To help mark its 180th anniversary, Perennial has partnered with Irish garden designer Peter Donegan with a show garden for RHS Flower Show Cardiff (12-14 April 2019). It is the first time the horticulture trade charity has exhibited at the show and the first time Peter (or any Irish designer) has designed there.
The Perennial Garden at RHS Flower Show Cardiff is a modern urban private garden designed to increase awareness of Perennial, the charity that helps and supports people in horticulture. It highlights the importance of recognising and addressing poor mental health in the horticulture industry, inviting show visitors to look beyond the polished exterior and imagine what challenges its owner, or creator, may be facing. The garden has been made possible by the support of the horticulture industry and in particular Burnham Landscaping, who are constructing the garden at the show, and CED Stone who are providing the hard landscaping and additional support.
Speaking about the garden and his decision to support Perennial, designer Peter Donegan says:
“In a modern world dominated by social media, we can so often be fooled by an edited Instagram post or a gushing status update when many of us are struggling with physical, mental and financial challenges and burdens. Perennial helps people in horticulture manage and overcome the challenges of poor physical and mental health in an industry that demands strength and resilience. We hope this garden helps continue the conversation about mental health in the horticulture sector and helps spread the word that Perennial is here to help.”
The Perennial Garden has been designed primarily as an entertainment space with a balance of culinary features, seasonal planting and space to enjoy time relaxing with friends and family. It will have a clean, modern look and feel with crisp lines, contemporary design features and lush planting. A planted screen provides the backdrop to the garden, making the most of the small space and adding vertical planted interest. Specimen trees and a choice mix of seasonal planting complements the Welsh slate stone hard landscaping. The changes in elevation within the garden provide added interest and create a focal point in the raised area for entertaining and an outdoor kitchen area and barbeque.
Anita Bates, Director of Marketing & Fundraising at Perennial says:
“It’s fantastic to have the opportunity to exhibit at RHS Flower Show Cardiff and we are extremely grateful to Peter for the unwavering support he has shown Perennial over a number of years. We are there for anyone working in or retired from horticulture, forestry and arboriculture across Wales but too few people know about us. We know that people can find it hard to ask for help and thanks to The Perennial Garden we can tell show visitors about how they can support Perennial to encourage people to get in touch before their issue becomes a crisis.”
Perennial helps and supports anyone who creates or maintains gardens, parks, sports facilities and other green spaces. The Perennial Garden at RHS Flower Show Cardiff will raise awareness of the charity in Wales, helping spread the message that Perennial’s friendly and knowledgeable team has the experience and resources to make a difference to people’s lives, regardless of the scale of their issue or concern.
