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BBC Gardener World Live: NEC APL Avenue
This year, the APL proudly marks its 30th anniversary, celebrating three decades of commitment to exceptional standards in landscaping. This garden is in celebration of 30 years of landscaping excellence.
We are proud to show the contribution of many of our members to this show garden, that have contributed in many different ways from providing material through to the construction of the show garden.
The Association of Professional Landscapers is at the forefront of developing and maintaining professional standards and services, providing you with the confidence you need when choosing a landscaper, designer or professional gardener.
Where There’s Water, There’s Life.
The premise of the APL’s 30th anniversary "Where There's Water, There's Life" garden is that all life needs water, though we know that too much water can be deadly. Therefore the garden focuses on sustainable water management, with a key emphasis on reducing water runoff from hard surfaces, maximising the amount of water we can retain in the garden and allowing it to slowly return into the soil, all of which can promote biodiversity.
The core messages are:
- Reducing Water Runoff
- Maximising Bioretention and Infiltration
- Promoting Biodiversity
- Sustainable Water Cycle
- Planting to cope with extreme weather events
Visitors to the show will see:
- A garden that is mostly planting and pond (approx. 90% total area) whilst still making the space for people too
- A garden made up of layers of planting, from various ground cover layers to tree canopies and pergola roofs, and varied topography - both to create complex habitat and to maximise water retention within the garden
- A green & brown roof on the pergola - partly to slow the passage of rainfall from landing on the green roof to entering the gutter and partly for those plant and animal species that will thrive in a open stony/sandy habitat.
- Water can be captured from the pergola roof into a container, which has an overflow into an open ‘pool’ that also has an overflow into the pond
- A rain garden adjacent to the pond, which will act as an overflow for the pond for periods of extreme wet weather
- During extreme events, the garden could hold up to an additional 1300 L of water
- A raised deck walkway that will allow people to access the garden even when it is wet, to get up close to the pond and also maximise connectivity through the garden
- A varied wildlife habitat - layered planting, pond, rocks, deadwood piles, bare soil and solitary bee posts
Sponsored by:
Other APL Member Show Gardens
The Watershed Garden
The Watershed Garden offers a glimpse into the corner of a not-so-distant future of a family garden. The garden is set in a future where water resources are limited, showcasing resilient planting and adaptive design elements.
At its heart is an outdoor home cinema set-up, with a projector casting lush, water-rich planting onto the wall of a shed. The David Attenborough style video is paired with the sound of trickling water from speakers nestled in the planting. This transports visitors to a time when water was in abundance and the well wasn’t dry, creating a nostalgic audio-visual experience.
Designed & Built by APL Members:
Botanical Gardener
The Wallace Line
The ‘Wallace Line’ garden is a formal central canal garden with a twist. From 1854-1862 the naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace travelled the Malay Archipelago collecting plants and animals for scientific research. Wallace developed a theory of Natural Selection at the same time as Charles Darwin.
He also hypothesised about an imaginary line between otherwise close islands which seemed to feature completely different species of plants and animals. The Wallace Line Garden recreates a representation of this line in the long pool and features a Jungle style planting on one side of the line and Savannah / Desert style on the other. We now know the Wallace Line is a result of Plate Tectonics bringing together areas on which Asian and Australasian species had developed separately.
Designed by APL Designer
Dave Hodson Gardens
Built by APL Member
JG Landscapes Ltd
Lyn’s Garden: A garden for all weathers
Our garden’s theme is a garden for all seasons, and therefore all weathers. With changes to our climate we, as gardeners, need to ensure that we can continue to have a garden that we can enjoy with year-round interest whilst also being mindful of the environment.
The main feature of this garden is a pondless waterfall that is fed by rainwater collected from the house roof. By having a waterfall, the water is aerated and therefore allows the water in the main harvesting unit to remain fresh for use for irrigation in the summer months. We have also chosen a range of plants that are known for their hardiness and ability to withstand winter rains and summer drought conditions. Some of the plants featured also have additional benefits such as Persicaria bistorta ‘Superba’ which has deep roots that can help soil erosion in heavy rains, while Astrantia major ‘Claret’ is a good companion plant for hostas as they have been shown to repel slugs.
Designed & Built by APL Members:
August Ponds Ltd
BBC Gardens World Live 2024
Find out more about last years event including the winners of the event