Garden at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park

Shooting Star Children’s Hospices are delighted that garden designer Emilie Bausager will be showcasing her garden as part of the Young Designer gardens at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park next week, in support of her local children’s hospice charity.

The competition is a launchpad for young designers, offering them an opportunity to create a garden at the prestigious flower show, with Emilie deciding to support Shooting Star Children’s Hospices.

Emilie said, “Tatton Park and the Young Designer competition is such a great opportunity for new designers to experiment with design and really push the boundaries of garden design. It’s a truly chaotic, but freeing experience!

“I wanted to support Shooting Star Children’s Hospices as it’s a special charity to me as it’s in the area where my family home is, and my parents have supported the charity for many years. Helping bring awareness to a charity that does such important work was a no brainer when planning to build a garden at Tatton. I have been able to create a truly unique garden and have fun, whilst also hopefully getting the word out about the charity and the work they do and getting donations from the visiting public.”

Emilie originally trained as an artist making sculpture and installations. She explains her transition into landscaping, “When I moved into a flat with a roof terrace, I started growing my own fruit and veg and playing with plant combinations. I started to think of how to combine two passions and embarked on a garden design education which led me to starting my own company two years ago. I still work as an artist and love to blend both fields with conceptual designs for gardens.”

Emilie’s garden, called Rehearse, is designed for a family of classical musicians living in a city. By adopting a greener lifestyle and travelling by bike or public transport, the family can transform an existing driveway between house and street into a green oasis that will support wildlife and provide space for the family to enjoy.

It’s a calming courtyard in which each element is placed to reflect the sounds of musical instruments in a visual form. It features a circular, meandering route with water features that bring natural sound to the garden.

Emilie said, “The door in the garden is in the shape of a thumb print, in honour of the Shooting Star Children’s Hospices logo.” Our logo features one of the charity’s ‘Friendlies’ characters. The fingerprint characters reflect our care service – as all fingerprints are unique and each family is given care and support based on their individual needs.

Both the hospices, Shooting Star House in Hampton and Christopher’s in Guildford, have gardens specially designed for the needs of the children with life-limiting conditions and their families to enjoy. From specially adapted play equipment and sensory trails, as well as open areas to sit and reflect. Many of the children Shooting Star Children’s Hospices support have complex medical conditions and limited ways of interacting with the world, so the colours and smells of a garden can be a wonderful way of providing them with fun sensory experiences.

“Gardens and outdoor space play an incredibly important role in society as a place for relaxation, play and connecting with nature,” continue Emilie. “During this difficult time with Covid-19 I think now more than ever people have seen the good for both mental and physical health that being outside can do.”

Once Emilie’s garden has been shown at Tatton Park, the plants used are set to be sold, with the proceeds being donated to Shooting Star Children’s Hospices. Emilie has also promised to come and lend her expertise in the hospice gardens in the future.