RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Congratulations to Camilla Windsor Clive and Joanne Edmonds for designing the award-winning Hampden Stargardt Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Camilla has two sons with Stargardt's Disease and wishes to raise awareness of the rare eye disease and vital funds for the charity. We are very grateful to Hamden for generously sponsoring the garden.
The garden won the prestigious Silver Gilt Medal and has received much media attention being featured on the BBC, in the press and lifestyle magazines such as House Beautiful and Gardeners World.
Ex-footballer Michael Owen, his wife Louise and daughter Gemma Owen came on Press Day to visit the garden in support of Stargardt’s Connected as his own son James has Stargardt’s Disease.
Thousands of visitors flocked each day to see the stunning garden helping to raise awareness of Stargardt’s Disease and the charity.
The garden is being sold in parts with all the proceeds going towards vital funds for Stargardt’s Connected.
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Welcome to the Hampden Stargardt Garden
The Hampden Stargardt Garden is a sensory garden. It is designed for those affected by Stargardt’s disease who are losing their sight. The garden is intended to appeal to their senses, with the calming sound of running water, the scent of the plants and the silky feel of the wooden seats, without overwhelming them.
It is influenced by the Hampshire countryside and the design echoes the colours inherent in the heartwood of the stripped yew.
The main focus is the dramatic water feature, made of ash bark and the charred black ash planters, symbolising the devastating loss of a person’s central vision.
The contrasting lighter elements and naturalistic planting interpreted with apricot, lilac, white / cream and burgundy tones, represent acceptance of their condition through an altered connection to the world.
Watch the Stargardt Garden featured on the BBC
The Stargardt Garden was featured in the BBC program about the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Clicking on the screenshot below will open iPlayer in a new window. The Stargardt Garden is featured at 22:24 minutes in.
About the designers
The new garden designers Joanne Edmonds and Camilla Windsor-Clive joined forces to create this dramatic sensory space to raise awareness for Stargardt’s Disease and they have been generously sponsored by Hampden in their endeavour.
They met at the English Gardening School in 2018 and both graduated with distinction.
Joanne Edmonds trained at the London College of Garden Design in Kew Gardens. She is now also an ambassador for Alitext Limited. Joanne specialises in propagation and greenhouse growing and started her own nursery this year, Privett Plants Limited. Joanne's garden and greenhouse were the main feature in the gardening section of the Saturday Telegraph, and also published in Country Life magazine. Her personal interests are in creating green sustainable environments, and focusing on enhancing biodiversity.
Camilla Windsor-Clive was previously involved with the visual arts and retrained as garden designer having always been inspired by plants and gardens. As a child, her father ran a leading nursery and she was brought up surrounded by acres of roses. She is now an ambassador for Stargardt’s Connected and interested in promoting the charity.
Both designers have brought their different interests together to create a dramatic sensory space, naturalistic, yet contemporary in style.
Plant List
Plants
Anthriscus sylvestris
Antirrhinum asarina
Anquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Ruby Port’
Deschampsia cespitosa
Digitalis purpurea ‘Dalmatian Cream’
Galium odoratum
Geum ‘Mai Tai’
Hesperis matronalis var. albiflora
Luzula nivea
Lysimachia atropurpurea ‘Beaujolais’
Melica altissima ‘Alba’
Mertensia virginica
Trachelospermum jasminoides
Valeriana officinalis
Verbascum x hybrida ‘Southern Charm’
Trees
Crataegus monogynaCorylus avellana
About Stargardt’s Disease
Stargardt’s Disease is an inherited progressive disease that affects the retina. It causes central vision loss causing problems with distance and fine detail vision such as recognising faces and reading books. It is most commonly diagnosed in children and young adults, but it can also be diagnosed in middle age and less often in older patients. It affects approximately one in 10,000 people and therefore is classed as a rare disease.
There is no current treatment or cure for Stargardt’s. Stargardt’s Connected became a registered charity in 2019 and is the first and only solely Stargardt’s Charity in the U.K. They have since created a community providing information, practical and emotional support. They hold virtual and face to face meet ups and held their first conference in March 2023. The charity has set up a global patient register to help collate valuable information on Stargardt’s, stimulate research and link members of the community together.
By supporting Stargardt’s Connected, you will help to raise awareness and funds for support and vital research.
With your help, we will get there!