“It was such a pleasure working with Jake and The Landscaping Consultants team on the high profile RHS Back to Nature Garden at this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival. The team brought the designers Adam, Andree and The Duchess of Cambridge’s vision to life, creating a beautiful, high-quality woodland garden to encourage families and communities to engage with nature and spend time in the great outdoors. Alongside all the amazing contractors we work with across our Shows, they’re the unsung heroes of this world whose expertise should be celebrated.”
RHS Director General Sue Biggs
“We have known The Landscaping Consultants (TLC) for a number of years and have watched their business develop, grow and gain industry recognition. We have always been impressed at how Director, Jake Catling has been an ambassador for BALI #GOLandscape encouraging the next generation to consider a career in the landscape industry. Since they won a Principal Award at the BALI National Landscape Awards in 2018 we had been looking for the perfect opportunity to collaborate together.
During 2018 and 2019 we worked with The RHS and HRH The Duchess of Cambridge to create the RHS Back to Nature Gardens. The first RHS Back to Nature Garden was created at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019 and the second at RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival 2019. Subsequent permanent RHS Back to Nature Gardens have now been created at RHS Garden Wisley and at an NHS Trust centre in Dawlish, Devon.
We were delighted to be able to work with The Landscaping Consultants in the creation of the RHS Back to Nature Garden at RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival 2019. Jake and his team brought to a wealth of experience and a real eye for detail in the creation of this garden.
The garden was three times as big as the RHS Chelsea garden and was the largest garden at RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival in 2019. It retained the same name and message but was an entirely new design featuring large wildflower meadow, pond and stepping stones, badger cave, fallen tree and tree house.
HRH the Duchess of Cambridge was again the co-designer with Davies White Ltd and attended the garden during the build stage to help TLC and the other volunteers with the planting. The Duchess then returned during the show. She showed a large group of children around the garden and took time out to thank Jake, his TLC team and the other collaborators and volunteers.
The garden was a huge success and gained international media coverage.
The breakdown of the garden at the end of the show was as important as the build as it was all going to be upcycled and reimagined at its final home, RHS Wisley. We are very grateful for the care and time The Landscaping Consultants took to make sure nothing was damaged and the trees and plants all stayed alive. The creation of the four RHS Back to Nature Gardens has been very rewarding but also challenging and complex to coordinate. The success of all four gardens has required lots of patient and collaboration between each and every party involved.
The RHS Back to Nature Gardens are a great example of how the landscape industry can work together to promote important messages to society. None of it would not have been possible with the huge amount of goodwill and support from the landscape contractors, suppliers, sub-contractor and volunteers. These have included The Outdoor Room, Gerald Davies Ltd, Mango Landscaping, Tendercare Trees, Wild Hart Carpentry, Jim Bucanhan Willow, CED Stone, Anderson Masonry, Jonny Briggs Carpentry, Ashwell Reclaimed Timber, Plamstead Nursery, Philips Hue, Touchwood Play, Rubicon Play, Instant Hedges, Jewsons, Green-Tech, Lindum Turf and the Royal School of Needlework.”
Designed by: Adam White FLI PLI & Andrée Davies, Davies White Ltd Landscape Architects
