One of the three Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Feature Gardens at this year’s show, Vertigro aims to re-imagine the possibilities of the urban vertical planting habitat and its place in an ever-warming and polluted urban environment.
Feature towering, vertical planting in the form of an undulating corridor of living wall and climbers, Vertigo’s planting palette is peppered with species that accentuate vertical arching growth, bending towards the sunshine, emphasising the extreme conditions of vertical planting.
The RHS approached the garden designer, Adolfo Harrison and living wall specialists, Life on Walls to create the innovative garden to showcase what could be done in an urban setting with limited space. While the brief was simple in its concept, it was complex in execution because it required a vertical wall, 5 m in height that was curved and twisting at the same time. Bespoke elements were fabricated to deliver the Harrison’s vision, including the scaffolding framework, the vertical louvered planters and the curved, lightweight structure clad with jasmine.
When standing within the space, the designer intended it to be a calming and enveloping experience, with the viewer uplifted by the garden as a form of sculpture in itself. Jasmine curved climbers installed opposite the planted wall, now in full bloom, create a magical aroma as visitors approach. A curved water feature adds an auditory dimension with the sounds of trickling water dripping beneath the walls. A cantilevered bench, created from leftover scaffold boards, provides a place to rest and appreciate the effect.
Harrison is a long-standing collaborator with Life on Walls. He sits on the RHS Chelsea Flower Show Selection Panel and has won the Society of Garden Designers (SGD) Judge Award two years running – the first urban garden designer to receive this industry honour.
“As always, it was a pleasure to work with Armando and his team to create something new and different. I am delighted with the Vertical Garden we have created, in particular, how much impact one can make on a limited physical footprint,” said Harrison.
Life on Walls was founded by Armando Raish, an architect, who has pioneered the construction of living walls. At the heart of his installations are “living louvers” – long troughs set at an angle of 137.5° which create optimal conditions for water distribution, light penetration air circulation and root development.
“This show is the second largest event that the RHS hosts each year and was an opportunity that came to us rather than something we looked for; so, we embraced it! We are trying to inspire others to see nature in a new way, particularly in our urban spaces. By creating new lines and angles, we have demonstrated that you can totally transform the feel of a very small courtyard, garden or street scape,” explained Raish.
After the show, the garden will be relocated to London Bridge.
