Beside The Seaside At Chelsea - 7 February 2000
An English seaside garden complete with beach, seawater, waves and weathered chalet will catch the interest of thousands at the annual RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May. The Marie Curie/Yellow Pages ‘Sun Awareness Garden’ will be on show at site RGB3.The garden, created in partnership with Yellow Pages, is the brainchild of award winning designer Patrick McCann and built by Mark Gregory of Landmark Design and Build Ltd. The project aims to highlight the importance of sun awareness and to promote the essential path to sun safety.
The garden illustrates how, with careful planning, even the most traditional of designs can provide shade from the sun’s rays throughout the day. Special meters will be used to measure UV levels from different parts of the garden at regular intervals, with results published daily on the internet.
A specially customised wave machine will create the sound and motion of waves on a beach. Stone steps lead up from the sea and sand to a jetty of reclaimed Purbeck stone paving, salvaged from a barge which sank in Poole Harbour at the turn of the last century. Both the sand and seawater will be taken from the South Coast with the sand being returned immediately after the show.
The first level of garden has a lawned area and patio surrounded by colourful planting. From the patio, a path links a second flight of steps to the upper level containing a brick, colour washed stucco and timber framed chalet, sunbleached timber decking and a pergola which supports a canvas awning. The decking leads onto a lawn where additional shade is provided by a simple bench under a tree.
Trees and shrubs provide a permanent background and shelter for colourful seasonal planting which have been selected for their tolerance of maritime conditions. These include Pinus nigra, Pinus mugo, Populus alba, Tamarix, Hebes’, Lavender, Rosemary, Griselinia, Iris, Anchusa, Pelargoniums, Salvias, Poppys, Antirrhinums, Calendula and Aloes.
Patrick McCann the designer of the garden said: "The garden illustrates how with careful planning seaside gardens can avoid being bleak or unimaginative and can be colourful, comfortable and enjoyable places in which to work and relax.
"The end result is a garden of contrasts with natural shade, a retreat and areas which receive full sunlight".
Heather Mercer, Director of Education for Marie Curie, said: "As the daughter of a professional gardener I know how keen people are to get outside when the weather is fine but I would urge all gardeners to remember how essential it is to be sun aware.
"That means working in the morning or late afternoon when the sun is less powerful, or if they must work during the hottest part of the day, wearing protective clothing including long sleeves, a peaked hat with neck protection and applying sun screen with a minimum protection factor of 15".
Nigel Marson, Marketing Communications Controller, Yellow Pages said: "Yellow Pages is committed to supporting the work of Marie Curie. This particular project is a most innovative way of raising awareness and providing information about the dangers of over-exposure to the sun".
