Woodcraft is featured in the Silver Gilt medal winner garden at the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park

Posted on July 18, 2018

We're featured in the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park from today 18th July to 22nd July 2018. If you are going down there this week then head to the Young Designers Gardens and look out for the garden Calm in Chaos designed by Max Harriman which took the Silver Gilt medal.

The garden is designed as a space to escape the stresses of urban living and highlights the benefits plants and gardening have on health and well being and focuses primarily on mental health. It encourages the visitor to relax and spend time experiencing the restorative nature of being in a garden.

The path allows a walk around the garden, and the timber posts help to frame the rich tapestry of green plants partially highlighted in shadier areas with white flowers. We were commissioned to build the bench for this garden which helps to form a centre piece and is integral to the overall theme of calm and relaxation by inviting the visitor to rest a while and take in the beautiful space.

Pictures by Max Harriman at Bowles & Wyer.

For more information about the garden Calm in Chaos at the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park see the link below:

https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-e...

Also the creator Max Harriman is a designer at Bowles & Wyer who constructed this wonderful space and writes more about how the garden was designed here:

https://www.bowleswyer.co.uk/blog/?p=2473

Bench Construction

This project started when Max approached us to make a bench for his show. The requirements was to design and build one 1200mm long curved oak bench (45 degree curve) and 450mm high. We had some degree of freedom in design however we needed to allow for simplicity in style. The construction of this bench was born out of some very large lumps of sawn oak and after we carefully mapped out the curved shapes, we cut and sanded them smooth.

The curves of the seat had to be just right to fit the curvature of the gravel footpath. The path is a very important aspect of the whole piece which conveys an ‘off the beaten track’ quality very different from concrete, steel and other hard materials usually associated with urban living. It plays a role in inviting the visitor into the garden, while our bench provides a destination or resting point and ultimately be the place where guests can sit and pause in quiet contemplation.

We didn’t try to remove of hide any of the natural blemishes as this would have detracted from the natural rustic finish we were aiming for. Once completed, we chose a clear space on the top to engrave the sponsors name and logo.

Once the bench was installed in the garden show Max sent us this wonderful tribute:

Thanks so much I’m so happy with the bench it’s stunning and beautifully made.
You’ve been a pleasure to work with will send more photos as and when. I won a silver gilt medal. Over the moon,

Best
Max

After the show at the Royal Horticultural Society Tatton Park the garden will relocate and become a permanent feature garden at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge which will be used and enjoyed by staff, patients and visitors.