Pepa's Karst Garden
Post categories: Gilly Brennan
| 19:55 UK time, Monday, 6 July 2009
I want to visit Slovenia. In particular I want to visit the Karst region. It's a beautiful, historic area of red soil and rocks, famed for its wine and its stonemasons.
Borut Benedejcic dreamed of becoming a wine producer in the Karst, but it wasn't possible for a young man who hadn't been born into an existing wine dynasty. Instead he became a horticulturist.
On a visit to England four years ago he visited The RHS Chelsea Flower Show. There and then he decided that one day he too would build a show garden alongside the best in the world.
This year he applied and as an unknown quantity, was guided by the RHS to have a go at The Hampton Court Palace Flower Show first, with a small garden.
He called his design Pepa's Karst Garden. Pepa is the typical name of a traditional Karst woman and Borut has lovingly recreated her cottage.
With his wife Tanya and a stonemason or two, he brought over all 46 tons of plants and materials from Slovenia in two big trucks. The stone door and window frames are over 200 years old and are from an old cottage. They will be returned after the show. In the front garden is an original old wellhead and vines climbing up wooden posts.
The highlight of the garden without a doubt, is the dry stone wall around the front. It is a work of art made of skilfully knapped stones with small chips filling the gaps. Over the wall sedums and sempervivums grow as if they had been there for years.
The whole garden is built with such love and respect for the Karst heritage that it just looks completely right and comfortable.
The judges obviously thought so to and awarded it a Gold medal and Best Small Garden. A very happy Borut and Tanya are already planning that Chelsea garden!
Comment number 1.
At 8th Jul 2009, nameBBozo wrote:I'am from Slovenia. If you come to our place You will certainly enjoy our land - Karst. Saturday we come on Hampton Court flower show to see the Pepa's garden and other nice garden designs.
I would like to receive the video file about Hamptons court flower show part 1 and part 2 (part 2 will be tomorrow Th. 9.6.09 at 20h on 91Èȱ¬2), but citizens outside UK can not download it from 91Èȱ¬2. Can some one please download the file and Email it (or put it on YouTube)?
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