perfectly permeable...

'with great power comes great responsibility' or so it says in Spiderman (or something to that effect), and even though I do not have great power, I do feel I have a great responsibility as a designer.

A responsibility to be true to my ethics, my client, my passions and to not adversely affect our little planet if I can do something to help it, and this is why I pour over every single one of my designs to ensure that I am doing all in my (limited and not great) power to make a small difference.

But designing a show garden brings a much greater responsibility. You are not just designing for one, or a few, but for potentially thousands of people who come to look at your garden. Stick in a bit of TV coverage, and boy do you have a weight on your shoulders. With all of this in mind, I feel I have a massive responsibility to show the masses what is available and what can be done, all with the responsible eco slant.

And this is why I choose the materials, methods, messages and plants that I do.

So when it came to sourcing a path for 'dancing with the trees' I knew that I had to provide a sustainable path, which was able to effectively turn a tight corner, with minimal or no wastage, be beautiful and permeable to boot. No virgin trawled gravels or pavers with lots of cuts here.

And what filled my requirements? A stunning, permeable, resin bonded, recycled glass path from my good old friends at SureSet.

It was quick to lay, set in a few hours, coped fantastically with the sudden cloud bursting downpours during the show, and glittered in the sun that broke through.

But surely, you say, there is wastage, even in this path after the show? Nope, as we broke up the path into small 'biscuits' and have laid it as a loose material on our allotment. It was made from a recycled product, and we have recycled it again. Perfect.

Plus, this is another good example of upcycling...(cor, you would think I plan these posts...)