You are in > Home > News & Events > News > SAC Students Bring a Breath of Fresh Air to Garden Design - This Years Entry for Gardening Scotland

SAC Students Bring a Breath of Fresh Air to Garden Design - This Years Entry for Gardening Scotland

SAC News Release Ref. No: 11N65
Published: 27 May 2011

Eight, Edinburgh based, SAC (Scottish Agricultural College) Garden Design students want gardens to create lungs for our cities. Their entry, for this years Gardening Scotland event will feature the “Breathing Garden”, designed by mature student Janette Laidlaw from Collinton, Edinburgh. They are aiming high.

“Last year SAC students raised the bar for us by achieving a silver gilt medal at Gardening Scotland and a silver medal at the Chelsea Flower Show” said Janette. “The eight of us decided which of our individual ideas was the best and then worked on the project together.”

Janette hopes their entry will show how to create quiet and relaxing space on your back garden. It is designed to promote the planting more trees in small urban gardens to help improve the air quality in towns and cities.

“We have also thought about people with breathing difficulties and pollen allergies. We have chosen trees and plant producing low levels of pollen to allow those with breathing problems to enjoy nature and gardening.”

The Garden Design and Horticulture courses the students are completing are just two of a range of popular Horticultural qualifications offered by SAC. They range from Higher National Certificate and Diploma courses, to Degree and Honours Degrees in Horticulture, Landscape Management and Design. Activity is focussed on all three SAC’s campuses in Aberdeen, Ayr and Edinburgh.

Janette was already a keen amateur gardener before applying to do SAC’s Higher National Diploma in Garden Design on the Edinburgh, Kings Buildings, campus. A busy mother of two she is in the second year of her part-time course. She worked closely with team project manager Anna Graham to ensure everything ran smoothly.

“It is not always easy to get part-time students together and on time”, says Anna,”but our group is committed so I had few major problems”.  

Another part-time, mature student in HND Garden Design Anne lives in Penicuik, Midlothian and has had a lifelong interest in gardening. She is involved in the "Food for Penicuik" Community Garden project. She is enjoying the show garden project for the practical experience and the opportunity to meet other gardening enthusiasts.

That “unyielding” lady was assisted in the construction of the show garden by two strong men. Andy Stewart  (Ravelston, Edinburgh) is a full time member of the course who changed his career and following his dream of becoming a designer with his own business. Andy likes to create naturalistic gardens but he will design anything. Daniel Crow (Loanhead) who, is the only first year on the project, studying HND Horticulture, has ten years experience in gardening and hard landscaping. He is self-employed with his own prospering business but attending SAC to gain qualifications and wider experience.

Choosing and buying the plants were Sally Sewell (Edinburgh), Mary Shore (Penicuik)  and Mary Macdonald (Edinburgh) . All three are in the second year of an HND Horticulture course. Sally is a plant enthusiast who wants to make horticulture career. Mary Shore’s passion is aquatic plants but she is also interested in creating gardens where she could work with children to introduce them to horticulture. Mary Macdonald, from the Isle of Lewis, studied at Barony College, Oatridge College and on the International Student Gardener Program at Longwood Gardens in America.

Visitors to Ingliston and Gardening Scotland will be able to pick up a leaflet explaining all about the Breathing Garden. It was prepared by two more of the team, design students Janette Laidlaw (Stenhousemuir) and Julia Pelczarska. Julia came from Poland to widen her horizons and to gain the good design qualifications which Scotland has to offer. With over three years experience in horticulture and gardening she says Contemporary gardens are her strongest suit but she also likes to create kitchen gardens.

The SAC team began their on-sight build up on 25th May. Their show garden will be judged at 4.00pm on Thursday 2nd June. The show opens Friday 3 June (10-6 pm) and closes on Sunday 5th June (10-5 pm). Any visitors to Gardening Scotland will have a chance to judge for themselves what the team has done.

Anna Graham - 08781 153777.
Janette Laidlaw - 07787 395547.
SAC Course Tutor Colin Norton is available on 07779 219123.

Comments

blog comments powered by Disqus

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
Senior Communications Officer
SAC (Scottish Agricultural College) Work SAC, King's Buildings, West Mains Road,
Edinburgh
EH9 3JG
TelWork 0131 535 4196

Add to Address Book | Help