Up Close And Personal With The Chelsea Flower Show

Inspiration from the keynote gardens.

- Tanya Visser

What struck me most at this year’s show was how the designers managed to bring their ideas to reality with their gardens. Some took inspiration from nature, as Cleve West did when he looked back on his childhood and discovered an oak woodland, or how Andy Sturgeon represented the idea of the grandeur and space of the Natural History Museum that he used to visit as a child. It’s not just about creating a beautiful garden – it’s  about what the designers see, how this vision is interpreted, and what ideas we can take from it.

There were pieces of every garden that I loved, some more than others, but I always come away inspired with a thousand new ideas and a sense of rebooting and excitement for our spring season at home. Here are some of the wonders I picked up from this year’s show.

Easy on the eye

Chris Beardshaw’s spectacular garden was definitely one that I could relate to and learn from, and more than the others perhaps get some take-home ideas. His meadow planting makes use of plenty of herbs, like sweet rocket (Hesperis matronalis), which takes root and seeds itself year after year, emphasising his passion for sustainable planting. The use of different textures like metal, wood and water in a simplistic form with topiaries for balance makes the scene very attractive. Although the ornamentation in the garden probably cost more than the rest of the garden, the results are fun and inspiring. This garden is to be moved to the Great Ormond Street Hospital after the show.

Thought provoking