Bringing the Edge to Hampton Court 2024
The Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, held this year from July 2-7, showcased the pinnacle of horticultural creativity and innovation against the historic backdrop of Hampton Court Palace.
As the world's largest annual flower show, this festival continues to inspire garden enthusiasts by blending traditional elements with contemporary design. This year's event exceeded expectations, setting new standards in garden design and construction, particularly through the exceptional contributions of designers Katerina Kantalis and Freddie Strickland.
Katerina Kantalis' Mediterranean-Inspired Retreat
One of the festival's standout designs was The Mediterraneo Garden by Katerina Kantalis, which won a Gold Medal, the Best Get Started Garden Award and the Best Construction (Best Get Started Garden) Award. Her design successfully captured the serene and rustic charm of the region’s characteristic landscape, with meticulous attention to detail and seamless integration of elements creating a harmonious and inviting space.
A key feature of The Mediterraneo Garden was the use of Fort Corten Steel edging from Kinley. This material added a modern and industrial touch while complementing the earthy tones and textures typical of Mediterranean landscapes. The rustic appearance of Corten steel blended beautifully with the garden's greenery, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere that transported visitors to a sun-drenched retreat. Kantalis' innovative use of this material highlighted her unique approach to garden design, balancing aesthetics with functionality.
Katerina saw the aesthetic and practical benefits of the Kinley edging, commenting that it. “was integral to the path design through the garden, adding structure between the planting beds and path” and observing that it “helped to contain the self-binding gravel, but also jointly allowed for us to have a seamless continuation of the various gravel sizes through the garden.
She also appreciated how well the Corten steel complemented her design, saying it “was beautifully fabricated with rounded edges which fitted the look and feel of the garden,” which “focused on elegance and beauty, with a touch of rustic which is evocative of the Mediterranean garden.”
“Being able to work with Kinley has been a joy as we were able to showcase a product that many could emulate within their own gardens.”
Freddie Strickland's Playful and Engaging Design
Freddie Strickland also made a significant impact at the festival with his RHS Adventure Within Garden entry. Known for its playful and adventurous spirit, this garden reminded visitors that gardens can be much more than tranquil retreats—they can be spaces for fun and exploration. His design also featured Kinley's Fort Flexible Corten Steel edging, demonstrating the material's versatility and ability to fit various garden themes and styles.
Having gained prominence by winning the Young Designer Award at the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park in 2021, Strickland showcased his talent for creating engaging and imaginative garden spaces. The Adventure Within Garden was designed to be interactive and enjoyable, appealing to the child in everyone. His use of elements that encouraged exploration and play made his garden a favourite among visitors of all ages.
Freddie described Fort Flexible Edging as “a brilliant product” that “despite some challenging tight curves within the design” was “easily and quickly installed by Arlington Landscapes”, meeting his expectations. The Fort Edging also proved its strength and stability once installed, easily retaining a gravel pathway through the garden design despite it being trampled by the feet of many thousands of show visitors
Adventure Within Garden photography credits: Kat Weatherill
Promoting Sustainability with Metal Landscape Edging
This year's festival emphasised sustainability, with many gardens incorporating eco-friendly materials and practices. This focus reflected a growing awareness within the gardening community about environmental stewardship and the role gardens can play in promoting biodiversity and ecological health.
While timber landscape edging may come from renewable sources, its short lifespan requires frequent replacements, negating its short-term environmental benefits. Concrete edging, using finite resources, can only be recycled as coarse aggregate.
Landscape edging products made of steel and aluminium offer a more sustainable option. These materials are more resistant to frost and impact damage than timber or concrete and contain a high percentage of recyclable content that can be melted down and reused.
Landscape gardeners who aim to push creative boundaries while creating sustainable environments increasingly turn to metal landscape edging from Kinley.
