances the sculpture.

Various Iris species (including: I. 'Rajah', I. 'Attention Please') provide flamboyancy with rich tones that unify with the subtle tones in other plants.  In addition, the garden will include Lysimachia atropurpurea 'Beaujolais', Aquilegia vulgaris 'Ruby Port', and Heuchera 'Chocolate Ruffles'.

'The Architect'

This impressive sculpture by Jilly Sutton is a bold focal point in The NS&I Garden, the design representing order out of chaos.  The sculpture was inspired by Jilly's architect husband and it explores the journey from the frenetic activity of construction to the serenity of the finished building.

The original sculpture, three and-a-half feet tall, was carved from a softwood construction, and has been cast in bronze resin for The NS&I Garden.  Jilly's outdoor sculpture is normally cast in bronze, but for a roof garden the lighter bronze resin was recommended.

She is known mainly for her large, grainy, bleached wooden heads, recently exhibiting solo in Venice and Antwerp.  Her next one man show is with the Rebecca Hossack Gallery, who represents her in London.

Modern and flexible

This is the second year running that NS&I has been involved with the Chelsea Flower Show.  John Prout, National Savings and Investments sales director, said: "Freya's garden design is exceptional and we are very proud to be supporting her this year.  The NS&I Garden, designed to create a relaxing space for busy, young professionals, represents the very best in compact city gardens with an array of clever features, beautiful plants and a magnificent sculpture."

Freya Lawson added: "The NS&I Garden is designed to be modern and provide a degree of flexibility for people who like to use their relatively small urban gardens both for entertaining and as an extra room for working outdoors.  The uniformity in the planters and paving contrasts really nicely with the plants, and with the sculpture which creates a fascinating showpiece."

Jilly Sutton added: "The grain of the timber, the tactile surface texture and often bleached colouring of my carvings are all important to me, they stem from my beginnings with the silvery driftwood I used to collect with my children, the ancient trees around our house, and a love of the warmth of wood."