Hampton Court Flower Show 2015 Garden

• Dates: 28th June, 2015
• Location: Hampton Court Flower Show

African Vision Malawi won GOLD! medal at the 2015 Hampton Court Flower Show which was wonderful news for our 10th anniversary. The garden was designed and created by Gabrielle Evans. Thank you to the amazing team of Marmalade Jam, Rob from Vegucate, Glass Installations, CED Natural Stone, Paneltech Systems Ltd, Victoriana, and Humpit who gave up time and resources to make this happen. Also, Anna for the brochures and The Communication Group for PR. Many thanks as well to the wonderful volunteers who gave up their time to be on site at the show.

The Malawi Garden presented a powerful message as African Vision Malawi strives to promote the practice of sustainable planting to build resilient communities and combat famine. An infinity mirror at the garden’s centre creates the appearance of fields of maize stretching into the distance; the nature of the illusion forces the observer to question whether food security can be achieved by relying on a single crop. Alternatives to this are shown in the key planting areas surrounding the illusion. The ‘Three Sisters Bed’ contains three crops that benefit each other: maize provides a structure for beans to climb, the beans fix nitrogen into the soil, and the squash spreads along the ground, helping prevent weeds and creating a microclimate that helps retain moisture in the soil. The ‘Key hole gardens’ are particularly efficient in hot climates as they hold moisture and nutrients due to an active compost pile placed in the centre of a round bed. The raised beds are built from sustainable earth building methods. The ‘Wild garden’ displays traditional medicinal plants and beneficial flowers, showing Malawi’s great diversity.

You can find out more on Gabrielle's website [here](https://www.gabriellegardens.com/selected-gardens-1//hampton-court-flower-show-2015-africa-vision-malawi-garden) …