Howle Hill Nursery’s 2018 show garden at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival has won gold and the Best Construction Award.
The garden features the work of sculptor Simon Gudgeon and includes a piece that is destined for Kew Gardens.
‘The Spirit of the Woods’ has been designed with an avid art collector in mind and explores the spiritual connection with nature using sculpture as the medium.
The garden showcases three beautiful pieces each individually framed, exploring different views and different backdrops.
‘Leaf Spirit’, the central piece is a 1.8m-high, serene, contemplative face set in a grotto made from Forest of Dean Rock. This piece has been purchased by Kew Gardens and will be installed to a permanent position in the Rose Garden. Water drips down in the grotto and it is filled with ferns and mosses. The large pool in front provides beautiful reflections of the face and the Malvern Hills behind give the perfect backdrop.
The main viewing point is from a solid oak jetty, which overhangs the pool at the opposite end, while stepping stones allow you to move across the water from one side of the garden to the other.
The second piece, ‘Whispering Spirit’, is a smaller mystical face cast in bronze with lips slightly parted inviting you to listen as she whispers in your ear. When you do this, it echoes like a seashell – quite magical.
Finally, there is ‘Sylph’ a ballerina-like figure made from thousands of copper leaves. She is set amidst the trees and bamboos with the appearance of dancing on leaves.
The planting follows our usual plant passion and features beautiful trees, shrubs and perennials from our nursery.
The garden explores our need to connect with nature and the pieces of sculptures together with plants, rock and water invite us to explore and contemplate what we see. The garden in 2018 should be a place that spiritually nourishes us and allows us a contemplative place to relax in.
It is the first time sculptor Simon Gudgeon has exhibited at Malvern. He is based at ‘Sculpture by the Lakes’ in Dorset, where his work is set into 20 acres of lakes and parkland.
To learn more about Howle Hill Nursery, please visit www.howlehillnursery.co.uk
