Royal Horticultural Society & miNiATURE Bring 3D Printed Gardens to Life with Exhibit

by Adam Frost

As a child, I remember visiting my grandfather who had a small vegetable garden in his back yard. Every night when dinner time would approach, he would take me out back to pick vegetables for that night’s salad. He had tomatoes, radishes, scallions, cucumbers, basil and many other vegetables that I simply don’t recall. That was 25+ years ago, yet I still remember the dedication that he put into that garden, and the amount of pride he got from showing me how to grow my own food.

Gardening is quite a hobby, yet at the same time it is also a way of life. Folks that are part of The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) in the United Kingdom, are extremely dedicated to advancing and promoting good gardening, now and in the future. This week, starting tomorrow (from October 21-22), the RHS London Shades of Autumn Show will be taking place.

“The theme of the show is art and design, featuring an engaging talks program on garden design, striking horticultural photography and botanical art,” explained Naomi Dirks, Assistant Press Officer for RHS to 3DPrint.com.

by Jo Thompson

The show will feature an exhibit called miNiATURE, which is curated by award winning designers Andrew Fisher Tomlin, Kajsa Bourne and Tom Harfleet, and has been touring around different locations showing off their 3D printed miniature gardens. Some of the designers of these tremendously detailed and intricate designs include: Myles Baldwin [of Australia], Jim Fogarty [Australia], Jihae Hwang [South Korea], Sarah Eberle [UK], Jamie Dunstan [UK], Andy Sturgeon [UK], Jo Thompson [UK], Adam Frost [UK], John Brookes [UK] and Wilson McWilliam [UK].

“It provides a brand new creative outlet through which to explore garden design,” said Dirks. “Thanks to the evolution of 3D printing, the show will see some of the UK’s leading garden designers exhibiting high quality miniature garden models. The exhibition will offer a fresh perspective, opening up new possibilities to be more ambitious and experimental in design.”

by Andy Sturgeon

As you can see in the images, these miniature gardens are quite detailed. while the trees and plants are not 3D printed, but rather created with more traditional modeling techniques, the structures and people in the models are. It takes approximately 6 hours to 3D print one these gardens, give or take a few hours depending on detail, etc. Once the 3D printed support is created, different materials are used for the rest of the model. Regardless, the entire process is made a lot simpler through the use of 3D Printing, than it would have been using traditional methods such as gluing and decorating structures that have been hand made. 3D printing also allows for more precise measurements and details.

by Jihae Hwang

If you are in the London area, and wish to attend the RHS London Shapes of Autumn Show to see these 3D printed gardens first hand, you can get tickets now at: https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-london-shows

What do you think of these tiny detailed models of full-sized gardens? Discuss in the 3D printed garden forum thread on 3DPB.com.