Church Stretton garden designer, Mike Russell, from ‘Designs with Nature’ is already busy with his team working on the Lanyon Bowdler sponsored ‘Seaside Garden’, for the Severndale Specialist School.

Pupils from the school have been closely involved with the project and have been beachcombing for driftwood, shells and old rope for decorating the garden, as well as taking part in coppersmithing workshops with Richard.

The planting will include plants such as trachycarpus, festuca, sempivirums, arrmeria, eryngium, scabious and osteospermum, in planters made from reclaimed sea worn timbers from Borth.

Mike said “the show garden I’ve designed will feature a very quirky copper ‘Blenny’ fish set into a rock pool. The fish has been designed specifically so the weight of the water in its stomach will make it rock. The garden will also include a traditional clinker boat and a drift wood surf shack”. Mike designed the unique water feature, and had it made by coppersmith Richard Taylor from Llandrindod wells with the help of children from Severndale Specialist School.

After the event, elements of the garden will be carefully ‘relocated’ to create a sensory courtyard garden at the school in Monkmoor.

Last year, Mike and his team won Shrewsbury Horticultural Society Gold and the Mike Hough Memorial Trophy for Best
Outdoor Garden at the Shrewsbury Flower Show for the ‘All Inclusive’ garden they built for Headway Shropshire.
For more information on the garden visit: http://severndalespecialistschoolgarden.wordpress.com/

Photos of the Seaside Garden for the Severndale Specialist School