Cjhelsea Flower Show 2013 Design Pack

RBC Blue Water Garden

Chelsea Flower Show 2013

Nigel Dunnett with

RBC Blue Water GardenRHS Chelsea Flower Show 2013

Nigel Dunnett with

The RBC New Wild Garden - Chelsea Flower Show 2011 The RBC Blue Water Garden - Chelsea Flower Show 2012


Nigel Dunnett with

Introduction

The Royal Bank of Canada garden for 2013 is an urban rooftop woodland and wetland garden, integrating recreational space for bui lding occupants, with innovative biodiversity

and habitat features. The garden explores the potential of ‘ skyr ise greening’ to bring mult iple benefits to urban dwellers, and marks a return for the design team to the themes,

style and approach of their ‘RBC New Wild Garden’ for Chelsea Flower Show 2011.

The garden features a central wetland that captures rainwater runoff from the garden pavil ion, and which also cleans and fi l ters grey water from the building (water from basins

and showers). This water can then be recycled in the building for toi let f lushing. Because the level of the water in the wetland wil l f luctuate according to the weather: f i l l ing up

after heavy rain, and reducing in dr yer periods, the water in the garden wil l ebb and flow to a slow rhythm to demonstrate this process. This ‘beating heart ’ symbolises the central

role of water as the l i fe-giving force in the garden. Water is circulated and aerated in the garden ‘Spring’, a large raised, shallow bowl of water which supports a single bonsai

weeping wil low.

The garden i l lustrates the importance and value of trees in an era of changing cl imate – for creating shade and a comfortable microclimate; for soaking up excess stormwater

fol lowing heavy rainfal l; for introducing habitat opportunit ies for birds and insects. The garden shows how rooftops can be used to create mini urban woodlands in even the highest

density areas. The bonsai wi l low in the Spring is a simple small-scale statement of the l ink between trees, water and cl imate.

The trees are planted on mounds on the roof. Indeed, the garden has a strong and dramatic topography of hi l ls and valleys. But what appears to be deep soi l (and therefore

impossibly heavy for a roof) is actually an underlying topographic structure of ver y l ightweight polystyrene blocks with a soi l layer over the top.

The planting is dynamic, textural and natural ist ic, f i t ted to the different ecological condit ions on the rooftop, and incorporates some of the latest thinking and techniques related

to the design of green roofs for biodiversity. Wildl i fe and biodiversity are important considerations, and the ‘creature towers ’ placed around the garden are sculptural, mult i-storey

habitat towers, bui lt and designed by the same team responsible for the dramatic habitat walls in 2011’s ‘New Wild Garden’

The garden integrates art and ecology; biodiversity with human recreation. The garden is intended to be used informally by the occupants of the building. The roof is s ituated on

a commercial bui lding and is accessible to workers, but could equally be on an apartment block or private residence. As well as seating and gathering space around the garden

pavil ion, two circular seating decks are placed with the planting at the wetland ’s edge. As the water in the wetland ebbs and flows, the seating areas wil l become surrounded by

water. An informal path moves through the planted areas, l inking the two seating decks, while a main boardwalk takes users over the wetland to the garden pavil ion.

The pavil ion itself wi l l be created by the same team behind the converted shipping container in 2011’s New Wild Garden, and wil l again feature habitat wall panels, and a sloping

green roof. The roof wi l l support shade-tolerant species, and is a green roof on a green roof. I t is possible that the garden wil l be relocated to the roof of Selfr idges, London, after

the show.


Nigel Dunnett with

Concept

ROOF GARDENSPACE FOR SITTING AND MEETING

RAINWATER COLLECTION AND HARVESTING

RECYCLING GREY WATER AND CLEANING THROUGH A ROOFTOP WETLAND

VARIED LANDFORM AND TOPOGRAPHY

ARTISTIC HABITAT STRUCTURES

INTERACTIVE FEATURES - SPRING FOOTPUMP


Nigel Dunnett with

Trees

Garden Pavi l ion - Green Roof

Timer boardwalk

Water/ Wetland

Curved Timber Seating

Secondar y Paths - reclaimed setts/ steel mesh

Roof Garden ‘balustrade’

Plan Key

Features

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Habitat Towers - Constructed columns

Secondar y path network through planting

Wetland: shallow water, gravel, stones, planting. Ebb and flow l ike a heartbeat to the garden

Small t rees on mounds created with polystyrene build up.

Circular seating areas

Spring – water source. Large f lat shallow raised pool. Perhaps powered by foot pump. Over f lows into wetland/stream. Weeping Wil low Bonsai

Pavi l ion. Green roof on a green roof. Art ist ic habitat walls

Raised entrance to ‘Roof Garden’

0m 5m 10m


Nigel Dunnett with

Design Concept - Mood Images

Boardwalks and pathways

Wetland

Habitat Towers

Pavil ion

Garden ‘Spring ’


Nigel Dunnett with

Planting Strategy

Prel iminar y Plant List:The garden contains four main planting zones. The plant mixes in each zone are suited to the soi l and microclimatic condit ions in each zone.

Ir r igation is available for al l plantings through the rainwater capture and grey water recycling systems in the garden

Zone 1: Shade/woodland underplanting. Rich and diverse underplanting, loosely based on the ground flora of woodlands of Eastern North America.

Aquilegia canadensis•Asarum canadense•Dodecatheon meadia•Mertensia virginica•Phlox divaricatus•Tiarel la ‘Spring symphony ’•Tiarel la wherr yi •

Zone 2:Sunny edges/green roof planting. Plants for free-draining soi ls in sun. A mosaic of bright colours and grasses.

Al l ium schoenoprasum•Dianthus carthusianorum•Er ysimon ‘Bowles Mauve’•Festuca amythestina•Geum tr i f lorum•Gypsophila repens ‘Rosea’•Helicotr ichon sempervirens•Hordeum jubatum•Melica alt issima alba•Salvia ‘Maynight ’•Sedum rupestre ‘Blue Spruce’•Sedum rupestre ‘Lemon Ball ’•Sesleria nit ida•Si lene armeria ‘Electra’•Si lene unif lora•Stachys byzantina•Verbascum phoenecium ‘ Violetta’•Centaurea cyanus•

Chryanthemum segetum hybrids•Dimorphoteca aurantiaca•Atr iplex hortensis rubra•

Zone 3: Wetland Marginal. A mass of blue Meconopsis with textural and fol iage plants.

Deschampsia f lexuosa•Dryopteris lepidopoda•Hosta ‘Tom Schmid ’•Lychnis f los-cuculi•Lychnis f los-cuculi ‘Alba’•Mattheucia struthiopteris•Meconopsis ‘L ingholm’ •Osmunda regalis•Primula x bul leysiana•Valeriana off icinalis•

Zone 4: Aquatics. Dramatic fol iage plants emerging from the water.

Cyperus eragrostis•Equisetum japonicum•Juncus effusus•Phragmites variegatus•Scirpus cernuus•Thalia dealbata•

Trees:

Betula papyrifera•Cornus f lor ida•Cornus f lor ida ‘Cherokee Chief ’•Zelkova serrata•


Nigel Dunnett with

Planting Strategy

Zone 1: Shade/woodland underplanting

Zone 2: Sunny edges/green roof planting

Zone 4: Aquatics

Zone 3: Wetland Marginal

Trees


Nigel Dunnett with

Sections

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Sectional Elevation AA’

Sectional Elevation BB’

Green roof pavi l ion

Green roof pavi l ion

Garden ‘Spring’

Entrance to roof garden

Habitat TowersWetland

Garden boundar y including l iving wall sections


Nigel Dunnett with

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Habitat Towers - constructed columns







Raised entrance to ‘Roof Garden’ 01

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Nigel Dunnett with

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Habitat Towers - constructed columns







Raised entrance to ‘Roof Garden’


Nigel Dunnett with

Maximum extent of water Minimum extent of water

Ebb and flow, the heartbeat of the garden

Documents

Cjhelsea Flower Show 2013 Design Pack