Come and see the next Cancer Research UK  garden at Tatton!

The Event:   The RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park

                   18 - 22 July 2007

The Garden: A back-to-back garden (site E/54)

The Theme: Thyme and Money

The Aim:      Awareness and fundraising for Cancer Research UK

The Concept: Without time and money, scientific research cannot move forwards – through its practical theme of Thyme and Money the garden aims to draw attention to the work of Cancer Research UK with an eye-catching summer display of vegetables and herbs that highlights the charity in a thought-provoking and entertaining way.  

The Design:   The design is based geometrically on two interlocking versions of the charity's arrow logo, one paved and one edged with box, each pointing symbolically in a different direction.

The Planting: Health, productivity and enjoyment underpin the planting ethos, hence the choice of vegetables and herbs. The rainbow chard in the stem of the main arrow turns into  strawberries as it extends vertically up the wall, and red nasturtiums decorate the top of the wall. To encapsulate the theme a thyme globe features at the point of one arrow and 'Moneymaker' tomatoes at the other. 

     Previous cancer research gardens at Tatton:

2001 The Mellor Surprise Open Garden - this raised £5000 for Imperial Cancer Research Fund

2003 The Garden Quartet - with generous sponsorship from Aedas this musical show garden won gold medal and 'best in show!'

2005 The Opera Fan Garden - this achieved excellent publicity and TV coverage for Cancer Research UK 

And now......

2007 - The Cancer Research UK Donations Garden  

                            - thyme and money -  

The Funding: This garden has no main sponsor - as far as possible it will be created by generous donations of time and money as well as products. We welcome your support and hope that you will visit and enjoy 'The Donations Garden' and that the garden itself, and the ethos behind it, will inspire further donations of time and money to Cancer Research UK.               

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to donate - Cancer Research UK will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

And finally.....

THANK YOU to everyone who has contributed so generously to this project:

Nicholas J Boult and Clarke Lambert Landscapes for their dedication and professionalism in making this garden happen

Neil Newton and Cardiem Merchandising Solutions for their beautiful metalwork and continuing generosity

Marshalls for donating the hard landscaping

Piers Nicholson and Spot-on Sundials for lending the magnificent Skywheel

Paul Mossman for lending the stylish bespoke pots

Four Oaks Nursery for growing the thyme..... (and the nasturtiums and strawberries)

W Robinson & Son for growing the money..... (and all the other vegetables)

Joe Malia and Alice Hoult for the original graphic design

Halcyon Signs for donating the signs and stickers

Inkon for the printing

Also Maggie Williams, Machine Electrics Ltd, Anthony Penn, David Kennedy, Chrissy Penn, Allison Pike Partnership, HSBC, and David Thompson for their generous donations to the project.  And not forgetting the invaluable team of volunteers who cheerfully manned the garden and the charity stand for five days, led by Nuala James, Alison Davies and Aileen Pike, whose unfailing hard work, loyalty and good humour set the standard for us all.

Build-up started on 9th July and conditions have been extremely difficult.  Plants have also been affected by the weather eg sadly the Romanescu cauliflowers in the head of the arrow have had to be replaced by box balls and the planned salad leaves in the pots will also need substituting. Don't yet know what with and it's Sunday - one day left for planning and planting...... 

Afterwards:

We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded a SILVER MEDAL (and the garden was finished three minutes before the judges arrived......). The whole show attracted 80,000 visitors and our volunteers enthusiastically explained the garden and its charity focus throughout the 5 (mainly wet) days, while distributing 8,000 leaflets. Despite the dire weather and much stress during the planning and construction stages, we feel that The Donations Garden has achieved its goal of publicising Cancer Research UK. Its theme of thyme and money does also seem to have been successful as we are thrilled to have raised over £6,000 as well!    And that's not all.....

The bonus the charity hoped for happened - press coverage - not only locally but also on national television and in glossy magazines such as Living Edge and even in 'The Garden'!  

Thank you for visiting this fundraising page for the Donations Garden - it has been updated regularly as the project progressed.

The money raised 'offline' is the accumulation of money raised from selling-off stock, plus donations received during and after the show. In other words, The Donations Garden did its job - it attracted enough donations for it to exist and all of its further £6,000 goes to Cancer Research UK .