Silk Road Garden Chengdu China, is architect Laurie Chetwood and landscape architect Patrick Collins’ fourth collaboration on the Triangle Site at the Chelsea Flower Show.

The garden is inspired by the rich history and culture of Chengdu, capital of the ancient Chinese Shu kingdom, and since ancient times known as ‘the Abundant Land’ thanks to its fertile soil and favourable climate.

The form of the garden combines architectural and planting design in a conceptual depiction of the different landscape features of Chengdu and the surrounding Sichuan Province. In contrasting planting environments it showcases some of the many garden plants familiar in the West that have Chinese origins.

At the heart of the garden the symbol of the 3,000 year old Sun and Immortal Bird legend, the logo of Chengdu City and Chinese Cultural Heritage, lies on a central theatrical plaza. A ‘Silk Road’ path runs the length of the garden, celebrating the commercial, cultural and horticultural legacy of the historic Silk Road trade route, and the Su-Embroidery masters of Chengdu.