Innovative ‘Essence of Australia’ garden wins at the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society Hampton Court Flower Show in London

TWEETS from Australia are helping set off a running billabong in the grounds of a London palace, as part of an award-winning garden design.

London, UK. 07 July 2014. Australian garden "Essence of Australia" featured at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show with gardener Jim Fogarty and his daughter Lilly, 6. Pic Ella Pellegrini

TWEETS from Australia are helping a garden on the other side of the world come to life by setting off a running billabong in a spectacular garden on the grounds of Hampton Court Palace in London.

Multi-award winning Melbourne gardener Jim Fogarty said a Twitter hashtag set up today was triggering a pump in his “Essence of Australia” garden at the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society Hampton Court Flower Show.

And the unique feature has helped the Australian display be awarded a gold medal for best show garden at yesterday’s judging.

Mr Fogarty said the billabong symbolised the Dream Time and the story of the Rainbow Serpent living under the ground and the Tweets are recognised by software that then sets off the water in sequence like an “agitated” serpent.

Technology was even used to create the distinct billabong water with an app image of the water of Yarra River tributary Gardener’s Creek matched to a colour to then be artificially created.

Green-fingered ... Australian gardener Jim Fogarty and his daughter Lilly, 6. Picture: Ella Pellegrini

The garden itself is also quintessentially Australian, specifically based on Victoria and Northern Territory, and sets off a spectacular contradiction with a Tudor Palace backdrop but a very Australian outback garden with red rock and sands and Grevillias, Kangaroo Paw, Little Boy Blue Eucalypt, Bottlebrush and White Dogwood.

Mr Fogarty said it was his first showing at Hampton Court although he exhibits regularly in Australia and also in the past at the Chelsea Flower Show. He said he was thrilled with his award.

He praised his 15-person team who helped bring together the garden and hoped it would go someway to giving an incentive to the tens of thousands of people expected at this week’s show to visit Down Under for more.

“It’s pretty special when you look up and see a palace there and an Australian garden sitting here, it’s a special moment actually,” he said.

“We have that Grass Tree there which the Botanic Gardens Melbourne has estimated to be 450 year old sort of mark which, for perspective, the palace is 500 years old. So they are of the same period of time which is interesting for the British.

Best garden ... Another view of Mr Foggarty’s garden. Picture: Ella Pellegrini

“We are so proud and happy to have received the ‘Best in Show’ title and a Gold medal today. It has involved meticulous planning and passion from our team.”

Professor Tim Entwisle, director and chief executive of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, said: “We’re honoured to accept the ‘Best in Show’ title and Gold medal at Hampton Court. The reaction from visitors to the show has been universally complimentary and we’ve been inspired by the enthusiasm and interest in our plants and gardens. This is a tremendous accolade for Australian horticulture and design.”

The garden is made up of between 800 and 1000 Australian plants, sourced from Italy, Spain, Belgium and Holland having been imported there decades ago with quarantine restrictions making it extremely hard to have brought them over from Australia now.

A central feature of the garden is a Grass Tree, previously known as the Blackboy tree, which has been dated at being 450 years old and was found in Sicily.

Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne began the program late last year to source plants across Europe.

The plants will later be donated to Kew Gardens.

Meanwhile, another Australian entry was also highly regarded at the show. Amanda Miller from Bermagui on the NSW South Coast was a Leading Seaman on HMAS Sydney for seven years before she left the Navy and became a garden designer.

The 27-year-old created a display until the title “pride” as part of the show’s Seven Deadly Sins garden creation. She was selected to become an entry and was backed by academy award nominated actor and founder of gay rights group Stonewall Sir Ian McKellen.

“I was on HMAS Sydney as an engineer so it was a bit of a change from the depths of a bilge to gardening outside in the sunshine,” Ms Miller said, adding she left the RAN three years ago.

She was thrilled to be part of the show.

Originally published as Innovative ‘Essence of Australia’ garden wins at the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society Hampton Court Flower Show in London