Daring to be Different

I’m not surprised that the Laurent Perrier Garden won Best in Show at Chelsea – in amongst all the lovely but rather samey planting schemes in shades of pink, purple and blue, it lifted the spirit to see a garden of creams, yellows and greens with just touches of blue. The yellow lupins were totally gorgeous and had me longing to grow some, although I suspect that the combination of my light sandy soil and those horrible lupin aphids would produce less felicitous results. The shaggy solidity of the topiary beech provided a pleasing contrast with the blocks of naturalistic planting. I loved the sense of calm in this garden and clearly the judges were equally smitten. A beautiful design enhanced by planting perfection.