We’re delighted to report that Jake Curley, one of our talented staff at Clifton Nurseries, has just been announced as one of the three finalists in the RHS Young Designer 2017 competition.
This prestigious competition is organised by the RHS to find the best emerging young talent from the world of Garden Design. Selected from a multitude of entries, the three young designer finalists will create their very own first RHS Show Garden at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park in July of this year. This year the theme for the competition is office gardens.
With guidance, advice and support throughout the process from the established and award-winning garden designer, Paul Hervey-Brookes, Jake and the other two finalists now have the ultimate challenge of bringing their designs to fruition this summer.
Jake’s design, entitled ‘Business & Pleasure’ is a versatile office garden with naturalistic prairie-style planting contained in a contemporary design setting. The garden has three seating areas: the first being a home office with desk and computer under a covered area for all year-round use; the second is a long table with seating for eight people forming a relaxing space for discussions in a stimulating setting; the third is a small bench at the end of the gravel path for taking in a different view of the garden. 
The serene water trough in the middle of the garden provides contrast and simplicity to the surrounding planting scheme which includes grasses intermixed with the bold colour provided by drifts of perennials. Inspired by the High Line public park in New York and Piet Oudolf’s use of grasses, as well as other New York rooftop gardens, this naturalistic planting is chosen to provide an escape from the busy city life.
In 2012 Jake studied for a degree in Garden & Landscape Design at Writtle College and realised, "this is what I want to do. Now I work at Clifton Nurseries and get to enjoy one big garden every day!"
All of us at Clifton Nurseries congratulate Jake on this exciting achievement and wish him all the very best with the next stage of the competition - building the garden at RHS Tatton Park.