by Aidan Williams | 14 Oct 24 | Garden Design, News
The award-winning Chained to Tech garden has now relocated to the Manchester Metropolitan University campus and is now open for staff, students, and the community to enjoy.
Commissioned by J. Parker’s and designed by Rachel Platt, the garden was created for the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park 2023, where it was awarded the Silver Gilt Medal, Best Construction Award as well as the People’s Choice Best Show garden.
With a new home at the Brooks Building, the garden highlights some of the physical and mental effects of screen-based technologies.
It also provides a spotlight for the research projects currently being undertaken by J. Parker’s and professors from Manchester Metropolitan University into young adults with technological addiction and the benefits of nature on wellbeing.
“It’s an incredible honour to see my design for J. Parker’s become an accessible space within a great university,” says Platt.
“Having been to university myself, I hope that the technological inspired, contemporary garden, with its fun and vibrant planting, will offer students a rejuvenating escape away from their studies, ultimately enhancing their well-being and academic performance.”
J. Parker’s has worked with Manchester Metropolitan University to sustainably recreate the garden within the university grounds.
It will offer students, staff, and visitors a place to digitally detox, form new connections with nature, and interact with others face-to-face.
The garden features a unique design inspired by the digital world, as rebar arbours and fences mimic cables, and laser-cut panels replicate circuit board patterns.
To create a textured, industrial feel, recycled timber and corten effect steel are used throughout. Drought-tolerant plants symbolise the strain of excessive screen time, while bold colours and shapes evoke the instant gratification of technology.
Lucy Walker, a psychology lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University who has been working on the project, says: “Research explains how spending time in nature has a huge impact on both our wellbeing and productivity at work.
“Having our own garden here on campus at the Brooks Building gives us an exciting opportunity to investigate this further, making use of a dynamic green space on our doorstep in order to demonstrate the beneficial effects both in staff, students, and visitors.”
We spoke to Platt, a previous Pro Landscaper 30 Under 30 winner earlier this year, catching up on her hat-trick of awards at Tatton Park.
by | 13 Sep 23 | From the Mag, Long Reads
As the House of Lords’ Horticultural sector have recently opened an inquiry and subsequent report into the future of horticulture, just one of the many questions being investigated by the twelve committee members explores the affiliation between horticulture and mental health.
This inquiry will also consider the challenges, opportunities and risks faced by the horticultural sector acknowledging the potentially isolating nature of horticultural work and the bearing this can have on a professionals’ mental health, while also recognising the therapeutic opportunities that gardening can offer everyone.
At Pro Landscaper, we wanted to investigate further. Speaking with a few key members of the community and getting their opinions and perspectives on how horticulture could be contributing to the nation’s mental health, and how the industry could take this further.
Read the full article in the September issue of Pro Landscaper Magazine.
Name: Rachel Platt
Job title: Garden designer and RHS Young Designer of the Year 2022
- In your opinion, how does horticulture help provide therapy?
Horticulture acts as an escape, and a distraction from what’s going on in the world, in terms of therapy for mental health but also for physical wellbeing. In the creation of the “Covid Recovery Garden” (RHS Tatton Park 2022), they were teaching people to regain confidence in themselves, by using their hands, creating, and learning.
- What areas of horticulture work best for therapy?
Any anything related to gardening in the form of like getting your hands dirty, getting stuck into nature, and really experiencing your surroundings. It’s free to sit outside, go for a walk, find a park. Any time spent in nature is a great thing.
- Do you believe this issue needs to be addressed by the horticultural community?
As an industry, we’re aware of it but we can definitely do more to encourage community groups and community centres to set up their own support groups. Encouraging the government to utilize nature as a form of therapy.
- Are there any charities or organisations you would recommend?
I work with a brain and spine rehabilitation clinic in Buckinghamshire using horticulture and gardening as a kind of the maintenance for physical and mental health. The therapy side has been amazing, it’s great to see the rehabilitation first hand.
- What can you add to the garden to enhance privacy and safety?
Trees are always a great choice. Probably also hedging but it’s that kind of greenery that gives you overhead and side privacy, not too exposing, not too restrictive.
- Could you utilise horticulture to provide an outlet for both the creator and the beholder?
The client is obviously the most important thing, and it’s important to ensure that they’ve got the garden they want, and they have the escapism they need. For the creator, resonate with the design and the process of creating. And it’s that creative process that gives you therapy, when you’re doing your drawings, colouring in – imagining the space coming to life. It’s the process of it.
- When designing a garden, what elements do you include to create a therapeutic atmosphere?
I think sound is important. So that could be water, or it could be grasses blowing in the wind. Secondly is smell. So having sweet smelling plants in the garden is always lovely. And thirdly, definitely privacy. I think those three things are crucial.
Then I would suggest seating as well. You need to have somewhere to sit and actually enjoy what the garden is providing.
And when designing, look at how the elements react in the space – you should feel immersed in the garden.
Be able to just walk into it and close your eyes. Hear things, smell things, and explore therapy through sensations, relaxation, and escapism.
by Bethany Vann | 04 Aug 23 | Domestic Landscaping, Garden Design, Long Reads, Topics, Website Exclusive
A year after becoming one of Pro Landscaper’s 30 Under 30: The Next Generation winners, Rachel Platt has scooped a hat-trick of awards at this year’s RHS Flower Show Tatton Park, including the coveted People’s Choice Award.
Platt’s show garden at this years Tatton Park, ‘Chained to Tech’ in partnership with J. Parkers, explores the behavioural and psychological repercussions of excessive screen-based technology usage in young people.
Wonder Wolf Photography Headshot of Rachel Platt
“The theme was important to me because I’ve experienced it myself, and I think everyone I’ve spoken to has a son or a daughter that is addicted to technology in some way,” explains the 26-year-old designer.
A 2021 study of 1,043 students conducted at King’s College London found that nearly 39% displayed symptoms of smartphone addiction, with 68% of those expressing trouble with sleeping as a result.
“It is having a massive impact on peoples wellbeing and their health in general; it’s a really important topic to be talking about it.”
Platt’s design encompasses the world of digital addiction through visual representation in both the hard and soft landscaping elements of the garden.
“The construction detailing was mainly based on components of technology, like binary, circuit boards, and USB drives.
“I used weathered materials to symbolism when you’re using a lot of technology you’re not looking after your body.”
The planting comprised of drought tolerant species, including Phormium tenax and Punica granatum to symbolise the dry eyes caused by extended screen time, with the vibrant colours of yellow Eremurus (foxtail lily), and blue Agapanthus to denote the vibrancy of screens, unmatched by reality.
Credit @ RHS
“Lots of people have interpreted it in different ways but I would say mainly it’s to do with the effects of technological addiction in the fact that it’s that instant gratification and euphoric feeling you get.”
In parallel to exhibiting the effects of digital addiction and their potential severity, Platt drew attention to the multiple wellbeing benefits available within nature that can offset the downward spiral of addiction.
“It is a difficult to get a young adult off the computer but when they do go out into nature, they do put down their phone away, even if it’s for just 15 seconds.
“Just going outside does help and I’ve seen it help people, so I think that’s the link there, I wanted that take home message to be that horticulture really can help.”
Chained to Tech is not Platt’s first exploration into the benefits of horticulture at Tatton, with her 2022 award-winning debut ‘The Covid Recovery Garden’, designed to exhibit the physical and physiological healing properties accessible through nature, relocated to a local hospital to provide a recuperation sanctuary for patients suffering from long-covid.
“It’s always good to highlight something like this. I don’t do small things, I talk about pretty dark, deep things.”
With Tatton now closed and three new awards under her belt, including Best Construction and a Silver Gilt medal, Platt is now focusing her efforts on an upcoming project in Edinburgh, of which she could not divulge too much information on, but watch this space.
If you’re interested in entering this year’s Pro Landscaper’s 30 Under 30: The Next Generation in partnership with Green-tech, or you’d like to nominate someone for the prestigious award, you can find more information here.
by Bethany Vann | 12 May 23 | Domestic Landscaping, Garden Design, News, Topics
J. Parker Dutch Bulbs (Wholesale) Ltd., one of the UK’s online market leaders in garden plants and bulbs has partnered with emerging designer Rachel Platt to present a show garden at this years Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Tatton Park Flower Show.
The garden, titled ‘Chained to Tech’, will address the increasing prevalence of technology addiction amongst the younger demographic and the repercussions this can have on their mental and physical health, with reference to how horticulture can be a source of support.
Rachel Platt says, “I was thrilled to be approached by J. Parker’s to design their show garden this year. This garden really resonates with me, having seen the impact of technological addiction myself and I hope the garden will be meaningful and impactful for others”.
The garden has been created using a mix of dense planting and hard landscaping, the latter appears flawless with clean sharp lines and smooth appearance, but on closer inspection, the materials are raw and distressed, representative of the detrimental effect technological overuse can have mentally and physically.
Minimal maintenance plants are featured through the garden, with trees, shrubs and grasses providing the majority of the planting structure. Pops of colour and scent are present through the use of perennials such as Agastache, Coreopsis and Salvia.
J. Parker will also be partnering with behavioural specialists from Manchester Metropolitan University to conduct independent research projects into the impact horticulture can have on those suffering with mental health.
Neuroscientist Dr Elizabeth Braithwaite, senior research associate, Manchester Met, adds, “We are really excited to be working with J. Parker’s and using this innovative garden design to disseminate knowledge on the impacts of technology addiction on poor mental health, and the potential role that gardening and horticulture may play in buffering these effects. Rising rates of poor mental health is a serious problem, especially among young people, so raising awareness of potential risk factors, such as technology addiction, is important work.”
Many of this years’ RHS Tatton designers are pushing the boundaries, taking inspiration from powerful yet delicate subjects, from suicide awareness to J. Parker’s mental health showpiece.
‘Chained to Tech’ is not Rachel’s first exploration into the healing properties of horticulture at Tatton, the 2022 Pro Landscaper 30 under 30’s: The Next Generation winner Tatton debut, titled ‘Covid Recovery Garden’ was designed for a hospital to provide a recuperation sanctuary for patients suffering from long-COVID.
The garden saw the young designer take home a trio of awards, including the highly coveted People’s Choice Award.
The 2023 RHS Tatton Park Flower Show is taking place from the 19th to the 23rd of July, more information regarding the event can be found here: //www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-flower-show-tatton-park
by Nina Mason | 03 May 23 | Domestic Landscaping, Garden Design, News, Topics
A variety of topics and issues will be highlighted at this year’s RHS Flower Show Tatton Park in July. Designers will tackle subjects from nocturnal pollinators to technology to suicide at this year’s show, which has seen a large increase in local participants.
A blackout tent with close-up projections will celebrate lesser-known pollinators in The RHS Nocturnal Pollinator Experience, designed by immersive technology artist Georgia Tucker and designer Sharon Hockenhull.
Last year’s RHS Young Designer of the Year finalist Rachel Platt will explore tech addiction among young adults in ‘J.Parker’s Chained to Tech Garden’. Designers Carolyn Hardern and Jon Jarvis, on the other hand, will be raising awareness of the high suicide rates among construction workers with ‘Constructing Minds’.
‘The Macmillan Legacy Garden; by Lynn Cordall invites visitors to consider supporting the cancer charity with gifts in wills, which fund over a third of its services. Pip Probert’s ‘Alfresco Garden’ provides an entertainment space.
In the RHS Young Designer of the Year competition, 24-year-olds Ollie Pike and Nathan Webster and Camellia Hayes, 28, will compete for the title.
This year’s show will also feature for the first time the Long Borders category, which was popular at the RHS Chatsworth Flower Show.
Helena Pettit, RHS director of gardens and shows, said: “It’s fantastic to see how designers at our youngest flower show are so keen to push boundaries in the world of garden design. Tackling such a broad range of subjects, from mental health and tech addiction to modern, luxurious yet sustainable living, through horticulture, we’re demonstrating how gardening and the outdoors can both empower people while bringing calm and good health to the individual.
“Of equal delight is the fact that we’ve got such a high number of local participants this year. It’s great to see the North West catapulting the best in growing and garden design to the forefront.”
