Caitlin McLaughlin, of Thrift Landscapes Garden Design, was recently awarded the RHS Young Designer of the Year Award and a Gold Award at RHS Tatton Park for her Nature & Nurture Garden. Built by Foxcroft Landscapes, the garden represents an urban nature reserve, creating a tranquil setting and giving the opportunity to relax in the city, emphasising the benefits of green spaces to human health and well-being.
The Nature & Nurture Garden is split into two recognisable parts. The hectic lifestyle that many experience living in cities is represented by the large beds of wildflowers surrounding the garden. Whereas the second section provides a calming, serene atmosphere, intended to block out the buzz of city life. This area leads across a shallow pond to a soothing seating area, situated on an island.
The thought-provoking garden was inspired by the hedgerows and wildflower meadows across the UK. The native wildflowers in the garden enhance biodiversity and are important for pollinators, as wildlife habitats, and for food security. The Nature & Nurture Garden proves that urban settings can be combined with rural environments, making it beneficial for nature and improving human health and well-being.
Caitlin was lucky enough to be sponsored by Global Stone, Stone Warehouse, Shrigley Hall Hotel, Rectory Garden Plants and Oxford Oak, who produced the remarkable benches. The Nature & Nurture Garden is planned to be moved shortly to St. Barnabas Hospice in Lincolnshire as a memorial garden. She said that “the RHS Young Designer of the Year Award came as a bit of a surprise, but I was completely over the moon”.
Congratulations to Caitlin McLaughlin on her award-winning garden. With such creativity and flair, she is sure to go far!
