Supporting Cardiff's Expedition to Chelsea with Scott of the Antarctic Garden
“I will reach the South Pole or I will never come back again” were the prophetic words of Scott of the Antarctic when he set sail on the SS Terra Nova from the port of Cardiff on his ill-fated expedition in June 1910, and now Cardiff has created a garden for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in honour of Captain Scott to celebrate the centenary of one of the greatest of all British adventures.
Cardiff returns to Chelsea for the fourth year with A Centenary Garden for R.F. Scott, a Courtyard Garden created by first-time Chelsea designer Elfed Evans of Cardiff-based Celf Creative, in collaboration with Mo Dorken and Cardiff Council Parks Services. It represents Scott’s legendary pioneering spirit that has touched the imagination of generations, a spirit that is reflected in the regeneration of modern day Cardiff and its waterfront, Cardiff Bay.
The explorer gave Cardiff the honour of launching the expedition after the city had raised significant funds to facilitate the Antarctic trip. He intended to return triumphant to the port of Cardiff, but of course the ill fated expedition came to an end when Scott and his team perished in the icy Antarctic wastes. He set sail on June 15th on an adventure that would end in the death of him and his five man team, beaten to the South Pole by one month by the Norwegian Amundsen. True to Scott’s promise, The SS Terra Nova returned to Cardiff with the expedition survivors in June 1913.
Scott’s second in command, a man with strong Welsh connections, Lieutenant Edward Evans said at the time: “We were welcomed by the citizens of the great Welsh seaport with enthusiasm …and everything done with an open hearted generosity.” Cardiff embraced his spirit of adventure and raised money locally to fund the expedition. The local population turned out in their thousands on the cliffs around Cardiff to bid farewell to the ill fated crew as they embarked on their intrepid journey 100 years ago.
The garden has a central contemporary sculpture saluting Scott’s exploits, with concentric bands of planting. The symmetrical design reflects lines of latitude radiating from the central sculpture and points of the compass referencing Scott’s voyage with an outline map of the South Pole engraved in Welsh slate. Topiary planting supports the link back to the grand Edwardian gardens whilst the softer habits of grasses and lavender lend a more contemporary feel to the garden.
Edwardian Cardiff was a thriving world class city with an economy driven by coal and shipping. Opulent homes, often with formal gardens and topiary, reflected this wealth and prosperity, and inspiration has been taken from these to create the Scott Centenary garden.
Scott’s courage and spirit have been an inspiration ever since, and they continue to resonate in the pioneering developments that have emerged in the regenerated port of Cardiff from where he set sail. Now one of the most exciting waterfront developments in Europe, Cardiff Bay is a visitor attraction and leisure location around a 13 hectare freshwater lake.
On one side sits the Wales Millennium Centre, a multi-arts venue that attracts world class opera and musical performances, surrounded by a range of bars and restaurants boasting a variety of international cuisine. Across the water is the Cardiff International Sports Village, complete with international swimming pool and indoor ice rink, where the latest attraction – the olympic-standard Cardiff International White Water centre, constructed by Cardiff garden sponsors Dean & Dyball Civil Engineering, offers the UK’s newest adrenaline attraction.
The Director of Dean & Dyball’s Wales Region, Neil Beresford, said: “Cardiff’s pioneering spirit is evident from the approach taken to its regeneration and the exciting projects Cardiff Council and the Welsh Assembly Government have committed to, such as Cardiff International White Water. We are proud of the part we are playing in those projects and take great pleasure in supporting Cardiff at Chelsea.”
Dean & Dyball is also building the Pont y Werin footbridge over the River Ely, where their fellow garden sponsor Cardiff Marine Group operate Cardiff Marina. This first class marina provides 350 fully serviced berths in an attractive setting at the heart of the International Sports Village. The site will soon see the arrival of Bayscape, a mixed use development, which will centre around the brand new 32 storey 5 star Wyndham Cardiff hotel due to open in 2013.
Cardiff Marine Group Director Drew McDonald said: “We love the city of Cardiff and are extremely proud of the first class marina that we have created there. Choosing Scott's expedition to Antarctica is a perfect reference to the pioneering nature of the city and its fantastic waterfront. It is great that Cardiff is returning to Chelsea and we're really excited to be sponsoring this year’s garden.”