Garden designer Kate Gould, from Radlett, has won a gold award at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2017 for her presentation, City Living.

Kate has won the award in her category Fresh Garden, with dimensions of 10 by six metres, plot number 72.

City Living is a contemporary garden on several levels imagined in a typical urban apartment block.

Kate comments that while “these dwellings may be considered slightly forbidding in appearance they could easily be transformed with the addition of attractive green outdoor spaces for residents use with comfortable and sheltered seating areas surrounded by appealing planting and tranquil water features”.

This garden could be added to existing buildings or easily inserted into new builds to effectively ‘green up’ city spaces and provide valuable habitat for wildlife and birds.

Watford Observer:

The garden is set on three levels with a mezzanine floor and is positioned directly adjacent to the dwellings making use of the space beneath and alongside the building, providing an interesting and ‘green’ route to and from the resident’s homes.

A stairwell clad with back lit concrete featuring cantilevered steps and a perforated metal screen provide stability to the structure whilst allowing light to filter down to the lower levels. This ensures each level can be effectively gardened and utilised for recreation. Green walls and a water feature are incorporated into the scheme to add a sense of tranquillity and movement.

The hard landscaping will include sustainably sourced bamboo decking from Loknan , luxury decorative tiles and a specialist back lit concrete which will be particularly eye catching when the garden is lit in the evenings.

Two Anglepoise giant outdoor lamps will light up the garden while solid teak stools by Mark Gabbertas serve as stylish seating on the mezzanine.

The idea of greening up city spaces is one that is close to Kate’s heart. She has explored this theme twice before at the RHS Chelsea Flower shows in 2009 and 2013 receiving highly coveted Gold medals on both occasions as well as a Best in Category for her 2009 ECO Chic Garden.

Her 2013 Show Garden The Wasteland transformed an abandoned industrial site into a public garden, reusing the old structures and waste materials found within. This garden resonated with the public and RHS judges alike who awarded it a Gold Medal.

Visit kategouldgardens.com for images of Kate’s previous RHS Chelsea Gardens.