BSW Timber, the UK’s largest sawmilling business, showcased its new IRO range at last month’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show by helping to promote wellness in nature as timber partners and sponsors of a collaborative installation called LAND.
A joint venture by Laura Slater and The Plant Room, LAND is an immersive installation and creative space that engages visitors with the importance of nature in creativity and wellbeing.
The installation consisted of a covered structure which housed textile and botanical collections, taking inspiration from Japanese architectural simplicity and modernist buildings found in Palm Springs, California.
All timber used in LAND was supplied by BSW and it featured an array of the organisation’s products including fence posts, construction timbers, and its brand new IRO Timber decking, which is inspired by the ancient Japanese process of yakisugi.
James Brennan, marketing manager at BSW Timber, said: “We were delighted to be asked to play a part in the LAND installation. It’s a huge honour to be able to showcase our products at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and we were blown away by the end result.”
LAND, which was driven by Laura Slater, a Leeds-based textile designer, and Zosia Berkieta-Lewis, founder of The Plant Room, presented the potential of collaboration.
Zosia Berkieta-Lewis said: “With the help from our timber partner we created a tranquil haven at the heart of RHS Chelsea Flower Show for visitors to escape to.”
A wide number of emerging designers, creatives and independent businesses from across the north of England came together to create the peaceful setting, which will now be rehoused and rebuilt at Tong Garden Centre, in Bradford, as a wellness space.
One of the collaborators was Yorkshire-based Katie Rushworth, who is IRO’s brand ambassador and a presenter on ITV’s ‘Love Your Garden’ alongside Alan Titchmarsh.
James continued: “Our involvement with LAND came about due to an existing relationship with Katie, who works closely with us on the IRO range. Katie recommended us to Laura and Zosia and after hearing more about their ideas for the show, we couldn’t wait to get involved.
“We believe that the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and the collaboration with Laura, Zosia and the team at LAND gave us the opportunity to demonstrate the versatility of our products and reinforce our commitment to the environment.”
Katie Rushworth, garden designer and IRO ambassador, added: “IRO was perfectly suited to the LAND installation; it lent itself perfectly to the design, giving clean lines and a gorgeous textured finish – which the planting set off wonderfully.”
Images: Joanne Crawford
