Cardiff garden designer Gaynor Witchard gave up her full time job with the BBC to embark on a garden design career after tasting success at the RHS Show Cardiff (www.rhs.org.uk/cardiff), and after two successive Best Show Garden awards, Gaynor returns to the parklands of Cardiff Castle on the weekend of April 20 with a design that she hopes will net her a hat trick.
Cardiff provides the beautiful setting for the first RHS outdoor show of the season, with blooms from nurseries across the country, show gardens from Welsh designers like Gaynor, an abundance of guidance and inspiration from the experts during three days of colour and entertainment aimed at the serious horticulturalist and the day tripper alike. This year the event features in National Gardening Week, the RHS’s bid to get the nation gardening.
Gaynor’s design for 2012 is called Off The Shelf, a contemporary, low-maintenance garden created for a small space on a modest budget, with pale sandstone paving to increase and reflect the light levels and mainly hardy, evergreen planting to maintain some colour throughout the year. Gaynor said: “The RHS Show in Cardiff really launched my career, and I’m so excited to be back to hopefully inspire people to take another look at the space they have at home. Many of my clients ask for a low maintenance garden – but that doesn’t mean all gravel and no plants. Once established, the plants in my garden require little attention. I’d also like to take the opportunity to thanks my three generous sponsors – Brett Landscaping, SELCO & SWLC plants.”
This is the eighth RHS Show Cardiff, delivered through a partnership between Cardiff Council and the Royal Horticultural Society. It highlights the best of the spring blooms and provides inspiration for the gardening season ahead. Features include:
- Show gardens from Wales’ leading designers
- Talks, demonstrations and expert advice from the RHS
- Floral marquees with over 50 floral exhibitors & Plant Plaza
- Schools Wheelbarrow competition with over 60 colourful, creative youngsters’ designs
- Launch of Campaign for School Gardening initiative by Chris Collins
- Garden furniture and equipment
- Craft Village
- Cafe Quarter and Food Hall
- Nature trails
- Street entertainers and live music on the bandstand
RHS Shows Director Stephen Bennett said: “Gaynor has a proven track record in Cardiff and a great story to tell on how the show has changed her life. I’m sure she will once again do very well, as she puts so much into her garden designs.”
