Monthly Archives: May 2010

Good Companions

Cool and airy whites and greens were very evident in several of the show gardens.

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Tom Stuart Smith’s garden

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Robert Myer’s garden

Last year some of the gardens were moving this way but generally  added pinpoints of colour, with the exception of Ulf Nordfjell who led this trend.  It was interesting to see some of the plants he used reappearing in gardens this year – in particular Asarum europaeum which has been long overlooked despite its good qualities as ground cover in shade.

asarum

Asarum europaeum

I really loved the simple pastel beauty of planting in the Go Modern Garden which was matched with the quality of the hard landscaping.

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Pink persicaria

But,  after all this tasteful restraint I was delighted by a colourful planting of blues, yellows and oranges on a stand selling garden metalwork.

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Joyous planting

And for pure joie de vivre the rhubarb and custard combo was hard to beat

rhubarbRhubarb & custard

Many of the planting combinations of the main show gardens are available from crocus and once the show is over there will even be an opportunity to buy some of the actual plants from the show gardens – delivered to your door rather than carried home in the traditional manner.

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Starring Roles

It fascinates me the way certain plants and colour themes recur in many of the gardens each year at Chelsea without any conscious communicating between the designers. Call it zeitgeist, coincidence or good marketing by the suppliers, whatever it is, I always enjoy spotting the contenders.  This year’s stars were undoubtedly the tawny-hued flag iris that appeared in both Andy Sturgeon’s and Tom Hoblyn’s gardens.

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Tawny flag iris

Purple alliums were big in the past few years, but although there were echoes of this planting it wasn’t a major theme.

alliums

Alliums

Single white paeonies were eye-catching both in gardens and in the Pavilion.

white-peony

white-peonia

Paeonies

Unlike many of the plants for Chelsea, these are flowering naturally at the moment – on a visit to Wisley last week there were some beautiful drifts of them beneath trees and in my own garden the ‘Late Windflower’ I bought from Beth Chatto many years ago is at its peak.  Horticultural curiosity of the show goes to the checkerboard plant I saw in the Green & Black’s Rainforest Garden. Check this out :

Calathea network (Not commercially available - yet)

Calathea 'network' (not commercially available - yet)

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The Buzz from Chelsea

naturally-fashionable-garden
Habitats galore in The Naturally Fashionable Garden

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Leeds City Coucil Lock Garden
Biodiversity in its many forms was big at Chelsea. Many of the gardens were planted with wildlife in mind, whether as a predominant theme or as an element of the design.   Sometimes accidentally so – as with the parakeets nesting above James Wong’s Malaysian garden.  He and his co-designer David Cabero had  set up a recording playing the sounds of rainforest birds and the parakeets were joining in enthusiastically.

tree-ferns

Tree ferns in the Malaysian Garden

In an attempt to lure them down to flit amongst the tree ferns James and David were tempting them down with mangoes.  On Eastern Avenue CJ WildBird Foods were unveiling exciting news about Red Mason Bees.  These super-efficient pollinators are about 120 times more efficient than honey bees and free of the diseases that are plaguing bee hives.  You can introduce them in to your own garden with a Mason Bee Nest Box (£9.99) available at the show or from their website.

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Elegant Restraint

Every Chelsea has its own unique atmosphere, its dominant themes and colour palettes – and particular plants that crop up time and again.  After last year’s austerity, it was good to see that the Show was vibrant and optimistic once more, if a touch safe.  Not that I miss the vulgarity of blue glass mulches and multicoloured plastic baubles of earlier years, but there was definitely a feeling of restraint to most of the large gardens. This actually resulted in designs that most of us could happily live with – which really is no bad thing.

loccitane

But there is a little bit of me that enjoys being challenged by a touch of outrageousness.

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Chelsea Flower Show – The Great Pavilion

rare-orchids

The Luxembourg Gardens in Paris mounted their first ever display of their collection of rare orchids

heuchera

I’m not very keen on some of the foliage colours of heucheras and heucherellas but this display did make me smile

greenhouse
This interesting and informative display in the Great Pavilion explored historic gardening techniques.

french-gardening
I’d never heard of hot bed growing described as French Gardening

vedgetables

Medwyn Williams grows vegetables like no others – and has now been joined in the business by his son and grandson

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Avon Bulbs make bulbs irresistible

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More temptation from Avon Bulbs

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The luxuriant and fragrant Alhambra-like display at David Austin Roses

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Garden Organic are promoting their One Pot Pledge in the Great Pavilion

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Proof that insect hotels can be modernist as well as rustic

garden-sculpture
The wirework sculpture was so realistic I can imagine that it trotting round the Great Pavilion checking the other displays at dawn

dahlias
Caramba! Dahlias have evaded the taste police and are back in the Great Pavilion

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Hilliers Nurseries explore various colour themes of which this was the prettiest

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Hilliers star new introduction – although its name will take some learning

peaony
Single white paeonies are much in evidence

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