Cherry Carmen, RHS Hampton 2019, Part 1

Cherry Carmen was a guest on The Sodshow garden podcast way back in 2016. On todays episode she's back, over 2 episodes, to chat with Peter Donegan about her return to RHS Hampton, designing for The APL and a garden that this year will be judged.

Garden Designer Cherry Carmen returns to RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show with UK Landscape Association’s first show garden. Taking place 2nd - 7th July 2019, it will be the second consecutive year the UK based designer has been selected to work alongside and design on behalf of The Association of Professional Landscapers.

Cherry Carmen began studying horticulture in 2009 achieving RHS horticulture levels 2 &3. In 2012 she established Cherry Carmen Garden Designs, specialising in large private gardens, the redesign and realisation of. Carmen won Silver at RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show in 2016 with her first show garden, won Gold at BBC Gardeners World Live 50th Anniversary Show 2017 and designed The APL feature garden at RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2018.

Sharing the same name as last year's feature garden, ‘A Place To Meet’ the garden sees Cherry’s third appearance at the prestigious location since winning Silver with her first ever show garden in 2016.

At the 2018 Show, the APL Garden showcased just what is achievable when the finest Designers, Landscape Contractors and suppliers within the industry collaborate – for the 2019 Show the returning duo will step it up just a little into show garden category, allowing for the first-time ever an APL garden to be judged and awarded.

Though Carmen maybe better known for the design of larger private estates and gardens, her show garden designs constantly elaborate on a graceful gifted talent that seamlessly and consistently evolves yet unravels evocatively subtle differences.

Where the silver medal garden at Hampton 2016 had the deepest depth ever dug at the 10 hectare showground, 2018's planting remained the only elements sunken and 2019's design is set to have multiple levels of planting, a raised seating area, water feature, pond and private plunge pool.

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