Gold medal at RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2016
JAPANESE REFLECTION
A Japanese Reflection explores the Japanese principle of shakkei — borrowed landscape — using the surrounding Malvern Hills as an integral part of the garden’s composition.
The garden was conceived as a place of calm and contemplation, drawing inspiration from traditional Japanese tea gardens. Rather than isolating itself from its setting, the design deliberately opens outward, allowing distant views to become part of the experience. Stone, water, and planting are used with restraint, creating a series of carefully framed moments that encourage slow movement and reflection. Local materials ground the garden in its location, while the overall composition remains light and balanced.
Visitors are invited to move gently through the space, crossing water and pausing at key points where the garden aligns with the wider landscape beyond. The result is a garden that feels both intimate and expansive — a quiet dialogue between foreground and horizon.
