You are in > Home > News & Events > News > Glittering Gardens – Outstanding Success For SAC Students At Gardening Scotland

Glittering Gardens – Outstanding Success For SAC Students At Gardening Scotland

SAC News Release Ref. No: 10N39
Published: 04 Jun 2010

Show gardens designed and built by SAC students have been awarded one Gold Medal and two Silver Gilts by judges at “Gardening Scotland”, held on the Royal Highland Showground at Ingliston. SAC Principal, Professor Bill McKelvey was delighted.

“My heartiest congratulations to all involved. This is an outstanding result and builds on previous success at Gardening Scotland in a very special way. This has been a rewarding time for our Garden Design Students and SAC’s Horticultural Specialists.”

Professor McKelvey’s remarks follow recent success at the world-famous Chelsea Flower Show where a group of 14, Edinburgh-based, HND Garden Design students won a Silver Medal for their “Sustainable Highland Garden”. It received additional support from Strutt & Parker. The judges at Ingliston awarded their garden a Gardening Scotland “Gold” which, according to team member Ross Taylor, made all the blood, sweat and tears worthwhile.

“It’s brilliant,” he said. “We had just three and a half days to get the garden dismantled at Chelsea, driven up here and rebuilt. Even some of the plants are the same. It’s been a full on effort.”

The gardens gaining Silver Gilt Medals (the second-highest accolade) were designed and built by smaller groups of students. Sarah Curtis, who designed the “Green Up and Bring Back the Bees” garden from SAC Edinburgh, was as excited as Christa Duncan and Christa Scobie-Seiffert her team mates.

“It’s a fantastic result. The standard of all the college gardens was exceptionally high this year, some would even say better than some of the professionals. To get this award is a real boost for us and our future careers.”

Two students at SAC’s Auchincruive Campus at Ayr won the other Silver Gilt Medal.  Carol Shaw and Diane Taylor used reclaimed products to create an imaginative yet practical front garden, an area often neglected.  The pair pay tribute to the help they received from fellow students Martin Ellam and Sandra Wiseman.

The Garden Design courses all these students are completing are just some of the range of popular Horticultural qualifications offered by SAC. They range from Higher National Certificate and Diploma Courses right through to Degree and Honours Degrees in Horticulture, Landscape Management and Design.

For SAC’s Horticultural lecturers, who have had to support the students while giving them the independence to make their own decisions, it has been a nail-biting experience. They have provided expert advice, guidance and even a lot of the driving!

Lecturer Colin Norton (Horticulture and project coordination) described the results as the best ever for SAC at Gardening Scotland.

“It shows the quality and enthusiasm of our students. The results are outstanding and a worthy reward for their hard work and effort.”   
 
The gardens will be on display at Gardening Scotland until Sunday 6th June.

Comments

News Release Contacts

SAC Contact

Dr Colin Norton
Lecturer
SAC (Scottish Agricultural College) Work King's Buildings, West Mains Road,
Edinburgh
EH9 3JG
TelWork 0131 535 4079
Fax 0131 535 4171

Add to Address Book | Help

News Release Issued By

Mr Ken Rundle
Head of Communications
SAC (Scottish Agricultural College) Work SAC, King's Buildings, West Mains Road,
Edinburgh
EH9 3JG
TelWork 0131 535 4196

Add to Address Book | Help

Notes for Editors

The Gold Medal “Sustainable Highland Garden” was a group effort.  Amber Goudy led the design team, while the construction was carried out by Steven Hunter together with Calum Buchanan, Antonio Ferreira and Ross Taylor. Dan Abrahams and Jianmo Li were screen engineers. Planting was the responsibility of Tony Burke, Maxine Cadzow and Magali Tamaki. Finance and communications were overseen by Paul Lyall, Christa Scobie Seiffert, Alan Boyd and Magda Wesoly.

In addition to SAC key sponsors were Strutt & Parker, with invaluable support from Ghillie and Glen (Scottish Smoked Salmon), Kontrol (Premier Wool), Falkirk Wood, Encraft, British Wild Flower Plants, Interior Motives , Harom Trade international, ROFA  and the Forestry Stewardship Council.

The concept for the garden was to create an image of a contemporary highland croft which acknowledged the inevitable historical associations but without presenting a 'Shortbread and tartan' image of modern Scottish garden design.  Instead it represents a celebration of a modern way of life in a traditional setting.

The key features are clean crisp design, intelligent use of materials, sustainability, self sufficiency and respect for the environment.  These features are seen in a vegetable garden, wind turbine and solar energy generation. The planting involved 100% Scottish Native plants, and native materials such as the use of slate and yew. 

The design layout includes the construction of an eco-house complete with a straw bale cross-section.  The wild landscape of Scotland fringes the garden. Rotating wind protection screens have attracted particular attention. Made of yew and willow they close in high winds to protect the garden.

The Silver Gilt “Bee Garden” addresses issues surrounding the phenomenon presently affecting bees, known as Colony Collapse Disorder. There are various reasons, but it is known they are under stress from a parasite called Verroa. Any additional challenge caused by habitat loss for example brings colonies to their knees. The students’ design rejects the contemporary decking and grass that can be a barren wasteland for the insects and have opted instead for planting flowers and shrubs bees love. Without bees to pollinate them many of the fruits and crops we rely on would be threatened.

Chief designer on the project is Sarah Curtis, in her second year of her Horticulture degree at SAC Edinburgh. She lives in Pentcaitland, East Lothian with her artist husband and is currently attending bee keeping classes.  Second year Garden Design student, Christa Scobie-Seiffert from Falkirk, Stirlingshire. She is about to set up her own design company. With her passion for creating attractive and environmentally friendly green spaces in complex settings like roof gardens. Christa Duncan from Edinburgh is in her second year of a Higher National Diploma Course in Horticulture. Her ambition is to work as a propagator and gardener in a community garden. She has a particular enthusiasm for promoting kitchen gardens.