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'... creating outdoor spaces - for children ... with children'

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Silver for Simon Venn!

In 2005 we were invited by the RHS to design and build a 'show garden' at the Gardeners' World Live Show at Birmingham.

We designed 'Childs' Play' as a garden to show how simple it can be to make outside spaces stimulating and creative for young children.

Our garden was judged and was awarded an RHS Silver Medal. We were completely thrilled. The judging is against the same rigorous standards as used at Chelsea so the award is indeed prestigious!

And we've had tons of interest in the ideas that make up the garden and many lovely comments;

"I was so inspired by your garden design that I photographed it to death and took it to show my Headteacher. He has been equally inspired. You see, we are in the process of developing a garden to be available to our Key Stage 1 children and we had sorted out a design and had it costed etc.

Since seeing the potential of your design ours has gone out of the window and we are going to try to live up to the ideal and standard you have set in garden design for young children.

I still can't get over it. I think it was worth at least a silver-gilt."

"We were so inspired by the space that you had created and we want to do the same with our children, including many of the elements that you had incorporated such as the tyre pond, the willow arch, colourful picket fence and tyre planters. It was amazing to see and yet so simple in its design, I know that we can transform our piece of land!"

Step by step guides

We have published many step-by-step guides that show how to make the stepping stones, the tyre pond, the tyre willow arch, sound fence, etc.

Help yourself - and do let us know how you got on

Images

Click here for some images of the Show garden

Thank you

Again ,many many thanks to our wonderful supporters who have been;

Travis Perkins, Rugby branch helping to provide all the hard materials
Smiths Nurseries, Baginton helping provide most of the planting - and the space to grow the willow arch
Cuprinol helping provide all the 'treatments' for colouring the wood.
Prontaprint, Rugby branch helping provide leaflets
Warwickshire County Council helping bridge the funding shortfall
An anonymous benefactor - thank you very much indeed, and
Newtown Vehicle Hire, helping provide the transport.

We also say thanks to Avon Autospares for providing all the tyres for the arch and pool

... to Craig at the amazing LAPA company for kindly supplying the poles for the various structures

... to Ross of Highfield St. James for his support and advice

... and Paul Catterall of Catteralls coaches for helping transport all 63 children(!) to the show - on Friday 17th

Thank you so much to all these companies for their invaluable support.

See the design

See the press coverage.

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Tel; 077 0926 0946 email; enquiries@simonvenn.co.uk write; 4 Timber Court, Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 5AZ