SHOW GARDEN RELOCATION
Rock Trust, a beacon of hope in preventing youth homelessness, offers indispensable aid to those aged 16-25. From critical assistance to nurturing programs, they empower young individuals on the cusp of adulthood to forge a brighter path, steering clear of homelessness.
Embarking on its second life, the gold medal winning garden was planted out by the Mike McMahon Studio team, joined by volunteers from Rock Trust and Addleshaw Goddard, this collaborative effort aims to sow seeds of transformation and renewal.
Danny McDonagh, Rock Trust Youth Housing Hub Lead, said, "We are thrilled that after a wet and windy winter, Rock Trust garden is getting a much-needed makeover. Addleshaw Goddard has generously offered to come to our rescue with volunteers and a wonderful donation of flora from the Chelsea Flower Show. This will create a beautiful space for our young people to enjoy over the summer. We cannot wait to see it bloom and are incredibly grateful for this support. The young people attending our activities are excited about learning new skills through the gardening workshops, which will give them the chance to design and create a space that truly belongs to them."
Inspired by the King’s Cross balconies of the designers in London, the Addleshaw Goddard Junglette Garden's design endeavours to spotlight the untapped potential of compact outdoor spaces. In urban landscapes, barren balconies and terraces are ubiquitous and the designers see enormous potential for them to be transformed into vibrant green havens.
The garden at RHS Chelsea saw a seating area cocooned by cascading flora and an explosion of hardy tropical planting mirroring the four structural layers of the jungle: the emergent, canopy, understory, and forest floor. These plants included exotics such as tree ferns (Dicksonia antarctica), Brassaiopsis mitis, and the rice paper plant (Tetrapanax) mixed with more common plants such as Nasturtium.
Promoting biodiversity was important to the designers, with bird nests, integrated bat boxes, and a small pond, with the whole space not only creating a tranquil sanctuary but also serving as a shield against the ceaseless urban bustle, contributing to an enhanced sense of wellbeing.
Addleshaw Goddard sponsored the garden as part of their shared commitment to bringing imagination and impact to the communities in which they work and live. Rock Trust is one of the charities that they work with and Alan Shanks, Head of Scotland at Addleshaw Goddard, said, "We could think of no better way to sustainably extend the life of the Addleshaw Goddard Junglette Garden, which has sparked the imagination of crowds at Chelsea, than to see it have even more impact on the lives of young people here through Rock Trust. Our business' CSR strategy is based around the objective of 'unlocking young potential' and this is a fantastic way to support that ambition."
Jewlsy Mathews, of Mike McMahon Studio, said, "We are ecstatic that the Addleshaw Goddard Junglette Garden is poised to thrive again at Rock Trust. This transition signifies a pivotal and impactful moment in the garden's evolution. It heralds the dawn of a lasting partnership that Mike McMahon Studio will foster at Rock Trust, engaging its young people through an ongoing series of workshops. Our aim is to ensure the garden's legacy transcends the bounds of the Chelsea Flower Show, enriching lives well into the future."
