After their inaugural show garden in 2015, Santa Rita will once again be exhibiting a show garden at Bord Bia’s 2016 Bloom-in-the-Park, to be held in Phoenix Park, Dublin 2nd – 6th June. Entitled ‘The Santa Rita Living La Vida 120’, the ‘Large Category’ show garden is inspired by the wine brands South American origins and will bring a flavour of Chile to Bloom this year.
Dublin based Alan Rudden was selected from a list of highly talented designers who all pitched to work on the Santa Rita garden. Alan has created a number of award winning gardens for Bloom, but it was his understanding and creation of a garden that conveyed both the Chilean and Santa Rita brand origins, history, quality and values that caught the judges’ eye.
Further inspiration for the garden came from a trip out to Chile for Rudden in December 2015. There he visited the beautiful Santa Rita Casa Real homestead and gardens both of which are listed as National Monuments in Chile, and experienced first-hand the synergy between the traditional Casa Real parkland and the vineyards surrounding it. Rudden also visited a number of prestigious public parks on his trip and met with celebrated Chilean garden designers Margarita Alamos and María Olga Rivera, all of which helped further his understanding of the indigenous flora, soils and landscape of the country.
The resulting ‘Santa Rita Living La Vida 120’ garden is contemporary in style with Latin American influences. Elements of old and new mix harmoniously, representing the journey from historical traditions of early wine production in Chile right through to Santa Rita’s current position as the most popular South American wine brand in Ireland. Structure is very important within the garden space; it forms the backdrop and separates the different areas and views. The garden cannot be viewed in its entirety from any one position, the viewer must move around the whole boundary to appreciate and see the full garden.
The materials and features are minimal with an industrial feel and colours mostly natural and earthy with a large punch of rusted orange from the curtain steel sculpture. The sculpture is a large steel panel enclosed behind two walls with 120 holes cut from it representing the 120 patriot heroes, who sought refuge in the Santa Rita wine cellars whilst fighting the in the war for Chile’s independence. Ireland’s number one selling wine brand, Santa Rita 120, was named in honour of these 120 heroes. The sculpture will feature a water cascade, falling into a rill that runs to the main pool. This represents how the 120 men were protected behind the walls of Casa Real. The water flowing into the large pool represents the journey the men took to independence and the liberation of Chile.
The planting scheme reflects the flora of Casa Real and the parks and gardens that Rudden visited. Sustainability is at the heart of Santa Rita and for this reason the majority of plants used in the garden are those that would typically thrive in Chile but can withstand the Irish climate. One exception is the pink Bougainvillea which pays homage to the largest species in South America which is to be found at the front of the Casa Real manor house.
A large number of specimen trees including Acasia and mature Olives give weight and balance to the garden when contrasted with the high wall structures. Lines of clipped box hedging will be used as a transition from the structural elements to the informal under planting which is to be a mixture of lush vibrant foliage and architectural arid planting.
Terry Pennington, Commercial Director, Europe comments
‘Our horticultural link goes back to the Santa Rita estate in Alto Jahuel, Chile where our beautiful Casa Real manor house and 40 hectare park is found. The house, after which our legendary award winning wine Casa Real is labelled, is surrounded by wonderful ornate gardens and parklands which are regularly opened up to the public, schools and local communities. Santa Rita is steeped in tradition both in terms of their garden and viticultural history, their contemporary and progressive approach to winemaking is reflected in both the outstanding wines they produce and the modern approach to the ‘Santa Rita’ garden. We very much looking forward to meeting you on our Santa Rita Living La Vida 120 Show garden at Bord Bia’s Bloom’.
