GARDENS
FROM BABYLON TO BATH
The hanging gardens of Botanica Studios that picked up a Silver Gilt at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show Words by Nick Woodhouse Photos by Maisie-Lee Walker; Instagram @maisie_walker
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t was day one of RHS Chelsea Flower Show when I met Alice Dobie, founder of Bath’s very own Botanica Studio based in Union Passage. The show’s judges had visited The Hanging Gardens of Botanica – her first exhibit at Chelsea – the day before, and she was in a relaxed, excited mood. After almost three weeks of installation and months of preparation, her vision was complete, and she could finally enjoy the experience. When, in autumn of last year, Alice was initially contacted by the Royal Horticultural Society about exhibiting at the show, the response wasn’t an immediate and definite yes – she wanted to consult her team first. Was it possible? Were they up for the challenge? The answers to both questions were resoundingly positive. And so, the process started as it would continue - a collaborative effort between Alice and the Botanica team – Alexanda Goodman, Eden Leo, Nadia Saddiq, Rosie Varley and Tom Varley. The aesthetic for the space would take its cue from The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The tiered gardens were allegedly built around 600 BC on the orders of King Nebuchadnezzar II, keen to impress his wife Queen Amytis, who was yearning for the green hills and valleys of her homeland of Media, now in modern-day Iran. Inspired by this ancient wonder, the Hanging Gardens of Botanica saw 12 vertical gardens suspended in terracotta pots both inside and out of one of six houseplant studios at the show. The lightbulb moment for the idea came from the Botanica Studio’s own customers. Alice tells me they often ask for tips on
watering their houseplants and, given Bath’s notoriously hard water, the team’s top recommendation is to use rainwater when you can, rather than tap water. Not only is it cleaner and chemical-free, but it also offers higher levels of oxygen, promoting larger root mass, and thereby faster nutrient intake and plant growth. As the world stumbles into water bankruptcy, the studio took this opportunity to demonstrate the process of evapotranspiration, showcasing how houseplants and harvested rainwater can work together to emulate the water cycle in our very own homes. This is the sixth year that Malvern Garden Buildings has brought the Houseplant Studios to Chelsea, with the company offering each designer to pick their own garden studio, configuration and colour. The team at Botanica Studio opted for a blush pink for their ode to rainwater, one which set off the lush, verdant foliage of the different plant genus celebrated on each indoor sculpture – from Philodendron and Monstera, to Anthirium, Epiprenium and Alocasia. The installation itself was a family affair, with Alice’s brother, Pete, helping in the intricate construction of each hanging garden – a feat of engineering that saw rainwater being pumped up a series of terracotta pots made by Copenhagen-based Bergs Potter. With a prototype successfully tested out in the Bath studio, the hanging gardens were transported to their temporary home at Chelsea – a sensory space inviting visitors to enjoy the calm trickle of water, the gentle aroma of moss as it wicks away and a cooling mist from evaporation.
“The lightbulb moment for the idea came from the studio’s own customers”
60 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
The much-coveted awards were handed out on Tuesday morning of the show, with the team at Botanica Studio thrilled to be presented with a Silver Gilt – an incredible achievement for any exhibitor, but especially for a first timer at the show. The award will return to the studio, and sit right at home amongst the striking collection of indoor plants and accessories. The studio is the first bricks and mortar retail premises for Botanica, opening in autumn 2020, having initially started out in 2017 selling from the back of Alice’s van at The Frome Independent, Bath Farmer’s Market and Bath Vintage and Antiques Market. Despite the worries of taking on the city-centre premises during lockdown, the studio has been a huge success and the go-to destination for plant lovers, with long-term collectors coming from far and wide to this beautifully curated space. It’s a welcoming space too, with the team keen to share their knowledge, expertise and interests in plants, whether one is choosing their very first plant, or a seasoned collector of rare alocasias. The space is also home to regular workshops on subjects ranging from terrarium planting to kokedama, a centuriesold Japanese art form of displaying plants within a moss-covered ball. The sold-out events are testament to our need for a greater connection to nature in our own homes, and the team’s Chelsea Garden Show win is testament to their understanding and appreciation of this. For more: www.botanicastudio.co.uk Nick Woodhouse is the co-director of interior and garden design company Woodhouse and Law at 4 George’s Place, Bathwick Hill, Bath; www.woodhouseandlaw.co.uk