The show garden 'Railway Reclaimed', by Bob McMeekin has won a competition at Kew Gardens to demonstrate how gardens can promote biodiversity and become important corridors for wildlife.
Bob McMeekin
As part of Kew's 'Go Wild' summer festival (see news item for
24th May 2003), 13 final year students studying for Kew's Horticultural Diploma were invited to design gardens on the theme of promoting biodiversity and wildlife corridors. Six of the best were turned into show gardens and judged against each other in the competition.
Bob McMeekin, the winning designer, said, '
The challenge of this garden has been in trying to recreate how nature reclaims a site. It's brilliant to have won'. And Chris Gibson, English Nature's judge, said, '
The Railway Reclaimed garden highlights how gardens and disused railways are important for nature in urban areas, both acting as important wildlife corridors. This garden links the two and shows how innovative garden design and biodiversity can work together'.