RHS Spring Show 2024
Ian McBain, Jane Hindmarch and “Elipse “sculpture in the “Concrete 2.0” garden.
“Elipse” Sculpture X “Concrete 2.0” Show Garden
I’ve been dying to put all this exciting news together and share it in a blog and finally here it is!
It all began in March 2024 with a video call with Ian McBain of Tythorne Darden Design who invited me to exhibit “Elipse” in mild steel in the “Concrete 2.0” show garden at the RHS Spring Show in May at Malvern, Worcestershire, UK.
My sculpture design had evolved from drawing and contemplation of material and immaterial elements of living things; plants, leaves, seeds and more. I had become particularly interested in single biological cells as the smallest unit of life. By reducing this idea through drawings of basic cell structures to their simplest form I hoped the resulting sculpture could be a symbol for the presence of life. The garden setting seemed a most appropriate location.
The piece stands 1400mm high by 1100mm wide x 100mm deep and is made of mild steel with an even, well oxidised patina created specially for this event. Elipse was made in collaboration with the wonderful Traditional Co.
For the RHS show we wanted a well rusted, even patina. To achieve this I ground off all the protective mill scale on the surface to expose the steel to the elments and speed up the oxidisation process. The results were amazing!
A corner of the “Concrete 2.0” garden showing “Elipse”, gorgeous planting , water feature and the very popular yellow ducks!
Ian McBain’s contemporary design combines sustainable materials, repurposed metalwork, rainwater harvesting and expert planting to create a dream garden all in 3m x 9m plot.
Sustainable paving, produced in the UK with cement-free concrete and recycled aggregates, is featured, alongside recycled and reclaimed materials such as agricultural water troughs, scaffold-board boundary screens, and rain channels made from reclaimed angle iron.
The garden emphasises responsible water management, with surface water captured by the studio roof used to feed water features and rainwater returning directly to the ground via wide channels of loose recycled aggregates.
In the grid above you can see the structure of the garden and also the beautifully atmospheric lighting which transformed the garden from twilight into the evening.
The “Concrete 2.0”garden at RHS Spring Show 2024
As always I’m grateful to The Traditional Co ironworks in Leicestershire for their collaboration and support since 2020 and JFabs in Rutland for their help.
Huge congratulations to Ian McBain of Tythorne Garden Design who was awarded a Silver-Gilt on this stunning and sustainable garden. and his first ever show garden! Many thanks for including “Elipse”. It was great to meet the “Concrete 2.0” Garden team and take part in such an exciting event!
“Elipse “ is currently available on my website, click HERE to find out more!
I have dedicated “Elipse” to the memory of my biology teachers, the late Miss Butler and Miss Lilford who introduced me to the science of living things.
Jane Hindmarch with “Elipse” in the “Concrete 2.0” garden at RHS Malvern. 2024
Credit also to Ian's many other collaborators who collectively made the magic : Pickwell Paving, Red Rhino UK, Kelham Island Concrete, Landscape Plus UK, Inlite Global, Collingwood Lighting, Aqua Design Landscaping, Core Landscape Products, Keily Rutherford Garden Designs, Jamie Higgs, Malvern Garden Buildings, Hannah Phillips Garden Designer, Nicola Oakley, Malvern Shows