I always enjoy the RHS Chelsea coverage on TV. I have never been to the show and I think I would find it too claustrophobic. However, as a TV viewer, you can see far more than if you were actually there. As always, here is a (totally biased) view of my favourite gardens. I think this year the gardens are all 'playing safe' - possibly to do with the unsettled political climate. They are all very green in colour too and many feature woodland areas.
I like the wall with the circular window in it in the Harmonious Garden of Life. The swing seat powers the water feature, there is clover instead of lawn and the planting is all about insects.
The Family Monsters Garden is a lovely slice of woodland.
This is probably my favourite garden - The Donkey Sanctuary Donkeys Matter garden. I like the idea behind it, of celebrating the work donkeys do all over the world, often in harsh conditions.
I really like the planting in this garden.
Andy Sturgeon's garden for M & G won best in show and again feature woodland planting interspersed with blackened timber structures. (Nice to think that my own black fence is still on trend!)
Chris Beardshaw's garden for Morgan Stanley has some beautiful planting, as always.
Finally, the Miles Stone Kingston Maurward Garden has some lovely curves and a wide rusted bowl water feature.
There were elements of lots of the other gardens that I liked, but these were the gardens that appealed most to me from the TV coverage.
I am going to RHS Chatsworth in a couple of weeks and am really looking forward to that.
Edited to add:
The Back to Nature Garden designed in collaboration with the Duchess of Cambridge (but not judged) was a big success with the children allowed on it. It is another woodland garden including a treehouse, rope swing, fire pit, running water and looks like the sort of garden we would have all loved as children.
My favourite has got be the first picture, probably because I always like a bit of water, lol
ReplyDeleteBriony
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Thanks, Briony. There were some really interesting water features in a lot of the gardens. I liked the garden in the first picture as the swing seat powered the water feature.
DeleteBest wishes
Ellie
We see the Chelsea gardens too rarely here. I agree that the crowds would be dreadful, but the gardens are so often beautiful and inspirational. I hear there was a garden designed by the young Royals this year.
ReplyDeleteThanks, EC. Yes, there was a garden designed in collaboration with the Duchess of Cambridge, with children in mind. It was a woodland type garden too and had a rope swing and tree house and fire pit. It seemed very popular with the children who were allowed to play in it. I'll add in a photo at the end of this post.
DeleteBest wishes
Ellie
I've missed the last two nights' programmes - they are recorded but I was doing other things. I'll probably delete them . . .
ReplyDeleteI confess I have been somewhat "over" Chelsea the last few years. I am fed up with the complete fakery of it all. Half the plants in flower should not be blooming this month, they have either been held back or forced on. It gives a totally unrealistic impression of how gardens normally look. I don't think that is a fair or reasonable thing to foist on normal people trying to make their own outdoor spaces pretty and pleasant to use.
Thanks, Jayne. I do agree with you - it is a stage set and ordinary gardeners would never be able to attempt any of the gardens unless they were accompanied by a lottery win. It is a place to be seen I think too. I like to focus on the planting more because sometimes you can find a plant or combination that you can use in your own garden. I have visited RHS Tatton, Gardeners World Live and RHS Chatsworth and these are much more accessible.
DeleteBest wishes
Ellie
I caught some of the coverage too, its nice to see ideas that you can incorporate in your own garden, even on a small scale xcx
ReplyDeleteThanks, Chrissie. I do find there are some really interesting planting ideas or combinations that are workable for a gardener.
DeleteBest wishes
Ellie