New Hall College is set to make horticultural history this May by becoming the first Cambridge College to submit a garden to the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show. The garden, entitled “The Transit of Venus”, will be designed and created by alumnae from the college.

Sue Goss, who is designing the garden, drew inspiration from the College’s buildings and collections. It will celebrate the achievements of New Hall members, especially in the field of scientific enquiry. The garden pays homage to the work of the College’s history of astronomers and the theme makes reference to the passing of Venus between the Sun and the Earth.
Features of the garden will include curved walls and mirrored panels which will represent the elliptical path of Venus’ orbit, with a globe at the front signifying the planet itself. The symbolic juxtapostion of two planets, one green and another barren, is intended to demonstrate environmental awareness.

Under the direction of Head Gardener Jo Cobb, the garden’s diverse range of flowers is designed to reflect the variety of the College’s broad collection of contemporary art by female artists. Cobb said “the project really seems to have captured the imagination of both the college and community. We’ve had a lot of support from University departments and sponsors. All sections of the Cambridge community have been incredibly generous.”

Other contributors to the garden include the award-winning gardening journalist Ursula Buchan and Cambridge-based architect Anne Cooper. The project has been funded with the help of the profits from a calendar of images of the New Hall garden made by garden photographer Kate Gadsby.

New Hall President Anne Lonsdale expressed her support for the proposals. “Over recent years the gardens at New Hall have gained a reputation for being some of the most colourful and lively in the University. This, combined with the outstanding expertise of our alumnae, makes this an exciting but attainable project for the college,” she said.

The 155th RHS Chelsea Flower Show will take place between the 22 and the 27 May this year.

Kat Hana