We were delighted to be able to assist Croi in the creation of their Bloom show garden entry this year. The whole team at O’Brien’s played a part in its creation from design to delivery. It was a real joy for us all. This page was created to allow you access to information on the garden, its intention and the plants used. You can download a full list of plants here. The list includes further links to plant information.
Below is some basic information about the design and intention for the garden.
The primary concept
Blood Sugar is a conceptual garden inspired by the cardiovascular system and is intended to raise awareness about cardiovascular health and the role that gardens, plants and technology play in ameliorating problems. While it deals with a serious subject, the garden is intended to be whimsical, fun, engaging, practical and interactive.
Key ideas underpinning the design
The cardiovascular theme underpins and resonates through every element of the garden space. Forms, colours, textures and the scale of physical elements are intended to be novel and engaging without cliché. The intention is to draw the eye of the viewer through the ventrance, which frames the arterial green wall, low lipid seat and blood sugar water feature. Thematic planting accents the novel physical forms while the use of technology in the form of pollinating drones and an interactive robot will add a layer of playful theatrics to the viewer experience.
Primary materials
The three primary elements (ventrance, arterial wall and low lipid seat) are formed from concrete. While these play on the concept of hardened arteries they were also utilised for practical construction and deconstruction purposes. The concrete is softened by the use of reds and whites, which also play out in the sugar cubes at the base of the water feature. The flow of water is deliberately slow to reflect constricted arteries, but also to set the pitch of the garden. The surface material is gravel. This was chosen to provide some additional softness while also being practical for show use.
Planting
Plant species have been chosen to be consistent with the conceptual theme while also being ecologically appropriate and complementary. The plant composition centres around the use of greens, reds, whites accented with blacks and purples.
Prunus lusitanica, with its blood red stems, forms a solid backdrop. Prunus serrulata, with glossy red bark provides height and volume to offset the cylindrical elements. With heart shaped flowers, Dicentra spectable serves as a feature flowering species and is accented with Epimedium and Digitalis album. Pittopsprum Tom Thumb, Aquilegia Black Barlow and Phyllostachy nigra provide black form, flower and verticality in the composition. Plants including Heuchera, Asplenium and Hakonechloa underpin the green wall arrangement.
