Streetscape’s ‘Summer in Sussex ’ Garden at 2016 Hampton Court Flower Show

Streetscape is an award winning social enterprise, dedicated to providing landscape gardening apprenticeships to 18-25 year olds who have been long-term unemployed.

Having previously assisted in the building of two Silver Guilt winning gardens at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Streetscape are now taking the big step of building a garden of its own at the 2016 RHS Hampton Court Flower Show. Streetscape are working with the young garden designer, Will Williams, in the City Gardens category. Will, 20 years old, recently graduated from the London College of Garden Design in 2015, where he worked closely with designer Andrew Fisher-Tomlin, and has since opened his own landscape design firm.

As the Co-founders of Streetscape, James Gubb and Guy Watts, and Will himself all grew up in Sussex, it seemed only right that the garden should be a celebration of ‘Summer in Sussex’.

The garden design draws inspiration from the beautiful Sussex countryside – from the rolling chalk and flint South Downs to the gently undulating Sussex Weald.   It’ll include a number of plants seen in Sussex such as phyteuma  orbiculare  known as the ‘Pride of Sussex’.  Multi-stemmed Betula jacquemontii (birch tree) has also been chosen as it’s seen in many Sussex woodlands.  It’ll be used to express height in the design and will frame the water channels to the flint sculpture focal points.   Reclaimed bricks originally manufactured in one of the many Sussex brickworks are being used to create brick paving.

The project will be an exciting, albeit challenging, one however it can be agreed that this is a monumental achievement for everybody involved. If you are visiting the show, please see our stand and send us photos to celebrate this huge achievement!