The Facebook Garden: Beyond The Screen, designed by Joe Perkins, has won a gold medal and been awarded Best in Class and Best Construction in the Space To Grow Garden category at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. It is the only garden to win both awards in its category.
Inspired by the spectacular coastal landscapes of the Basque Country, the garden features a wave that washes water across a ‘tidal’ pool and over layered rock formations which represent the sedimentary rocks known as ‘Flysch’ which make up part of the Basque coastline. A stunning copper canvased wave-form sculpture also forms a canopy over the reclaimed timber deck, symbolising the industrial properties of technology.
The garden celebrates the stories of people who use Facebook to find common ground with others and to connect in real life, including the 1.5 million people in the UK who are part of a gardening group on Facebook, such as deaf gardeners, giant vegetable growers and guerrilla gardeners who use Facebook to connect in real life.
Says Joe Perkins, “I’ve been working at Chelsea Flower Show for a number of years and to receive this kind of recognition for my first solo show is a real honour. I’d like to thank everyone who supported with the build, particularly The Outdoor Room. I’m really happy that the judges recognised what we set out to achieve with the garden and I hope what we’ve done can inspire others.”
Says Nicola Mendelsohn, Facebook VP for EMEA. “Joe Perkins has designed an incredible garden that celebrates the people who have joined a Facebook group with others who share their passions, including the 1.5 million British people who are part of gardening groups on Facebook. It’s a privilege to see this beautiful design recognised with not one but two awards! It’s been an honour to be part of this journey sponsoring the garden and we’d like to thank everyone involved.”Facebook has become an increasingly important place for gardeners of all ages across the UK to connect. Facebook revealed at the show that: