The award-winning BALI Registered garden designer and owner of Jack Dunckley Ltd has had an exciting start to the first half of 2016 by launching his most exciting projects at this years’ RHS Chelsea Flower Show and the Grand Designs Live show back in April in London.

Working with Solus Décor, Canadian designers of hand-made fire pits and water features who launched in the UK atRHS Hampton Court Flower Show last year, Jack Dunckley has designed and built ‘The Urban Retreat’, a contemporary garden trade stand to compete with any of the Show garden designs exhibited this year which has gone on to win 4 stars at this years’ RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

‘The Urban Retreat’ was designed to provide clients who have a small outdoor space a solution to outdoor living using features such as fire pits and water features, both of which are social and practical. The Urban Retreat was first launched at Grand Designs Live and had a stand measuring 8.5 x 3 metres which was later extended to 12 x 3 metres at this month’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The garden has been entirely designed by Jack and built by his in-house construction team.

Jack is using 80ml premium range artificial turf donated by BALI Registered members Easigrass, which will also be showcased for the first time in the UK. Architectural plantings including bonsai in pots, Italian Cypress and Yucca rostrata, which will create form and structure and have all been provided by Jack’s Garden Nursery in Sussex.

Jack used his signature colour purple throughout ‘The Urban Retreat’ garden. Known for using purple in his planting designs, Jack is now incorporating this royal colour into his hard landscaping with grand purple stone needles handmade by Chilstone. To soften the garden, LED lighting is set behind Kyoto ‘Ochiba’ aluminium screens from Australia, featured on walls and underneath benches, where visitors can sit and enjoy the garden. After the Chelsea show, ‘The Urban Retreat’ garden will be transported back to Jack Dunckley’s in Sussex and incorporated into the coffee shop.

The exhibits coincide with the rebrand of Jack Dunckley Ltd. and re-launch of their new logo. The company has transformed over the last few years and the new branding is a sign of the evolution to a more mature phase.

Jack said: “It will be strange being at an RHS show and not competing in the Show Garden categories, but I’m still looking forward to showcasing The Urban Retreat. It’s been a challenge ensuring the garden fits for both Chelsea and Grand Designs – and will also be tricky manoeuvring it from one show to the other!”

He added: “It’s an exciting time for the company as we also launched our new logo at the shows. I’ve always been proud of my designs, but over the last couple of years we’ve worked on more adventurous projects, such as a roof garden in Hampstead, London and a Sheikh’s garden in Dubai, and it really feels like we’re maturing. Our designs and builds are now at that next level and our new branding reflects this step up.”

Jack owns and runs Jack Dunckley Ltd. in Sussex. The company has expanded over the last few years and as well as a well respected landscape design and garden nursery business, the company now also provides a construction and maintenance division. The Garden Nursery has grown and focuses more on architectural plants, and Jack now oversees three designers in his digital design studio, which is based at the nursery. The design team now produce 3D rendered designs and digital walk-throughs, which help clients envisage what their gardens will look like. To date, Jack has won ten RHS awards for his landscape designs.

Jack has also designed and built a pop-up summer garden for the Bibendum restaurant in London, which is now up until the end of Wimbledon.