The Show Garden is making a welcome return to the Blenheim Palace Flower Show this summer (22-24 June).
Now in its 6th year, the horticultural show houses more than 300 exhibitors around a Grand Floral Pavilion, on the South Lawn of the Palace, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.
The show garden is designed by Briony Doubleday of Oxfordshire-based ‘Bee’s Gardens’.
“Show gardens are regularly identified in visitor feedback as the ‘must see’ on their list when visiting any show,” said Show Manager Mig Kimpton. “They are an exciting opportunity to inspire our visitors, demonstrate horticultural skills, design and constructional excellence.”
Entitled The Penumbra, the garden is built in support of The Stroke Association. Sponsored by the Blenheim Palace Flower Show, Oxford Oak, CED Stone Group Ltd and Dyofix Pond Colours and Briony. The word ‘penumbra’ means partial shade, and is also the name for the affected area of the brain (that has the potential to recover) in an acute stroke.“This garden uses the architectural forms of Dicksonia antartica, combined with lush ferns, luxuriant foliage plants and intermingled with flowering woodland plants,” said Bryony. “To increase biodiversity within the garden, the natural materials have been chosen to help provide habitats for invertebrates and the planting has been selected to attract pollinators. Weaving through the garden are two lines of rusted metal tubes that represent the branches of the middle cerebral artery, most commonly affected by stroke. The garden will feature a beautiful green oak and steel bench hand crafted out of locally sourced English oak by Rodas Irving of Oxford Oak, and two large Corten steel reflective water troughs.”
blenheimflowershow.co.uk