At a glance: A suburban garden inspired by rail travel in Australia’s outback
“Anyone who’s ever done Chelsea would say it challenges you creatively, mentally and physically,” says designer Max Parker-Smith.
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His suburban garden design is inspired by a rail journey across the Australian outback and will feature many plants native to that part of the world, including Eucalyptus, Callistemon, Hakea and Grevillea. After embarking on the journey himself, Max wanted to draw inspiration from the landscape he observed. “It’s a raw, rich and challenging environment,” he says.
The garden is divided by a structure echoing the shape of a train carriage. On one side, tiered beds echo Western Australia, with climate-resilient planting, while the other celebrates Adelaide’s vision as a National Park City and includes trees and natural water corridors. A dining space surrounded by sand-loving plants creates a central focal point.
After the show, the plants will be relocated to Kensington Gardens in London, and the hardscaping to a new garden at Longleat, a nod to the park’s history as the first place in Europe to house koalas.
Designer Max Parker-Smith Sponsor Journey Beyond, South Australian Tourism Commission and Tourism Western Australia Contractor Hardwood Landscapes Supplier Hortus Loci Relocating to Plants to Kensington Gardens, London; hardscaping to Longleat in Wiltshire
