The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) will demonstrate and promote Green City principles through an AIPH garden at ‘Expo 2019 Beijing’. The garden, entitled “The Rewilding Garden”, has been designed for the AIPH approved world horticultural event by UK and Singapore based landscape architects Grant Associates.
As a key area of AIPH focus and activity, the AIPH Green City concept and guidelines promote awareness of the urgent need for urban greening. With the occasion of Expo 2019 Beijing, AIPH has the unique opportunity of bringing the Green City message to one of the world’s largest cities and an estimated 16 million expo visitors.
The expo theme: ‘Live Green, Live Better’ aims to demonstrate ecological concepts and garden ideas. The AIPH garden, covering 1500m², will present and promote the benefits of integrating nature into cities and urban areas. Designed using sustainable landscape strategies, the garden will both delight and inspire visitors who will be able to experience nature flourishing in an urban environment.
Held in Beijing, China from 29th April – 7th October 2019, the exposition will be one of the largest horticultural trade events in the world and will attract members of the horticulture industry and public alike. The expo received official approval by AIPH as an A1 category event in 2012 and subsequently gained the recognition of the Bureau of International Expositions.
Commenting on the garden, AIPH Secretary General Tim Briercliffe said “We’ve worked withGrant Associates to create a design that can powerfully demonstrate the AIPH Green City concept that we work to promote. The garden is an excellent way to showcase beautiful and inspiring solutions for cities of the future.”
Peter Chmiel, Director at Grant Associates said: “It’s a privilege and honour to be chosen by AIPH to design the garden for this prestigious event. ‘The Rewilding Garden’ will show that nature can flourish in cities, providing a multitude of benefits including improved water management, cleaner air, habitats for pollinators and better health and well-being of citizens.”
Design Details of AIPH’s ‘The Rewilding Garden’ | Expo 2019 Beijing:
Entering the Garden
Visitors begin their journey through a display of the core values of sustainable and biophilic design. An edible wall will demonstrate how plants thrive in peat-free soil, with some plants growing without any soil at all in nutrient-rich water (an example of hydroponics).
Urban Healing Forest Garden
Visitors will be immersed in greenery as they continue along an elevated boardwalk through an ‘urban forest’. Information boards will explain how surrounding trees and plants not only clean the air, soil, and water but also promote well-being by bringing people into closer contact with nature. A sequence of seating ‘snugs’ will further enhance visitors’ immersive experience, providing space to sit and relax and learn more about the work of AIPH.
Rain Garden
This area within the urban forest will showcase sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS) that creatively manage and clean urban run-off, helping to sustain a biodiverse-rich habitat.
Pollination Meadow
Full of colour and contrasting textures, the meadow will demonstrate how cities can provide a biodiverse habitat for birds, bees and butterflies. The selected plant species are low management, suited to urban environments and adaptive to climate change.
Flower Pavilion
Inspired by the shape of a chrysanthemum, the official flower of Beijing, the pavilion will juxtapose AIPH’s ‘intellectual’ messages with emotionally evocative artworks. This will include suspended flower displays, a horticulture-inspired floor graphic and a digital display providing information on AIPH’s Green City concept. The pavilion will measure 8m in diameter.
After the Expo, the AIPH Garden will remain at the show site in Beijing and become a permanent showcase for the AIPH Green City concept in the 21st century.
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