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Students make an Olympic splash
18 April 2012
Harrogate College has been invited by Harrogate Borough Council to help its parks team create an Olympic garden for the local community to help celebrate the 2012 Games.
The garden features a diving pool complete with an Olympic diver, crowd scene and winner’s podium. College joinery students created a 2 × 4 metre hoarding featuring over 30 tiles depicting an Olympic crowd scene painted by Art and Design students and staff. Joinery students will also create the winner’s podiums that will add an interactive element to the garden.
(Joinery tutor and students pose before assembling the wooden frame and crowd scene)
(Art and Design students pose before adding the final touches to the crowd scene)
(The Olympic Garden with construction progressing)
(Design featuring the Olympic swimmer)
(Completion of the Olympic garden)
(Olympic Garden Design courtesy of Harrogate Borough Council)
Joinery students have spent a day at the Yorkshire Showground setting up the garden with Harrogate Borough Council in preparation for the show.
The garden will include a 3.5 × 2.5 metre diving pool planted with two shades of blue Violas and uses Astelia Nervosa grass to create the splash effect. Red and white Bellis will be planted into a raised turf bank to create the ‘GO Team GB 2012’ lettering.
(Photo courtesy of Harrogate Borough Council)
Following the Spring Flower Show, the garden will be moved to Spa Gardens, Ripon, during May 2012 and will allow local people to enjoy the garden while standing on the podiums like Olympic champions.
The collaboration builds on the success of the ‘Harrogate Postcard’ a living picture frame the college helped the council create for the 2011 Spring Flower Show and which is now located on Montpellier Hill outside Bettys.
Harrogate College Principal Anne-Marie Bostock said: “The London Olympics are a once in a lifetime event and it’s important that our students feel part of the celebrations. Collaborations with local organisations are an important aspect for our students allowing them to develop the skills they have learnt and put them into practice.”
Harrogate Borough Council Parks Development Manager – Trish McLaughlin said: “We are delighted to be working with the College once again following the success of last year’s Postcard from Harrogate project. 2012 is an historic year that requires special consideration which is why we have come up with the Olympic theme – Dive into 2012. We are all really excited about this year’s Spring Flower Show exhibit and we are grateful for the support of the College tutors, staff and students who have shown great enthusiasm for the project.
