The stunning, silver medal-winning Tusk Charity Show Garden ‘Not for Sale’ featured a dramatic arched walkway of 100 pairs of replica elephants’ tusks – representing the number of elephants killed daily by ivory poachers – in a bleak savannah-like landscape littered with elephant bones, including a skull with bullet holes, to raise awareness of the slaughter of elephants for ivory in Africa.
Securing ground stabilisation
When it came to the design of the conceptual garden, designers Ferguson & Whyte Garden Design stipulated a gravel walkway to lead visitors through the replica savannah, beneath the tusk archway, and the landscaping team at Hythe Garden Landscapes knew just the product to keep everything in place.
They specified Gravelrings, a product they have used many times and come to trust above all other to withstand heavy footfall, with minimal movement or adverse effects to the overall look and feel of the finished project. They knew the exceptional qualities of this ground control solution would ensure that even after thousands of visitors to the RHS Flower Show had passed through, the Tusk Show Garden would look as good on the last day as it did on the first.
Mark Whyte, co-designer of the garden and director of Hythe Garden Landscapes, says, “It was a challenging build, to create an African savannah in a very English setting, and when it came to creating the walkways, we knew we needed to use materials we could rely on. It had to look as good on the last day as it did on the first and we specified Growtivation’s Earthworx Groundrings for this project because we knew we could trust it.
“Thousands of people will have walked on the gravel through the garden over the course of the show and we know Gravelrings will have kept everything in place.”
Paving the way for a ban on ivory trade
Tusk, whose patron is Prince William and celebrity supporters include vocalist Kathryn Jenkins, is at the forefront of highlighting the illegal wildlife trade and continues to press for the closure of domestic ivory trade across the world and particularly in the UK.
Growtivation is proud to have been asked to supply Gravelrings to help create a way of communicating such an important message.
Graham Elsey, Growtivation’s Marketing Manager, says: “We were so proud to have been involved in the creation of this incredibly moving and deeply meaningful part of the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show. We have long been aware of how hugely effective the Groundrings are in providing excellent ground stabilisation and were delighted to see them put to use in such an iconic garden.”
For more information on Earthworx ground control download the Installation Guide, Tech Data Sheet and Brochure.
To find out more about the other ground control products in the Growtivation Product That Works range download our Landscaping That Works guide.
Or to find out where to buy Growtivation ground control systems and ground stabilisation geotextiles visit our Find a Distributor facility or contact the friendly team at Growtivation for advice on 0800 197 8885 or email sales@growtivation.com.
