Over 4,000 plants will form a giant living birthday cake, towering above exhibition visitors and stands, to mark the 110th birthday of the Ideal Home Show at Olympia London this spring. Naturally, I cannot reveal a photograph as yet, but the enormous green cake will look something like this...
The cake's creator will be TV gardener and horticulturalist David Domoney, who will wrap a fabulous mix of foliage and flowers around the vertical surfaces of the cake to be displayed at the annual exhibition from 17 March to 2 April. Domoney and his team will have just four days to construct the cake, which will include various ferns such as Bird-nest, Boston and Pteris.
The 6.5 metre high by 3.25 metre wide cake will showcase vertical gardening - one of the biggest gardening trends for this year. This links in with Pantone's interiors 'Greenery' trend, predicted by many designers to continue its popularity through 2018 and beyond.
With gardens becoming smaller, vertical gardening allows homeowners to make the most of the space they have. Vertical gardens have the advantage of being self-sufficient, and any type of plant can grow in the vertical pockets that can be attached to a wall, or in this case, the side of a cake. In these pockets the plants receive water and nutrients from the top down, rather than from the ground, with excess water draining down to the plant positioned below until each one is hydrated.
Domoney, who has been creating gardens at the show for over 20 years, advises: “Despite enthusiasm for gardening increasing, people’s gardens are getting smaller. Vertical planting is a brilliant way to enhance the brickwork around a garage, fencing or rendering, for example. For those with green fingers, the fact that any type of plant can grow in a vertical pocket means people can still plant, grow and love a whole range of plants.
“This project has been as exciting as it has been a challenge. The sheer size of the infrastructure needed to create the framework is a task on its own, but with a very tight build schedule, thousands of plants to go into position, and then keeping those plants alive inside a show environment for over two weeks, this project needs special planning and construction”.
Visitors will be treated to show homes that focus on enhancing every centimetre of liveable space, with a modernised Victorian terrace ‘Innovation home’, Liv-in beach huts, and specially-designed garden pods providing extra office or bedroom space in the garden.
Celebrities and experts offer demonstrations and top tips on gardening, home improvements, food and drink, alongside over 600 exhibitors. Celebrity chefs and drinks industry experts will also take to the Foodie Stage and Drinks Station situated within the co-located Eat & Drink Festival with free access for Ideal Home Show visitors.
To book tickets visit www.idealhomeshow.co.uk or call the ticket hotline on 0844 858 6763.
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| The giant cake will be constructed in just four days. |
The cake's creator will be TV gardener and horticulturalist David Domoney, who will wrap a fabulous mix of foliage and flowers around the vertical surfaces of the cake to be displayed at the annual exhibition from 17 March to 2 April. Domoney and his team will have just four days to construct the cake, which will include various ferns such as Bird-nest, Boston and Pteris.
The 6.5 metre high by 3.25 metre wide cake will showcase vertical gardening - one of the biggest gardening trends for this year. This links in with Pantone's interiors 'Greenery' trend, predicted by many designers to continue its popularity through 2018 and beyond.
With gardens becoming smaller, vertical gardening allows homeowners to make the most of the space they have. Vertical gardens have the advantage of being self-sufficient, and any type of plant can grow in the vertical pockets that can be attached to a wall, or in this case, the side of a cake. In these pockets the plants receive water and nutrients from the top down, rather than from the ground, with excess water draining down to the plant positioned below until each one is hydrated.
Domoney, who has been creating gardens at the show for over 20 years, advises: “Despite enthusiasm for gardening increasing, people’s gardens are getting smaller. Vertical planting is a brilliant way to enhance the brickwork around a garage, fencing or rendering, for example. For those with green fingers, the fact that any type of plant can grow in a vertical pocket means people can still plant, grow and love a whole range of plants.
“This project has been as exciting as it has been a challenge. The sheer size of the infrastructure needed to create the framework is a task on its own, but with a very tight build schedule, thousands of plants to go into position, and then keeping those plants alive inside a show environment for over two weeks, this project needs special planning and construction”.
Visitors will be treated to show homes that focus on enhancing every centimetre of liveable space, with a modernised Victorian terrace ‘Innovation home’, Liv-in beach huts, and specially-designed garden pods providing extra office or bedroom space in the garden.
Celebrities and experts offer demonstrations and top tips on gardening, home improvements, food and drink, alongside over 600 exhibitors. Celebrity chefs and drinks industry experts will also take to the Foodie Stage and Drinks Station situated within the co-located Eat & Drink Festival with free access for Ideal Home Show visitors.
To book tickets visit www.idealhomeshow.co.uk or call the ticket hotline on 0844 858 6763.