We were delighted to supply two very different gardens at RHS Hampton Court 2015. Take a trip into the warm, Mediterranean feel of travertine paving.

A turkish tent behind a travertine paved area with tiered fountain at RHS Hampton Court 2015.
The cool, scented courtyard of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism: Garden of Paradise by Nilufer Danis conjured the spirit of the East convincingly enough to win, not just Gold, but Best World Garden at RHS Hampton Court 2015. Photo: Jonathan Ward.

The difference between filled and unfilled travertine

Travertine is a stone that people fall in love on holiday in the Mediterranean. It offers two different looks, depending on whether it's filled or unfilled. The surface of unfilled travertine has small holes and pits that give it an aged appearance as well as an interesting character. Filled travertine has these imperfections smoothed over with cement/resin filler. This makes it generally easier to maintain.

Garden of Paradise by Nilufer Danis

Rill with stepping stones to matching unfilled travertine paving in Garden of Paradise at RHS Hampton Court 2015.
The delicate pink colouring of the unfilled travertine contrasts richly with the blue-lined rill. Design by Nilufer Danis. Built by Landform Consultants. Photo: Jonathan Ward.

Designed by Nilufer Danis, the cool scented courtyard of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism: Garden of Paradise didn't stint on its use of unfilled travertine paving. “It's the most common paving material in Turkey,” said Nilufer. “It looks like the Mediterranean. And,” she added, indicating the vibrant pinks shared by Turkish roses and cushions, “it goes very well with the colour scheme.”

Nilufer chose the unfilled paving because, in its combination with blue craftsman-made tiles and creamy marble from Turkey she felt the surface imperfections were more authentic to the traditional setting. They also blended well with the crafted elements of the garden.

Spirit of the Aegean by Esra Parr

Sail canopy offers shelter over travertine and wood-effect porcelain paving. Esra Parr's World garden at RHS Hampton Court 2015.
Using the same elements, Esra Parr created a World Garden with a completely different feel at RHS Hampton Court 2015. Photo: Jonathan Ward.

While Nilufer's garden evoked a paradise garden of traditional Islamic design, Esra Parr created a modern retreat in Spirit of the Aegean. Strikingly, it uses the same classic elements – high walls for shade, perforated screens to allow the circulation of the breeze, and cooling water - for a very different effect.

The zigzag rill was edged with bespoke filled travertine coping stones. Their smooth surface and rectangular shape complemented the narrow profile of the rill and the sleek, wood-effect porcelain tiling. 

Just as it did in Nilufer's garden, the colour worked well with the overall scheme, which included clear blues, whites and vibrant pinks, but Esra had taken the traditional white walls and blue woodwork found around the Aegean and reversed them to give blue walls and white woodwork.

Zigzag rill edged with filled travertine coping stones, with toning wood-effect porcelain paving at RHS Hampton Court 2015.
Dappled shade creates a cooling effect on Esra Parr's World Garden, Spirit of the Aegean, at RHS Hampton Court 2015. Photo: Jonathan Ward.

This was Esra's first Hampton Court Show garden and she had a word of caution for future first-timers. “This area used to be riverbed and the ground is like concrete. We brought a petrol auger to dig post holes and it just tickled the surface. It was the most stressful thing I've ever done in my life. We were scuppered – we couldn't use any normal gardening methods of construction.” Not so scuppered, though, that she didn't attain Gold!

Find out more information about the five other gardens we supplied at Hampton Court Flower Show 2015, or see our rundown of Rae Wilkinson's Living Landscapes HUG for a closer look at another stunning garden.

Update: we no longer supply travertine. However, Travertine Dark is a realistic likeness to the grey version of this popular natural stone paving. It gives the appearance of filled travertine, but possesses all the low-maintenance advantages of porcelain paving. Take a look at a garden design with travertine porcelain outdoor tiles.

Post updated: June 2024