Gold at Hampton Court and double crown at RHS Tatton Show

A garden designed and exhibited by students BA(Hons) Garden Design course has been awarded a much-coveted Royal Horticulture Society (RHS) Gold medal at Hampton Court Palace Flower Show within the Conceptual Gardens category whilst Hugo Bugg who graduated from the course in 2008 has not only been named RHS Young Designer of the Year, but has stolen the thunder of his more experienced counterparts by taking the award for Best Show Garden at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Show Tatton Park.

The Hampton Court garden, A Fable for Tomorrow serves a cautionary tale that highlights the plight of native plants and was designed by second year students Sue Radmore, Elektra Sanders and Scarlet Wheaton with support from Course Leader, Richard Sneesby, lecturer Matt James and kind sponsorship by Ian Sayer & Co, construction consultants and Ethos Construction Solutions Ltd.

The garden design champions how seed banks act as modern day Noah's Arks for plants, assisting in saving native flora from extinction and preserving biodiversity.  An old, tall and circular Cornish seed bank has been split in two with the halves held back by copper core walls to reveal the treasures stored within.  The central walkway is lined by banks of seeds, some of which have spilled out to germinate around pools that reflect light from the copper.

The Cornish sand dunes are also celebrated as the garden is colonised by wild flowers in a mass of colour reminiscent of the fragile, coastal dune ecosystems found in the County.  As there are no fences or walls to mark the boundaries of the plot these are felt through the change of terrain from turf to sand underfoot.

Phil Clayton, features editor and Chris Young, deputy editor of The Garden, a RHS journal, stated that the entry had "A strong design and message" adding that; "The fragility of nature is very apparent in this garden. With its mostly maritime planting of thrift and other seaside plants, this garden is a lesson in ecology more than anything else."

The Hampton Court Palace Flower Show takes place in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace, London. Organised by the RHS it champions artistic inspiration and horticultural.  As the largest flower show in the world winning entry to the Show is an achievement in itself with competition open to all garden and landscape designers all over the world.  From 25 entries to exhibit within the Conceptual Gardens category only 6 were given the privilege of showing.

Richard Sneesby, Course Leader commented: "It's a great success and was achieved through a very close collaboration between students and staff.  Gold medals are only awarded to the very best gardens and as a rule student gardens don't win them so we are delighted with the result. We have already received great praise from the garden design industry, the media and the public who regard it as testament to the uniqueness of Falmouth's course nationally and internationally."

Further information regarding the garden can be found at A-Fable-for-Tomorrow

At the Tatton Park show, creating his Albert Dock Garden was the final challenge for graduate, Hugo, who was selected as Young Designer of the Year from a new competition process launched by the RHS in September 2009.  The design brief was to reflect on an aspect of the North West of England, and utilise it as a key source for the design of a show garden for the Cheshire based show.

Richard Sneesby, Course Leader BA(Hons) Garden Design commented: "I am delighted with Hugo's success.  He will be a force to be reckoned with over the next few years and I'm sure will become a very significant influence on the future of garden design.  I'm also very gratified that his training on the course, and the support we have been able to offer him since graduation has given him the skills and confidence to position himself so quickly in the professional marketplace".

"Hugo's achievement is phenomenal. To not only win an RHS Gold Medal, but on top of this to achieve the accolade of Best in Show, was something we never imagined our Young Designer to walk away with. Hugo is a truly worthy winner," said Bob Sweet, RHS Shows Organiser "The judges considered the constructive detail of the garden, including the choice of materials, to be exceptional."

A delighted Hugo said: "Winning Best in Show on top is something I couldn't have imagined in my wildest dreams, and I think it's going to take a while for it to sink in."

Hugo will now work on the Laurent-Perrier garden at next year's Chelsea Flower Show. "That will be a great experience," he added.

Hugo's garden took on a challenging interpretation of Liverpool's Albert Dock, exploring the juxtaposition of horticulture and architecture, playing homage to the Grade I listed building by using the same construction materials.

The Albert Dock Garden acknowledges the role of Liverpool's Albert Dock in bringing prosperity, growth and power to the UK. The garden represents change, ingenuity and innovation through its use of materials and layout, much like the dock when it was first conceived in the nineteenth century. Paying tribute to the architectural qualities of the largest collection of Grade I listed buildings in the UK, the garden is constructed from the same materials that were used to build them in 1841.

Hugo, who is based in Cornwall is building up an impressive portfolio since graduating from University College Falmouth, with a show garden at Future Gardens last year and the accolade of Student Garden Designer of the Year in 2008. www.hugobugg.com

University College Falmouth is the only independent Higher Education institution in Cornwall with the powers to award degrees in its own name.  It has two campuses in Cornwall - at Woodlane in Falmouth and Tremough in Penryn (which it owns, and jointly manages with the University of Exeter) - and a third campus at Totnes in Devon, following its merger with Dartington College of Arts in 2008.

This merger created a new institution focusing on the expansion of Falmouth's expertise in Art, Design and Media and Dartington's expertise in Choreography, Music, Theatre, Art and Writing.  The Devon-based courses will relocate to a new, high-specification Performance Centre at Tremough in 2010, paving the way for a new specialist Arts University in Cornwall by 2013/2014 that will be unique to the South West.

The University College is a founding partner in the Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC), a unique initiative to promote regional economic regeneration through Higher Education, funded mainly by the European Union (Objective One and Convergence), the South West Regional Development Agency, and the Higher Education Funding Council for England, with support from Cornwall Council.

Ends

For further information about University College Falmouth, please contact Jilly Easterby Dip CIPR MCIPR, Head of Public Affairs, Telephone: 01326 213792, or email:  jilly.easterby@falmouth.ac.uk

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