Come Lime With Me

The title of the garden, ‘Come Lime With Me’, is a play on the British TV show Come Dine With Me and Guyanese/Caribbean slang ‘lime’ (liming is ‘the art of doing nothing while sharing food, drink, conversation and laughter’). Visitors can expect a fun atmosphere with vibrant planting that reflects a cultural mix inspired by the designer’s Anglo-Guyanese ethnicity. The garden also reflects a more serious message about sea level rise – a serious concern for both Guyanese and British coastlines. Water is a key feature of both countries’ landscapes (Guyana means ‘land of many waters’) and it is incorporated into the design through three troughs, built and filled to different heights to highlight sea level rise. The main structure is a large seating bench mimicking Guyana’s Sea Wall, a 280 mile-long coastal defence. Parts of this are where locals go to ‘lime’ on a Saturday night.