Enchanting Escape By Niki Palmer Receives Silver-gilt and People’s Choice Award At Rhs Hampton Court Flower Show

A certain future light in garden designer, Niki Palmer, who was already thrilled to receive a Silver-Gilt Medal for her garden ‘Enchanting Escape’ at the recent RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show at the start of the week, was over the moon by the end of it, when she was revealed as the winner of the People’s Choice Award for the public’s favourite Show Garden.

Creating her first ever major show garden Niki teamed up with leading specialist hard landscape supplier Stonemarket to create her modern fairytale setting. To help Stonemarket supplied her with their contemporary landscaping materials and staff to man the garden throughout the whole Show.

Niki said of her two awards:

“To receive a Silver-Gilt Medal was a fantastic achievement in the first place and one I am very, very proud of, but then, for people to take the time and energy to vote for my garden for the People’s Choice Award is just phenomenal. I am truly overcome and would personally like to thank each and every one of them. Thank you! I would also like to thank my contributors, particularly Stonemarket, who have given me their overwhelming support throughout this project. Their enthusiasm and commitment has been untiring.”

Niki had an feeling that her concept might be enjoyed by the public, saying:

“I thought the garden would appeal to those with a true love of plants, craftsmanship and a sense of fun. Designed for both private relaxation and stylish socialising, it was elegant and inviting, contemporary with a touch of eccentricity and blurred the lines as a traditional interior style nestled in with abundant planting.”

Stonemarket’s principal contribution was its contemporary Avant-garde Etched Paving, in its popular Ebony colour. This ethically sourced natural stone product is smooth cut and has a free flowing, design-led, ‘Swirl’ meticulously etched into the surface, opening up a range of possibilities for unique and exciting hard landscaping design.

In her design Niki has used this unique paver to create an impression of a carpet for her outdoor room and further to form a bespoke wall feature behind the garden’s magical four poster bed.

Rachel Waugh, Marketing Manager, Stonemarket, said:

“We are so proud of Niki. We knew as soon as we saw the design it was the perfect showcase to display our products in a creative & fun way. Now that initial thinking has been proven right – twice in fact! To receive the People’s Choice Award as well as the Silver Gilt medal is just fantastic and shows how much people loved Niki’s design and how she used our materials.”

Based in Warwickshire, Niki set up Niki Palmer Garden Designs in 2006 and offers the full range of garden design services from initial plans to final build and planting schemes. In 2007 Niki was awarded an RHS Silver-Gilt medal for her first small show garden, ‘A Courtyard Retreat,’ at Gardeners’ World Live.

After studying Modern Languages at Exeter College, Oxford, Niki pursued a career in garden design by studying the FdSc Garden & Landscape Design at Warwickshire College which she passed with distinction, and working at Smiths’ Nurseries.

Niki fell in love with Stonemarket’s Avant-garde etched ‘Swirl’ whilst visiting Russells Garden Centre, Warwickshire, where Stonemarket has a unique Display centre and where she regularly purchases Stonemarket’s specialist hard landscaping materials.

Introduced only this year to the Stonemarket portfolio, Avant-garde has taken the design world by storm. Available in a choice of two colours Ebony and Silver and in two designs ‘Swirl’ and ‘Helix’, the paving is available in a feature pack to use individually or combined with the naturally beautiful Avant-garde range of paving.

Stonemarket is a market leading supplier of garden and driveway products, providing everything needed to transform a garden. Supplying builder’s merchants and garden centres throughout the UK, Stonemarket has earned a reputation for providing innovative products of the highest quality. Stonemarket has three unique flagship Display Centres at Chessington Garden Centre, Surrey; Russells Garden Centre, Warwickshire and Whitakers Garden Centre, Merseyside.

The extensive Stonemarket range includes ethically sourced natural stone reconstituted stone, and driveway pavers. Stonemarket is a socially responsible business who only source natural stone from approved suppliers who can guarantee that no child labour has been used and workers were paid living wages.

For further information on Stonemarket please visit www.stonemarket.co.uk