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show gardenRHS Chelsea Flower Show 2007: The Suber Garden, winner of a Silver Medal in the Chic Garden category
Gardenmakers were inspired to use Cork as the theme for their first show garden. Cork a versatile and sustainable product from the Cork Oak tree (Quercus Suber) has been harvested for centuries in an environmentally friendly process during which not a single tree is cut down.
The Suber Garden was designed to highlight the threat to Mediterranean Cork Oak forests posed by the increasing use of screw top and plastic bottle stoppers. The garden suggests that research into alternative uses for cork need to be undertaken to ensure the protection of these important, biodiverse landscapes and the continued livelihood of the cork farmers.
Designed as intimate outdoor urban space, the garden echoes the colours and qualities of cork. A semi- circular wall reflects the shape and vivid orange colour of the harvested cork tree, relaxed planting combining grasses with perennials in cinnamon, burgundy, shades of green with accents of purple surround the seating area with its cork bench. Cork wall panels and possibly the largest cork bowl in the world highlight the versatility of the material.
