mgr Changing Tides Garden

mgr Changing Tides Garden is a coastal garden that celebrates the resilient plants that have adapted to the harsh conditions found along the strandline (the shoreline above the water), of the UK’s vegetated shingle beaches. Here, just beyond the normal reach of the waves a few plants will seize the opportunity to form a row of vegetation, a risky life where one storm too many could eradicate them forever.

At a glance:

Who is this garden for? 
A community garden for public use.
Where is the garden set?  
Costal garden in South of England.
Who or what is the design inspiration?
Nature and the beauty of these specialist plants and how their adaptations allow them to thrive in the toughest of conditions.

The focal point for the garden are the clusters of Kent ragstone boulders, hand-sculpted into planters home to these specially adapted plants. The boundary is designed to evoke the aesthetic of a coastal groyne. Made from reclaimed weathered timber and rusty steel detailing it is designed to evoke the feeling of dramatic coastal weather, while providing a protective boundary to hunker down from the prevailing winds.
 

Key sustainability points

• Sustainability is at the heart of this design, from the reclaimed timber boundary, and steel pile planters, to the shingle, the waste product of the whelking industry.
• The boulders selected already exist and have been used in previous show gardens and displays.
• Resilient planting is key to the garden. Most of the plants used are specialist plants, adapted to the most extreme conditions.