Former Lincoln students' garden plans finally bear fruit

Landscape Architect Carolyn Ramsbottom has graduated from Lincoln University but a special piece of design work she did while studying there two years ago will be coming to fruition on Labour Day.

While at the School Of Landscape Architecture (SoLA) in 2012 she and fellow student Gerrard Thomson won a competition to design reflective, cultural-based gardens for the Places of Tranquillity project.

These will being publicly unveiled next week at 3pm by project partners Lincoln University, Healthy Christchurch and Greening the Rubble. It has taken time to find suitable land, but they have finally been built on the corner of Manchester Street and Cambridge Terrace.

Both former students have gone on to careers as landscape architects but the design was their first public project and they are excited to see it come to reality.

Ms Ramsbottoms garden has a South East Asia theme and she has been involved in the layout right down to digging holes and putting in the plants.

"It had to be (at the time) a 'temporary garden', able to be done by hand where possible and to be transferable to a permanent site later down the line. Working within these constraints as well as trying to create a tranquil space, and a great design was a challenge," she said.

"It's amazing really and I still can't quite believe it. The prospect of seeing a design placed in the city centre is a real privilege and I can't wait to see it completed."

"I just hope that it does what it says on the tin and gives a feeling of tranquillity, whatever that may be for an individual. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, so time will tell whether it's a success," Ms Ramsbottom said.

She now works as a landscape architect and nursery assistant at a tree nursery and has free rein to design projects.

Mr Thomson said his design was for a South Pacific Garden with a brief to create a tranquil place for both native and immigrant Maori and Pacifica people to relax and reflect.

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Former Lincoln students' garden plans finally bear fruit