Growing up, Conal McGuire always enjoyed gardening and at the age of 14, was given a plot on his local allotment. “It was here that I started to enjoy playing about with ideas, endlessly changing the layout.”
After redesigning gardens for family and friends, and with new enquiries coming through for bigger projects, McGuire decided to apply for a place studying at the London College of Garden Design. Graduating with a diploma in Garden Design which provided him with all of the skills and support needed to set up Conal Studio, establishing himself as a garden designer.
Following his success at RHS Tatton Park Flower Show 2023, McGuire reminisces the journey from application to awards – winning the gold medal, best terrace, and slim space garden, as well as people’s choice award for best terrace and slim space garden for his ‘Brickyard’ project.
“RHS Flower Shows are a huge opportunity for designers wanting to showcase themselves to the public. The fact that RHS Tatton is the biggest flower show in the north, and living less than 40 minutes away, I felt like this was a great time to show people what the studio can do,” says McGuire.
Brickyard’s design was influenced by traditional brickyards that run alongside thousands of UK terraced streets. McGuire mentions how it responds to the limitations of awkward inner-city growing spaces and looks at how we can adapt them for modern living. “Factors such as tenancy agreements, environmental concerns, tradition, and cost have a massive impact on how people utilise these spaces. The aim is to inspire new ways of thinking, by developing solutions for people that they may not have thought of.”
Alongside the challenges of paperwork and on-the-spot problem-solving involved, McGuire was unaware of the level of commitment required doing the garden alone, saying that “keeping to schedule was pretty difficult at times.”
The most challenging aspect, however, was that from day one on site, you have to be on top of every part of the process. “This can feel like you’re spinning multiple plates at the same time. I would definitely say that keeping the momentum whilst dealing with unexpected obstacles is incredibly challenging,” says McGuire.
And after a major setback when his original contractor had to pull out, McGuire was lucky to come across the fantastic Acorn Landscape Services who saw the project through to the end. “Finding somebody who can build to a high standard and has availability is a big undertaking.”
What was it like working on site?
“It’s amazing seeing the show being built from scratch on an empty farmer’s field. Even with torrential rain we definitely made the most of the experience. People seem to rally together on site and there’s a great sense of team spirit, even amongst competing show garden teams.”
What was it like when the show opened?
“Seeing the garden completed and watching the public interact with it for the first time was thrilling, if not a little nerve-wracking. The show opening was a huge adjustment after the physicality of the build, and mentally quite a challenge as you deal
with thousands of strangers with lots of questions!”
The reaction, McGuire said was incredible. And for McGuire and the team from Acorn Landscape Services, it was a wonderful surprise to receive the People’s Choice Award too. “Some visitors were quite touched by the story behind the garden, and many came the following day after it was featured on BBC Gardeners World.”
A personal highlight for McGuire was winning a gold medal and best in category, saying it was “a fantastic reward from the RHS judges but it was a major highlight for me seeing how people responded differently. I loved answering the awkward and probing questions from the public whose scrutiny at times gave the judges a run for their money.”
The final day on site was one of the most difficult according to McGuire. Trying to get everything broken down and ready for transporting in the torrential rain, he spoke of his vivid memories of delirious designers and volunteers wading through the mud trying to get everything done in time.
“The breakdown is a challenge due to the speed at which it happens but can be manageable if planned properly. Some designers may back off at this point and leave it to the contractors, I think for me it was important to be present until the end to ensure I was happy with how everything went,” says McGuire.
Conal Studio partnered with Feeding Liverpool and Everton in the Community to rehome the garden in Liverpool after the show, relocating it to Everton in the Community’s purpose-built mental health and wellbeing hub, The People’s Place – forming a lasting legacy for the city.
“Seeing this garden through from concept to reality has been a wonderful opportunity. There have been challenges along the way but knowing that Brickyard will go on to have a meaningful legacy back in Liverpool after RHS Tatton makes it all worthwhile.”
Wishing McGuire the very best in the future, he has proven to be a designer to watch!
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