Students to Exhibit Show Gardens at RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival

Two Students from Cornwall College to Present at Prestigious Festival

Victoria Cucknell from Perranporth, Cornwall, and Hayley Herridge from Ashburton, Devon, have earned the opportunity to each present a show garden at this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, taking place from 2d – 7th July. Both students are studying Garden and Landscape Design HNC at the Cornwall College University Centre based at the Eden Project. This marks a significant milestone for the course, which has received sponsorship from several organisations.

Show Gardens with a Purpose

Victoria and Hayley’s gardens will be showcased in the Pocket Planting category, designed for emerging garden designers who are either currently studying or have recently graduated from a horticultural course. This year’s Pocket Planting theme is ‘Resilience’, with entrants mentored by award-winning designer Tom Massey. For the first time, this category will be included in the People’s Choice vote, offering a chance to win a prestigious RHS medal.

Victoria’s Wild Child Cornwall

Victoria’s garden, Wild Child Cornwall, is inspired by the North Cornwall coast and aims to create a vibrant, biodiverse space for families. The garden will feature maritime-hardy plants like Agapanthus africanus (African lily) and Acanthus mollis (bear’s breeches), as well as edible flower beds of Borago officinalis (borage) and Tropaeolum majus (nasturtium). Living willow sculptures will invite children to play, sit, and observe the plants and wildlife.

Victoria said, “The opportunity to show one of my garden designs at Hampton Court has been an incredible challenge and a huge learning curve. Having only started the HNC course in September (2023), I could never have imagined being here now building Wild Child Cornwall at the Palace. I can’t wait to start designing more.”

Sponsored by Perranporth Action to the Climate Emergency, Truro School, and Slope Stability South West, Wild Child Cornwall will return to Perranporth as a community garden after the festival.

Hayley’s Buglife: The B-Lines Garden

Hayley’s garden, Buglife: The B-Lines Garden, draws inspiration from the conservation charity Buglife’s vision of nectar-rich insect pathways across the UK. The garden will demonstrate how any garden can support wild bees and other pollinators, featuring plants like Salvia ‘Caradonna’ (woodland sage), Daucus carota (wild carrot), and Berkheya purpurea (purple berkheya). Bee nesting opportunities will include sculptural bee towers, cob bricks, sandy bare ground, and tussocky grasses.

Hayley said, “I felt inspired to create a garden that highlights how any garden, no matter the size, can provide for wild bees and contribute to a much greater national effort to reverse species decline. Gardens can be rich in insect life with the right plants and habitat features which benefits other wildlife and our food crops in return.”

Sponsored by Buglife and the London Buzzing Project, the garden will be built using sustainable practices, including recycled construction waste and repurposed wood. Post-show, it will be relocated to community spaces such as the Tabard Gardens Community Allotments and Tyson Road Estate, linking Devonshire Road Nature Reserve and Horniman Museum gardens in South East London.

A Bright Future for Garden and Landscape Design Students

The Garden and Landscape Design HNC, delivered by The Cornwall College Group, is among several postgraduate qualifications available at the Eden Project. Over the course of a year, students develop a holistic approach to garden and landscape design, integrating art, horticulture, and plant science with professional practice and design concepts.

Dr Jo Elworthy, the Eden Project’s Chief Science and Engagement Officer, expressed pride in the students’ achievements, stating, “We are immensely proud of the students’ achievements and thrilled to support Victoria and Hayley at Hampton Court. Three exceptional exhibits making their way to such a prestigious event reflects the high standards and innovative spirit in the horticultural landscape in Cornwall.”

For more information about learning with the Eden Project, visit www.edenproject.com.