The Gardening World Cup 2011 takes place at Huis Ten Bosch, a 17th century Dutch replica theme park the size of Monaco, in the South East of Japan. With its proximity to Nagasaki, the theme this year is ‘Gardens for world peace and a prayer for Japanese recovery’, held in aid of the victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.
Hand-folded paper flowers, inspired by an ancient Japanese legend promising that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish; sunflowers which are now being grown to help cleanse contaminated soil in Fukushima; the figure eight, the Japanese Hachi symbol for happiness and good fortune; the story of the Black Saturday fires of Australia and European motifs of peace are just some of the gardens that will be built over the next two weeks in the name of peace.
The Japanese have one of the finest horticultural and landscape traditions in the world and their thinking has deeply influenced western gardens. This time designers from all over the world, as well as Japan, will be taking their concepts of peace to Japan.
16 of the world’s best garden designers set to work making gardens that they hope will bring some relief to a nation of garden lovers who are recovering from the terrible devastation caused by March’s earthquake and tsunami . The designers, four female and 12 male, have been picked to represent 12 countries and five continents. Visitors will see ‘peace’ gardens by the best designers from Australia, North America, Europe, Africa and Asia.
The competitors have two weeks to build large gardens and courtyard gardens ahead of a televised Oscar nomination style awards ceremony on the 7th October 2011 at which the judges announce the winners. Will England win again with their new line-up – Sarah Eberle and Jonathan Denby? Will the Netherland’s retain their title of ‘Best Design (Nico Wissing) or get ‘Best in Show’ (as Andy Sturgeon did last year)? Or will the home team steal the show?
Last year’s show, when England won the Gardening World Cup, saw 100,000 people visiting in the first week. It was so popular that it was extended by a further three months. This year’s show will open from Saturday 8 October.
Our next update will look at how the designers’ are getting on with building their gardens, coping with plant changes, construction challenges and Japan’s typhoon season.
Listen to Jo Thompson speaking to the BBC (starts 31 mins in) from Huis Ten Bosch where she has just landed to build her garden.
This article is sponsored the Gardening World Cup Japan. For more information about the designers and their designs visit Gardening World Cup. Follow them on Twitter @JapanGWC and on Facebook
From Zoë Dawes:
What a wonderful way to bring life and hope to Japan after their traumatic year. Fingers crossed for Jonathan and the team from England!!
From Elspeth Wrigley:
Discover Cumbria was delighted that Cumbrian gardener Jonathan Denby has chosen’Mr McGregor’s’ garden as his theme, for the 2011 Gardening World Cup.
I’m sure this will be hugely popular with Beatrix Potter’s huge Japanese audience.
So lovely to hear some good news from Japan.
We join you in wishing Jonathan and the English team the best of luck and look forward to seeing the final entry.
From Clare Coxon:
Great blog Zoe.
We’re enjoying working with the communications team on this project. It’s not often everyone gets chance to go behind the scenes of an International Garden Show to share the ups and downs of their build progress.
That’s the beauty of social media though, it makes it all that much more immediate.
Really looking forward to your next update.
From Zoë Dawes:
That’s a really good point Elspeth re the Japanese fans of Beatrix Potter! Maybe we’ll get a couple of extra marks from a fan on the judging panel
From Zoë Dawes:
Thanks Clare – pleasure to be able to spread the word. Bet you will be glad when they have actually built the garden and everyone can relax!
From Garden Design Sydney:
This is really lovely and inspirable post. Garden landscapers are now far more likely to be garden technicians, requiring skills and knowledge of water gardening products, pump flow rates, water lighting requirements, water fountain jumping jets, effects of head of water, stream flow effects and much more.
From Zoë Dawes:
So agree – it’s lovely to read about passionate gardeners simply doing what they love – and in a way that we could try to emulate…