Wow! I have been having great fun working here with James Lascelles today, calculating the carbon footprint of the garden. There is so much to remember; its really interesting. We've included travel, deliveries, fabrication, energy, and waste. It's all really detailed, so watch out for those cheap imitations(!) Once I've finished, I'll be able to calculate how many tonnes of CO2 will be generated in the manufacture and creation of the garden from raw material supply to delivery and build at the Chelsea Flower Show. I can then calculate how many trees we will need to plant to help offset the CO2 emissions, so I can achieve a carbon-neutral position. I think its really important for gardeners and garden designers to consider the implications of the choices they make on the environment. For example, I was going to use granite from China, but I amended the design to use sandstone from the UK. I was also going to have lots of plants shipped over from New Zealand, but instead we sourced the same or equivalent plants from the UK, with a few from Europe. One plant could not be sourced elsewhere, and a small amount of it will be shipped from New Zealand, but this was a conscious and informed decision.
I have learned an awful lot through this process, and I hope to write an article for my fellow Garden Designers explaining the process, (when I get a minute!!)
Linda Bush is a garden designer based in Kent.
www.lindabush.co.uk/chelsea.html
