Vital Earth The Night Sky Garden, silver gilt medal winner at the Chelsea Flower Show, 2014. Designed by Harry and David Rich. Serpentine stonewalls outline simple constellations in this design, providing subtle structure. Oak benches set within the walls create a modest seating area. A range of different-sized boulders protrude from the garden, representing fallen meteors. The planting scheme echoes the feel of the spiralling Milky Way, with shades of blue, white and purple crafting a naturalistic space. A canopy of trees opens to reveal the sky.
Plants include Verbascum petra, Eremerus robustus, Aquilegia 'Kristall', and cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris).
Two reflective pools symbolise black holes, reflecting the sky and surrounding planting. A spiral staircase leads to a rooftop space for relaxing and viewing the night sky. The boundary hedge reveals irregular copper discs that contrast with the dark backdrop, depicting constellations.