Chelsea Flower Show review: Jean Hill shares her highlights from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show Press Day…
RHS Chelsea Flower Show is a fabulous and gorgeous event. This year was a homage to cottage gardens, woodland spaces, and integrated design. Chelsea is quintessentially British. Yet garden designers come from all around the world, from as far afield as Zimbabwe and Dubai. That inclusiveness is all part of the intricate, rich horticultural heritage for all to celebrate.
Andy Sturgeon’s M & G Garden won Best in Show from the judges. There were riveting combinations of blackened wooden sculptures, white traditional planting and ironstone platforms. Planting includes: gunnera, and carpinus. The people’s choice was Mark Gregory’s ‘Welcome to Yorkshire’ design. This garden incorporated a canal, with lock gates. An impressive engineering feat , before you even consider the beautiful meadowland planting and vegetable garden.
CAMFED is the campaign for female education in Zimbabwe. The garden was designed by Jilayne Rickards. She took her inspiration from Beauty Gombana, a young Zimbabwean woman, who attended agricultural college and learnt cutting-edge farming techniques. She now runs a thriving business with a large greenhouse and irrigation systems. The Show Garden has at its heart a classroom. It rises out of a red clay and rock, surrounded by edible plants, capsicum and brassicas. Solar energy panels power water pumps. The garden will be recreated at the Eden Project.
Sarah Eberle designed a garden that considered climate change and its impact on forests in her ‘Resilience Garden’. She is using tried and tested techniques to plant a greater diversity of species. Children played happily in the vibrant Montessori Centenary Garden and ‘school’, whilst adults described their happy experiences of being educated at such an establishment. Ikea and designer Tom Dixon came together to create : ‘Gardening will save the world’ show garden. This was a shout for growing and harvesting nourishing and medicinal crops in a domestic setting.
The Artisan Gardens may be on a slightly smaller scale, but they charm through ‘story telling’, and exquisite planting. The Family Monsters Garden, merging woodland with rock monsters with an oasis at its heart, won Best Artisan Garden.
The Great Pavilion, somehow managed to contain 80 exhibitors, though one or two arrangements spilled over, exuberantly, onto walkways. David Austen Roses always attract attention; like a moth to the flame. Walking amongst old fashioned intensely perfumed roses is irresistible. Gabriel Oak is a new glorious crimson variety to look out for, ‘far from the madding crowd’. NAFAS, the flower arrangers society, had its diamond jubilee this year. They celebrated with the creation of a beautiful flower arrangement within a diamond structure. Obviously a labour of love. Weaver Green make rugs with a difference. They are intricate, delicate and beautifully designed. They are also created from recycled plastic; British design at its best.
Do go to RHS Chelsea (next year) or RHS Tatton (July 2019) or any RHS flower show really. Harmony, peace, and a passion for design in a garden setting. Sheer bliss.
You may also enjoy: Looking back on RHS Tatton 2018.
