SGD SPRING 2020 CONFERENCE
COLOUR: THE ART, SCIENCE AND EXPERIENCE
Saturday 18 July 2020
Image: Jimi Blake
Good use of colour can play a major role in the successful outcome of a garden or landscape project. Colour can change our perception of a space, alter our mood when we are surrounded by it and influence the way we use a garden. But at what point should colour be considered when in a design?
The SGD Digital Spring 2020 Conference will lift the lid on the use of colour in the garden, looking beyond fashions and trends and exploring the subject from all points, from artistic to scientific.
An impressive line-up of speakers will include American landscape architect Steve Martino, whose work blends colourful, man-made elements with native plants to reflect the sun-drenched beauty of the American desert; garden designer Emily Erlam, known for her exuberant, colourful planting, sensitivity to the existing landscape and designs will explore the seduction of colour and creation of drama.
Head Gardener and plantsman Benjamin Pope will continue the story looking at colour through eyes on the ground as he maintains and develops a country garden in West Sussex. His talk will explore how colour can be used to create and enhance atmosphere using fruit, vegetables and flowers. Edward Hutchison has used colour as an essential tool throughout his career working as a landscape architect and he will show how his use of colour stretches his creative vision and thoughts as both designer and artist
In addition, Irish gardening consultant and planting designer Jimi Blake will explore the use of colour in his garden at Hunting Brook in County Wicklow, focusing on the colour combinations of flowers and foliage and discussing how he creates tapestries of colour throughout his exotic areas, perennial beds and woodland gardens; and Mike Allaby, author of more than 100 books on plant science, will introduce the often curious reasons as to how and why colour is perceived in the gardens and landscapes that surround us, from a scientific perspective.
The conference will be chaired by Stephanie Mahon, editor of the Garden Design Journal who will examine how colour is expressed and how it changes its nature depending on how it is consumed - either through paint on a canvas, ink on a page, pixels on a screen or light in your garden.
Join us to discover how the right use of colour in garden design – from plants to hard landscaping - can enhance us as individuals, reinforce our connections with the gardens and landscapes we create, and influence the way we use space.
Download the agenda for the day here