Our investments in sustainable design initiatives include the gold-medal winning Perfume Show Garden at the 2009 RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Inspired by the original recipe for a perfume created for Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th Century, the garden demonstrated the potential of sustainable design.

Envisioned as a striking spiral form, the garden’s swirling design was inspired by the pattern of seeds in a sunflower head or the spiralling arrangement of leaves on many plant stems. The planted swirl started low at its extremities, representing the low-lying plants, roots and even fungi used in perfume making.

The perfumery itself was housed in a shroud of stainless steel. The intricate design read as a metaphor for a flower head, with a delicate stamen, stigma and pistil surrounded by an abstract petal canopy reaching out to entice visitors to step into its shade, see the perfumed instillation process and smell samples of the Elizabeth I Perfume produced especially for the event.

All materials used were sustainable and from renewable resources with features including rainwater harvesting, a borehole, a wind turbine, and the conversion of daylight to electricity to power the lighting and irrigation.

The judges recognized the exceptional design of the Perfume Garden with an additional rarely presented Most Creative Award.

The garden was designed by Laurie Chetwood in partnership with landscape architect and garden designer Patrick Collins, and the Elizabeth Perfume was subsequently supplied through Historic Royal Palaces retail outlets.