Pulp Friction and Dutch Landscape Architects win the RHS People’s Choice Award and a Silver-Gilt Medal at the Chelsea Flower Show!
Alongside designers Will and Tin-Tin from Dutch Landscape Architects, we were awarded a silver-gilt medal for our Growing Skills Garden at the start of the Show, and were later announced as the winners of the RHS People’s Choice Award by the public!
Will, Director & Founder for Dutch Landscape Architects, said “It’s incredible to have been awarded the Silver Gilt, it’s quite unbelievable, it was such an honour to just have the garden at Chelsea and the award just tops off this incredible experience.”
And Albert, Member of Pulp Friction, said “I’m proud and happy”.
When presented with the opportunity to take a garden to Chelsea following sponsorship from Project Giving Back, we wanted to ensure our Members were front and centre of the experience, utilising the opportunity to showcase their skills and talents to the wider world to help break down barriers and misconceptions surrounding their abilities. Uniquely, our Members were heavily involved throughout the entire garden planning and building process – growing a third of the plants, hand making tiles, collecting materials and filling gabions, planting on-site and more.
Tin-Tin, Landscape Architect for Dutch Landscape Architects, said “we’re proud the garden has such a strong message about learning disabilities and paid employment, it’s such a big talking point and we’re glad people are learning more about that through the garden.”
The finished garden is a beautiful, calming space designed to be enjoyed by all. Monty Don, horticulturist and lead presenter of BBC’s Gardeners’ World said “the garden sings” and considered it one of the show’s ‘gems’, and upon receiving the People’s Choice Award, it’s clear the general public agree.
Taking inspiration from the famous Sherwood Forest, remnants of which are close to our Community Cafe in Bestwood, the planting design spins out from the central communal seating space. Championing sustainability, the garden has been created using waste materials, from the birch wood backing, to the attractive paving, everything within the garden has been recycled, repurposed or has a second use. All plants within the garden are edible in some way, mirroring our love for food growing that they do back in Nottingham.
Whilst at the Show, we loved watching our garden attract thousands of people who were not only interested, and inspired, by the beautiful planting, design and feel of the garden, but who also wanted to hear more about Pulp Friction, our Members and the story behind the garden. We hope being part of the show will help to promote our mission to ensure learning disabled and autistic people are not only present within society and their communities, but are leaders in them and working in them. We also hope the opportunity will help raise the vital funds we need to keep the organisation running, and allow us to be able to support as many people as possible.
Pulp Friction CEO, Jill Carter, said “Bringing our garden to the Chelsea Flower Show has been a truly amazing experience. We’ve been very lucky to work with Dutch Landscape Architects who really listened to us, and understood everything we’re about. They’ve allowed our Members to be involved throughout and have created a beautiful garden to help showcase their skills. Being at the show has been wonderful for us and our Members. We have been able to stand back and watch as our Members talk celebs and members of the public through their garden and we can see confidence growing before our eyes, which is what it’s all about for us.”
If you’d like to see the garden for yourself, the garden will be relocated back to Stockhill Fire Station in Nottingham, where it can continue to grow and flourish for the community to enjoy!
If you’re interested in supporting the us, you can donate to our crowdfunder here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/pulp-friction-chelsea
Find more information about:
Pulp Friction CIC: https://www.pulpfrictioncio.org.uk/
Dutch Landscape Architects: https://www.dutch-la.com/
Project Giving Back: https://www.givingback.org.uk/
