Tatton Flower Show – OKOPOD

I had great delight this weekend visiting the ‘1804 Garden’ at the Royal Horticultural Society’s annual flower show. The garden is designed by award-wining duo Carolyn Hardern and Jon Jarvis, to promote awareness of melanoma skin cancer in the construction industry. Supported by OKOPOD, who provided one of their garden rooms, with stylish Shou Sugi Ban (charred timber) cladding.

Research shows that, in the UK, working in the sun leads to around five melanoma cases and one death a week, and that construction workers diagnosed with melanoma have the highest number of deaths. Promoting the charities Band of Builders and Melanoma UK, Carolyn and Jon’s garden (the biggest in the show at just over 3002m) is so named because 1804 was the date that melanoma was first referred to in the medical world.

The garden is in the shape of an equilateral triangle, inspired by the yellow-and-black radiation symbol, a familiar sign in hospital cancer centres, with three curved blades emanating from a central point. Visitors are welcome and will be able to stroll around, the slate pathways are also accessible to wheelchairs.