a contemporary man's garden, proctor and gamble
award: silver gilt medal
size: 230m2
photography: helen fickling
My first Chelsea garden was a baptism of fire and sponsored by a shampoo for men with thinning hair so it was always going to be an unusual journey. I chose rugged masculine materials including limestone, steel and crushed concrete and teamed them with architectural planting. I found an enormous stainless steel dish which is what gives the water such an unusual colour and although a level plot I sunk the whole pool and its surroundings down to make it more inviting. The water disappears down an aluminium trumpet, the idea for which came from an Anish Kapoor sculpture. At the rear of the garden a different take on a traditional pergola leads to sculpture which follows the circular theme.
