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Last Chance to Vote - 12 Finalists go for Gold in Public Vote for RHS Olympic Park Competition

The British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI)

With just days to go until voting closes for the RHS Olympic Park Great British Garden Competition 12 talented amateur gardeners from across the UK will be hoping to make one final sprint to win gold.

Thousands of people have already voted in the competition, which invited green-fingered Brits to design a quarter acre garden in the London 2012 Olympic park expressing the unique qualities of a British domestic garden.

Six finalists from each age range, 16 and under and over 17, have been shortlisted through to the final round.
The public have got until midnight on Friday, 30th October to vote for the design that they would like to see on the park during and after the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Votes can be cast by logging onto: http://www.rhs.org.uk/Competitions/Great-British-Garden-Competition

The winners from each category will then work with the world class team designing the London 2012 parklands to design a great British Garden that will be in bloom during the Games and remain in legacy.

The winning garden will showcase one of the UK’s favourite pastimes and commemorate the Much Wenlock Olympian Society in Shropshire, whose games inspired Pierre de Coubertin to found the modern Olympic movement.

Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell said:
“It’s great that the public has got behind the competition and thousands of people have already played their part in deciding how the Olympic Park will look in 2012. The final shortlist reflects the creativity and passion of gardeners across the nation. I would urge anyone who hasn’t voted to do so and I can’t wait to see what the British public decide.”

Inga Grimsey, Director General of the RHS, said:
“The standard of entries we received was incredible and just goes to prove that people’s passion for gardening is alive and well.”

Olympic Delivery Authority Chairman John Armitt said:
“This is a great opportunity for the public to have their say on part of the new park that will form a green backdrop and festival atmosphere for the London 2012 Games and in legacy become the UK’s largest new urban park in over a century.”

Short-listed entries in the 16 years and under category are:
·       Ben Rubin-Moberg, aged 7 from Reigate. Ben’s design mixes traditional British plants and trees like elderflowers and roses with invented activities such as the ‘Canoe trail’, a special canoe on a rail that children can peddle around the garden’s pond.
·       Hannah Clegg, aged 10 from Malmesbury. Hannah’s design includes Olympic treasures such as tree of golden acorns as well as orchards and vegetable patches.
·       Tanya Ward, aged 14 from Rugby. Tanya has designed a ‘secret garden’ with hidden benches, wild-flowers and a pond designed to attract wildlife.
·       James Callicott, aged 15 from Prestwood. James’ garden is design is based upon the Tudor rose but includes flowers from across the globe such as lavender from Portugal and Edelweiss from Austria to symbolise nations joining together to take part in the Olympics.
·       Skandan Sithamparanathan, aged 13 from Rochester. Skandan’s design is a ‘united wheel’ surrounded by a small river and paths that reflect the Olympic rings.
·       Harriet Smith aged 7 from Hadleigh. Harriet’s garden is full of blooming flowers, wildlife and rabbits with a tent at the centre for people to hide in and watch the animals.

Shortlisted entrants in the 17 years and over category are:
·       Emma Graham from Ipswich whose great-grandfather won a gold and silver medal for Great Britain in the 1908 London Games. Emma’s garden uses the Olympic rings as the inspiration for her design, with areas of flowers, herbs and plants traditionally found in the UK.
·       Rachel Read from Colchester. Rachel’s ‘perpetual garden’ design features a spiral time line that includes traditional flowers and has a series of plaques naming each British Olympic gold medallist since 1908.
·       Susan Summers from Winchester. Susan’s garden is split into four areas to represent different experiences of the Olympics; the on-looker, participating, training and success.
·       Joanne Slade from Chelmsford. Joanne’s concept is based around the ‘Ekecheiria truce’ that saw ancient Greeks suspend wars and rivalries to take part in the Olympics. It is designed to be a place of peace and tranquillity for visitors.
·       Sian Astintgton from Crewe. Sian’s garden references the London 2012 logo and is designed to be in bloom all year round. It includes traditional British flowers and sights such as scare-crows and greenhouses.
·       Angela Jones from Carshalton Beeches. Angela’s garden uses objects and items found in thousands of gardens across the UK to recreate a domestic garden including a pond, children’s play-area, lawn, shed and even a couple of Olympics-inspired garden gnomes!

The inspiration for the modern Olympic Games can be traced back to British doctor, William Penny Brookes who held the first Much Wenlock ‘Olympian Games’ in 1850. It was after a visit to Much Wenlock in 1890 that Pierre de Coubertin, the founding father of the modern Olympic Games, was convinced to organise the 1896 inaugural Olympic Games in Athens. All entrants were asked to consider opportunities to incorporate a ‘de Coubertin’ Oak tree, currently being grown in Kew from seedlings taken from an oak tree de Coubertin planted himself in Much Wenlock, into their garden design.

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