I have to declare a personal interest in this as my wife Elizabeth also had a small role in this story. West Ealing garden designer Lesley Faux of Designed Gardens played a key role in Korean designer Jihae Hwang’s Hae-woo-so (Emptying one’s mind) garden which not only won a gold medal but also was voted best garden in the Artisan garden category at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show.
Lesley has spent the past few months busily sourcing a wide range of unusual plants for this garden and then, with a little help and moral support from my wife, spent a good deal of last week laying out and planting this unusual garden which has as its central feature a Korean toilet. The RHS website describes the garden as follows:
‘Hae-woo-so is the Korean word for the traditional Korean
toilet. The inspiration behind the garden is that for centuries the Korean
people believed that going to the toilet was a cathartic experience and
considered it to be highly spiritual.
The wild flowers and vintage look of the toilet building are key
elements of this predominantly green-toned garden. The pathway to the toilet
from the garden’s entrance is also a significant feature; the process of
emptying one’s mind takes place on the walk through the centre of the peaceful
garden, enjoying the beauty of nature.’
Congratulations to Lesley. Oh, and somehow or other we’ve ended up with about 12 tea plants so watch out for West Ealing grown tea at some future date!
David Highton
Being a huge fan of both Chelsea Flower Show and toilets (working for WaterAid, you learn to appreciate how lucky we are!), I love this garden. Having been involved with a show garden in 2005, I can appreciate how much work will have gone into producing such a beautiful place. Well done to Elizabeth for her hand in the planting..!!
So glad I logged on to see this – I am going to Chelsea tomorrow and am delighted to learn of the West Ealing link. I must say I have admired this garden from the televison coverage, but don’t remember any mention being made of the toilet! Fascinating – and well done Elizabeth for your input..