Gardeners create beautiful living wall inspired by ball’s Where The Wild Things Are theme
If you’ve passed through Green Templeton College’s Lankester Quad in recent days you may have noticed a new addition to the landscape: a beautiful living wall.
The beautiful living wall is situated in Lankester Quad
The eye-catching burst of lush plants and colour was created by Head Gardener Michael Pirie and Assistant Gardener Carolyn Serra, after the Green Templeton Ball Committee 2019 first floated the idea of a living wall that complemented this year’s ball theme, Where the Wild Things Are.
In March, the committee contacted Michael to ask if a living wall could be built that reflected the wonderfully vibrant world imagined by author Maurice Sendak in his classic 1963 children’s picture book.
Assistant Gardener Carolyn Serra explaining the features of the living wall during its construction in June 2019
Michael and Carolyn were inspired by Sendak’s illustrations of animals dangling from tree branches, surrounded by luscious foliage, and began creating a jungle-esque wall filled with draping plants and floral displays.
The base of the structure was crafted from plywood, with paving grids slotted together to keep the contents in place. A mixture of compost and grit was used to ensure the wall wouldn’t be too heavy or get too waterlogged.
The base was created with plywood
Paving grids were used to keep the mixture of compost and grit in place and secure the plants
Features of the wall include these stunning Calibrachoa
To bring the magic of the jungle to Green Templeton, the winding grasses forming the tree trunk-like structure at the centre of the wall are Ophiopogen planiscarpus ‘Nigrescens’, surrounded by Aglaomorpha cor ferns.
Woven throughout are trailing plants Calibrachoa, Alyssum ‘Wonder White’, Lobelia ‘Cobalt Blue’, and Herniaria glabra.
Parsley and chamomile were dotted around the wall to provide a wonderful scent on a sunny day, while the ball committee added their own carnations for extra vibrancy and colour.
The wall has been a popular spot for photography, with students cocooned by greenery as they pose for pictures, as if transported into Sendak’s magical world. It will be situated in Lankester Quad throughout the summer.
You may also like to view Michael and Carolyn’s stunning Garden of Ancient Greece in the Radcliffe Observatory gardens opposite the greenhouse, which contains allusions to the world of classical antiquity and the architecture of our iconic observatory.
🎃 Meet the creatures of Green Templeton!
🧛 There is a vampire welcoming visitors at the lodge (best to arrive before sunset!)
🎀 A haunted doll has been spotted lurking around the grounds…
🐺 This werewolf has made himself at home in the common room. Please don’t feed him!
🧙♀️ A witch has been brewing up something spooky in the servery.
⚡️Watch out for Frankenstein’s monster. He doesn’t like people in his kitchen!
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Join us for Bridging Nations, Leading Change, bringing together influential voices in women’s leadership, sports diplomacy and the Olympic movement.
Hear from Ana Irene Delgado, Sally Munday and Georgina Usher MBE, in a discussion moderated by Green Templeton alumna Selina Kaing (MBA, 2006).
The event will also feature a live fencing demonstration! 🤺
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Behind the scaffolding: See inside. See why it matters.
Something remarkable is happening at the Radcliffe Observatory.
Our new film takes you behind the scenes to discover the extraordinary expertise, dedication and craftsmanship involved in conserving one of Oxford`s most significant buildings. With works progressing at pace, the Observatory is entering an exciting new chapter.
The Radcliffe Observatory was created through the generosity of one generation. Its survival depends on the stewardship of another. Its legacy will be inherited by generations yet to come.
Thanks to existing supporters, important progress is already being made. But there is still much to do.
Now, we have an opportunity to play our part in securing the Observatory`s future.
Be part of what comes next.
🎬 Watch our new film, Behind the scaffolding, and discover four ways to support our £3 million campaign.
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Congratulations to all of our new students who matriculated this weekend!
Welcome to Green Templeton 🐍🐚
Happy Friday!
We are ready and excited for a busy Michaelmas Term ahead.
