Bideford Business Park Unit 20 | Coates Road East-The-Water | Bideford | EX39 4GD
Chelsea Gold 2026 - Darren Hawks Lady Garden
Sarah Rawle • June 25, 2026
4th Chelsea Gold with our Bespoke Lime Mortars
May 2026 soon crept round & with this, so did the fabulous RHS Chelsea Flower Show. This years brief was to create a surface which was tactile to touch & had movement.
Working alongside Darren was a sheer delight. A man who knew his vision & how he wanted the garden to represent the Lady Garden Foundation, raising awareness around women's health.
After many afternoon's of mixing & blending earth pigment & sands into our lime putty ( & a few cups of tea) we created two gorgeous mortars, the first being the subtle grey/brown soft back drop on the exterior walls, to gently sit quietly among the planting.
Then came the creation of a colour, which I could only describe as taking me back to my childhood. The colour was a gorgeous golden tan ( who would have thought a relive of an old colour was about to happen) with a couple of tweaks & another cup of tea, we had created the Chelsea Gold.
The colours are are now within our colour range of bespoke mortars.
Welcome to The Mind Garden - Gold Award Winner at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022
The use of Natural Hydraulic Lime (NHL) on Cob is a Big NO!
Cob is one of the oldest building materials in the world.
Our big news story is that we are making our own cob blocks!
Typically eco homes are built with the same key structural components as any home. You’ll still need the foundation, roof, windows and doors. But, true eco homes are built using natural products, earth, wood, water and other naturally sustainable materials. Unique and elaborate constructions can be created and still meet our modern building regulations and standards.
Selecting the right paint for the living areas of your home is something to take the time to carefully consider. The right colour will form the foundation of the atmosphere you want to create. Choosing light, mellow tones, coupled with good lighting can add depth and space to your home or workspace.
You don’t have to be a construction connoisseur to understand what’s beneficial for your build and which material you should be making the most out of. This month, we’re going to help you get to grips with the pros of working with cob and lime; and believe it or not- it isn’t as complicated as you may assume.
Cob is a versatile building material makes a house cooler in the summer heat
Breathable paint is a material that allows the water vapour to permeate, travel, or transfer through itself. Its basic purpose is to allow water to evaporate quickly, letting the building’s walls, window frames, door frames, and the render to breathe naturally without trapping moisture.
If you are buying an older property then it will more than likely have lath and plaster ceilings and walls. If the property is Listed, then this will almost certainly dictate the type of laths you use for any repair.
