An award-winning show garden brings the best of Australian design and construction to the world stage
The Chelsea Flower Show, held annually in London, is the world’s premier horticultural and garden design event. To win Gold at Chelsea is the ultimate accolade, which is why Melbourne designer Scott Wynd of TLC Pools is on cloud nine. He was the designer of the Trailfinders Australian Garden, presented by Fleming’s Nurseries, winner of a Gold medal at the 2010 show.
“My design for Chelsea was focused on creating the perfect outdoor lifestyle,” explains Scott. “At the centre of the garden was a U-shaped open-air kitchen and at the centre of that was a fully glazed wet bar with decorative stainless-steel seats. Located off the kitchen was a sunken lounge and breakfast area ensconced by a timber pergola and a mass planting of large bamboo. This created a real sense of comfort, warmth and enclosure.”
Scott’s design for the Australian Garden was on a 45-degree angle, with the “spine” of the garden formed by a pool and spa, clad in black tiles. The glazing on the spa wall mirrored that of the wet bar, visually connecting the spaces.
Stepping stones over the pool connected the rest of the garden with the raised pavilion. The roof of the pavilion cantilevered over the pool, creating a strong architectural outline. A special touch was the large moon window cut out of the ceiling that cast shadows over the pool and framed the sky view.
Wes Fleming, director of Fleming’s Nurseries, has been taking an Australian Garden to Chelsea since 2004, winning three Gold and two Silver gilt medals. “Each year Wes selects a different designer and construction crew,” explains Scott.
“I was ecstatic to be able to add to that record with another Gold medal. Of course, achieving this was a team effort.”
With only 17 days to build the show garden, preparation is vital. Builder Atkinson Pontifex, winner of the HIA-CSR Australian Home of the Year award, made its large factory and skill base available to pre-fabricate as many items as possible. Company owner David Pontifex had been to Chelsea several times, so he knew exactly what was needed to create the ideal outdoor room and carry out the construction work.
The design called for specially created pavers to be used for wall cladding, stepping stones, the water feature and the intricate paving layout. Anston Paving Stones, under the guiding hand of Ken Connor, was quick to offer support. Totally committed to the task, Anston Paving Stones developed special moulds for the project, ensured there were back-up pavers available and that all pavers were meticulously laid.
Quality tools are as important as quality materials. For the Australian Garden, Bosch provided a full complement of new Bosch Blue power tools — drills, jackhammers, grinders, vacuums, saws and more. “As the UK works with 110-volt tools, we chose to use as many battery-operated tools as we could,” says Scott. “It was important to have quality tools with long battery lives and Bosch’s were brilliant.”
In summing up, Scott states: “To make a Gold-medal garden takes a combination of all the right people, tools and skills. I was honoured to have the backing of the landscape industry and I want to thank everyone who supported me.” In particular, I want to give special thanks to Scott Tymkin from Ian Barker & Associates for project managing this complex garden.”
Over the years, Scott has won numerous awards. Part of the winning teams for four Gold medals and one Silver gilt medal at Chelsea, he also won Silver medals at the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show and Sydney in Bloom. In 2009, he won awards for design and construction in Landscape Victoria’s 2009 Awards of Excellence.
Project details
Landscape designed by Scott Wynd of TLC Pools PO Box 1111, Research Vic 3096 Phone (03) 9434 0525 Mobile 0418 331 415 Email info@tlclandscapes.com.au
Website www.tlclandscapes.com.au Major sponsorship by Fleming’s Nurseries 1 Flemings Lane, Monbulk Vic 3793 Phone (03) 9756 6105 Website www.flemings.com.au
Pavers supplied by Anston Paving Stones 59 Normanby Road, Clayton Vic 3168 Phone 1300 788 694 Website www.anston.com.au Carpentry construction by Atkinson Pontifex
69 Tulip Street, Cheltenham Vic 3192 Phone (03) 95851165 Website www.atkinsonpontifex.com.au Tools supplied by Bosch Website www.bosch-pt.com.au/professional
