The Quiet Mark Treehouse and Garden by John Lewis
I joined forces with Quiet Mark and John Lewis to design our treehouse and garden feature at Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.
It is a peaceful oasis of naturalistic planting and sculptured landscaping, designed to blend in with its tranquil forest setting. Escape into a world where the sounds of nature and wildlife can be enjoyed to the full.
The centrepiece is the dream treehouse home designed by Blue Forest for John Lewis. A survey carried out by the retailer found that two in five people suffer from increased stress levels from the noise of their home appliances.
The solution is this dynamic structure, which is fully soundproofed and features Quiet Mark-approved low noise appliances to allow the residents to enjoy the quiet sounds of nature.
The treehouse design was inspired by the shape of a copse of trees on a distant hilltop, and the dramatic fins beneath the treehouse deck were inspired by the shape of a buttress root.
Garden and wildlife
I designed the garden, which is a woodland retreat that offers peace and quiet, as well as a a sanctuary for wildlife. I scaled the garden with huge 10m tall birch trees, whose multi-stem trunks shield noise as well as offering beautiful silver bark.
Trees always bring calm to a garden – dappled sunlight streams through the leaves as they rustle in the wind.
This is complemented by woodland planting with ferns and bright flowers. I also added meadow turf, filled with wild flowers and soft grasses to cover a bank and keep the planting very natural.
I wanted to use the quiet garden to allow visitors to enjoy the sounds of nature, so I planted flowers that pollinators love such as hollyhocks and meadow plants.
I also built bee houses to attract solitary bees, which I hope will highlight their struggle for survival and inspire people to put one in their own garden.
The Children’s Hospice
Once the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show has finished, the treehouse will be donated to The Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice in West Sussex. They were unable to build their own treehouse because of budget constraints, and we are delighted to be making such a gift.
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