Marcus Green Horticultural Design

Freedom Of Movement Medalist

‘Freedom of Movement’ was previewed on BBC2 on Sunday 1st July and reviewed on Thursday 5th July, With interviews on BBC Radio Northampton on Wednesday 4th July and Sunday 8th July.

My sincere thanks to Vince, Fred, Alan and Hugh from ‘Ternex’ at Ayot Green who made the oak structure; To John at Covey Farm Nurseries, Nick at Palmstead, to David Dodd, Hayley, Steve, Alex and Little Dave at the Excellent The Outdoor Room, and to my wife without whom this garden would not have been.



Purpose

Predominately this is an art installation; sculpture that is a garden, the planting within the framework of static shapes to be living and breathing.


Style

The garden is formed from two fundamental ideas, one structural and one conceptual.

The cantilevered main bed and two wings form the structural element.  In liberating as much space as possible, I was inspired by Henry Moore’s sculpture, ‘Knife Edge’, and the notion of two shapes apparently divided from one.

The conceptual ideas of the garden centre around three key themes.

For me, formally a contemporary dancer, dance and gardens are closely related, each exploiting the joy of three dimensions. Within the boundaries of this garden I wanted to capture the freedom of movement of dance.

Drawing from life, the beauty of the human female form offered the static shapes for the garden, and I have abstracted not just descriptive lines but also the underlying ribbons of energy.

Finally, the colours of the planting have been borrowed from the works of Rothko, particularly the room at Tate Modern. Like dance, I find his expressiveness is vital and liberating.


Use

The design has the potential to be part of a big garden, a point of focus and interest in a larger space, but the central idea of the cantilevered main bed and the floating wings would be particularly useful and versatile in confined, small outdoor spaces.


Plants

I am trying to develop a range of plants that will cope with our changing climate, summers with extended periods between rainfall and warmer winters. For the main three trees I am planting Populus ‘alba’ for the lovely silver flicker of the leaves in the wind. I am using the vigorous Eucalyptus variety guneii as small shrubs, coppicing them each year to maintain their juvenile foliage.  By mixing these with plants such as Callistemon, Cornus, Corylus and Cotinus I hope to create an exciting blend of colours that will extend all year. The main groups of planting are to be set off by a sea of grass punctuated by Aeonium purpureum.


MAIN THREE TREES

• Populus ‘alba’

Main cantilevered bed and raised beds:

• Callistemon subulatus
• Cornus alternifolia ‘Argentea’
• Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’ purpureum
• Corylus maxima ‘Purpurea’
• Eucalyptus gunnii

Ground Level:

• Anemanthele lessoniana (Stipa arundinacea)
• Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’
• Stipa gigantea
• Stipa tenuissima
• Aeonium arboreum purpureum
• Foeniculum vulgare ‘Purpureum’

The ‘Freedom of Movement’ unique green oak sculpture is for sale. If you are interested in having the sculpture as or in your garden please contact me to discuss.






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