2002 Chelsea Flower Show Reynolds' design entry for the 2002
Chelsea Flower Show was delivered to
RHS officials wrapped in mint leaves. An excerpt from the text reads; "
People travel the world over to visit untouched places of natural beauty, yet modern gardens pay little heed to the simplicity and beauty of these environments." All contestants were required to provide evidence of a £150,000 sponsorship to fund their garden. While Reynolds provided the paperwork and proof of sponsorship, she later confessed; "
It was very carefully worded so no actual amount was mentioned; [my sponsors]
gave me a pound, so it wasn’t a complete fib." To complete the construction of her garden, Reynolds enlisted the help of Christy Collard and others from Irish gardening business Future Forests. Her design, titled ‘Tearmann sí – A Celtic Sanctuary’, was awarded a gold medal and gained public acclaim nationwide. The installation featured a
moon-gate archway, leading down a path to four stone Druid thrones surrounding a fire-bowl placed over a pond. The garden was engulfed by traditional stone dry-walls and supported over 500 native Irish plants, such as
hawthorns.
Landscape design Reynolds' designs often feature: • Spiralling stone walls in the style of the
Fibonacci sequence. • Unkempt native flowers and wildlife, often referred to as
forest gardening. • Stone sculptures in the style of traditional Celtic constructions;
obelisks, Druid throne. • The shapes and patterns of nature.
Kew Gardens . Following her success at the 2002 Chelsea Flower Show, Reynolds was approached by the British government to design a garden for the
Royal Botanical Gardens at
Kew. Reynolds stated the design was inspired by
W. B. Yeats' poem
The Stolen Child. It featured a large stone sculpture of a sleeping faerie.
Delta Sensory Gardens: Stolen Child Garden Reynolds was commissioned to design a garden at the Delta Sensory Gardens, within the Delta Centre in
Carlow, Ireland. The garden mimics that at the
Royal Kew, as it also features a stone
faerie covered in moss, surrounded by a variety of native Irish fauna. The garden also features some
topiary sculpture by Irish gardener Martin Monks.
Brigit's Garden: Gairdin Bhride Brigit's Garden is located in
County Galway, Ireland. The garden was designed by Mary Reynolds under the commission of its founder Jenny Beale. Beale requested the design feature four central gardens, each inspired by the seasonal Celtic festivals of
Samhain,
Imbolc,
Bealtaine, and
Lughnasa. Each garden features a sculpture created by local artists, as commissioned by Beale. A
limestone wall winds through the whole garden, with the
Lughnasa garden featuring circles of limestone
obelisks. designed by Eamonn Hore and Liam O’Neill the sculptor. The trees planted at the park correlate with the
Ogham alphabet that is displayed on a stone walkway.
Other projects and commissions • Cornwall Seaside Garden at the Camel Quarry House in
Cornwall, England: designed a terraced spiralled stone-wall. • Celtic Gardens at the Monart Destination Spa in
County Wexford, Ireland: features stone bridges and a terraced waterfall. • The Convent Gardens and The Tree Of Life Garden at the Díseart Visitor Centre in
County Kerry, Ireland. • The 'Buncloch' or Foundation Stone garden at
Farmleigh House, in Castleknock, Dublin, Ireland: features a small garden commemorating the
Proclamation of the Irish Republic of 1916. • Rooftop penthouse gardens in Dublin, Ireland: features fully irrigated garden terraces filled with assorted plants and trees. == Publications ==