Harlow Carr the RHS garden in Harrogate has a series of gardens through the ages. This sculpture is part of the offering for the Festival of Britain 1951. To me it looks a lot more modern than that but certainly none the worse.

Which came first the sculptural design or the planting scheme? Either way the two combine in a special harmony that needs to be seen. The light wind (yes it can be a light wind in Yorkshire) was moving the oat grass around the leaping fish in a realistic impression of the sea. The colouring on the fish scales was picked out by the flowers that were subservient in the overall design.

Design Tips I Picked up from The Harlow Fish

• Simple planting schemes can be very effective. Don’t use to many varieties of plant.
• Seed heads can give movement and contrasting effects
• Link the key elements of any sculpture to the planting in shape, form, colour or style.
• There was a pond just beyond the fish that linked themes together