Gül Tau Garden

New perennial movement — this is a planting style immediately recognizable by the calming mass of swaying grasses sprinkled with jewel-like flowers. Evoking a richly flowered prairie or wildflower meadow, it possesses almost no distinct structure and is interesting, apart from the plants themselves, consistently eliciting admiration from both landscape architects and gardeners.

«Olympic Golden Meadows» was the main feature of the Olympic Park in London during the 2012 Olympic Games. These meadows surrounded the main stadium and were a noticeable part of the atmosphere of the world festival that prevailed in the park during the Games. The task was to develop a series of vibrant floral arrangements for annual seeding in the area.

The requirement was to ensure continuous, spectacular blooming from early July through mid-September. This was achieved through the careful selection of species and colors that succeeded one another in a process of succession. The primary seed mix for the «Olympic Gold Meadows» featured blue, orange, and yellow blooms, which transitioned to purely golden hues in August and September.

I would also like to highlight the specific seating area in the Olympic Park—this section of the park houses the aquatic sports center, so Nigel Dannett chose to rely on blue and cyan tones. In this way, the color composition created a special connection between the garden and the location’s theme.

In June 2022, to mark the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, the Tower of London transformed its moat into a vibrant and joyful flower field. During the summer of 2022, the floral arrangements offered a feast for the eyes with new colors and patterns. This «super bloom» brought natural beauty into the heart of the city, giving people the opportunity to slow down, reflect, and savor the simple joy of observing blooming plants.

Amidst the ruins of an ancient Balkar settlement in Upper Balkaria, a garden is born—a place where nature becomes a symbol of memory, rebirth, and healing. Its core concept is to recontextualize the tragedy of the 1944 Balkar deportation through the imagery of field flowers sprouting where life once thrived. The preserved stone walls of the houses form natural terraces that gradually ascend toward an ancient tower—a symbol of resilience, generational continuity, and connection to the native land.

Explication:1. Gate of Silence — a zone of quietude, entrance to a memorial site 2. House Terrace — the largest volume of ruins 3. Genealogy Garden — stones marked with ancestral tamgha (symbols) 4. Place of Rebirth — a floral field symbolizing the resurrection of the ruins 5. Contemplation Plaza — a high vantage point offering views of the gorge

1. Where will the garden be located— Vicinity of Verkhnyye Balkarii Preliminary elevation: 1,100–1,400 m above sea level. Site type: sunny or partially shaded slope with existing meadow vegetation, outside protected habitats and historical ruins.