Antithesis of Sarcophagi innovative garden at Chelsea

In 2013, Martin Cook, won a Gold medal at RHS Chelsea for The Mindfulness Garden and he returns again for sponsor The Marble & Granite Centre Ltd, with ‘Antithesis of Sarcophagi’ which he has co-designed with Gary Breeze.

The garden features a 44 ton granite cube set in a barren landscape – seemingly at first sight a ‘garden’’with neither flowers or plants. On closer inspection, Chelsea visitors will be able to peer through slits in the granite cube which reveal a beautiful, regenerating woodland.

Commenting on the garden’s design, Martin says: “We’ve taken to referring to our garden as ‘granite not gladioli’. Our aim is to turn the traditional concept of a Chelsea garden on its head – in our garden, gratification is delayed rather than instantly rewarded, and closer inspection will most definitely reap rewards for show visitors.”

Marble & Granite Centre managing director, Stephen Pike, has long been a supporter of Martin and his work: “Both Martin and Gary have a unique ability to take a natural material, already a beautiful thing, and turn it into something truly special. I’m looking forward to watching the garden develop and to sharing it with visitors to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2016,” he said.

The garden will be exhibited in the Fresh Gardens category and I feel sure it will attract a lot of attention from show visitors. Good luck to Martin and Gary in the run-up to Chelsea.