Chelsea is always inspirational but there are some years when the excitement ramps up a notch, and this is one of those years. There are so many superb show gardens to steal ideas from, so many important messages to absorb, that it has been difficult to narrow it down. The plantsmanship is breathtaking, the designs imaginative and the themes thought-provoking, many of the gardens demonstrating how we can garden more sustainably in this era of climate change. From Cleve West’s atmospheric ruined house to Chris Beardshaw’s immaculately planted woodland glade, there is so much at the show to learn from. Here is my pick of the crop.
Sarah Price’s garden for Nurture Landscapes gets my top vote. Her romantic, exquisitely beautiful planting scheme is inspired by the work of Cedric Morris, and the garden is like a living painting itself, with the irises that Cedric raised at his home Benton End taking centre stage. He also had collections of aeoniums which feature in the garden too, their dark hues contrasting with the creamy browns and lilacs of the irises, and their sculptural forms casting shadows on the soft-toned walls.
Sarah studied art before she became a garden designer, and everywhere in this garden there is evidence of this natural cross-over. Some of the perimeter walls are made from reused canvases which have been painted using plant-based paint, and she has experimented by making sculptural planters and water bowls from reclaimed crushed brick, concrete and glass. Alternating with the canvases are highly textured straw bale walls rendered with lime mortar and coloured with natural pigments, and together they provide a pleasing backdrop to highlight the plants, including a tumbling wisteria and a trained Rosa
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Researchers at Manchester Metropolitan University are partnering with us in our technology addiction project that stands alongside our 'Chained to Tech' garden design. At RHS Tatton Flower Show, researchers will be surveying guests to gauge their attitudes and perceptions towards our garden.
Just before Christmas, Clare Matterson, director general of the RHS, wrote to ask if I would be RHS Hampton Court’s Iconic Horticultural Hero for 2023, which was both shocking and flattering in equal measure! Because of that, I was able to design a garden for the Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival.
No matter the time of year, freshly cut flowers will always bring a sense of joy and natural beauty into any room. Fresh bouquets in water — whether grown ourselves or gifted — are normally at their best for a couple of weeks, but blooms will be fleeting and are usually thrown away once they start to lose their colour and wilt. So, a question that I’m asked a lot is simply — ‘How can I make my flowers last longer?’ The answer lies in the art of drying flowers — a craft that I’ve been immersed in for the past seven years. Dried floral arrangements will bring a different aesthetic to interiors compared to fresh — they are not for everyone — but if you like the look, you can very easily prolong the beauty of your flowers by months — even years — by creating striking arrangements that celebrate floral structures and will add interest to mantelpieces, dining tables, sideboards — you name it — throughout the seasons.
Plants have as much power as a piece of art, beautiful fabric, or favourite antique to make a room sing, but decorating with them requires just as much consideration as anything else. We chatted with an interior designer, landscape architect, floral designer, and well-known tastemaker about design strategies to implement when bringing plants into the home. Plus, our experts have shared a few favourite houseplants to help you get started—as well as their top sources for impeccable faux options if you’re wary of the added responsibility.
As gardeners, it is easy to lose sight of exactly how much we have achieved over the years—and also so easy to focus on the things that go wrong rather than looking at the many things that go right.
A former AIB banker-turned-gardener says he feels “like a five-year-old getting presents” after winning a major award as well as a prestigious gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show in London.
The Royal Horticultural Society of London challenged everyone this year who could make a pocket-sized realistic garden, and people didn’t disappoint! Here are the best Small Balcony Garden Ideas from Chelsea Flower Show!