Felicity Aston is the latest Briton to have reached the South Pole but today she on an expedition of a different kind, visiting the Chelsea Flower to celebrate this year’s Cardiff theme – the Centenary of Captain Scott’s departure from the Welsh capital on his ill-fated trip to the Antarctic.
Felicity's an adventurer and travel writer and a recipient of the ‘Captain Scott Spirit of Adventure Award’ - in December last year Felicity led the Kaspersky Lab Commonwealth Antarctic Expedition to the South Pole.
However, Felicty’s fortunes are in marked contrast to those of Captain Scott, who set sail on the SS Terra Nova from the port of Cardiff on his famous adventure in June 1910, only to be beaten to the South Pole by the Norwegian Amundsen. The city of Cardiff wanted to mark this historic milestone by creating a garden at Chelsea to honour the renowned explorer.
Scott 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 doomed expedition came to an end when Scott and his five man team perished in the icy Antarctic wastes. The SS Terra Nova returned to Cardiff with the expedition survivors in June 1913.
Felicity said: “I’m honoured to celebrate Captain Scott’s Centenary and his links to the city of Cardiff, and as someone who spends a great deal of time surrounded by ice, I’m really looking forward to seeing the colour and beauty on show at Chelsea.” On reaching the South Pole on December 29th, Felicity blogged: “We’re standing here, seven women on the bottom of the planet with the biggest smiles on our faces.”
Cardiff returns to Chelsea for the fourth year with A Centenary Garden for Captain 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 inspiration for the garden comes from Scott’s compass chart across the southern polar ice cap, and is based around a central, contemporary pole sculpture, locally engineered in Cardiff Bay.
Lines of latitude representing the tropics and equator are vertically intersected with twenty-four lines of longitude that continue down to intersect Welsh slate and anthracite across the garden plan. Contemporary, topiary globe planting mixed with softer lavender and grasses help to provide a link back to Cardiff’s grand Edwardian gardens.
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.
Councillor Nigel Howells, Executive Member for Sport, Leisure and Culture said: “We have had great experiences at Chelsea Flower Show in the past few years, and are excited to return, thanks to our partners, to one of the world’s première events, with a garden that portrays the city’s little-known links with one of the great British adventure stories. Felicity’s achievements and spirit of adventure provide a great link to Captain Scott and to Cardiff’s role in his Antarctic expedition, represented by our garden at the world’s leading horticultural event.”
Well done for all of what you did and all the best for future!
sure that hard work pay!
Posted by: ofer el-hashahar | May 24, 2010 at 11:46 PM