This year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show has been hailed as a vintage year. Despite one of the most challenging build up periods for a number of years growers, landscapers and designers rose to the challenge to produce a real spectacle of an event.
With the number of show gardens back to pre-recession levels there was something for everyone and plenty of inspiration for the industry and the public alike. The top accolade of best show garden went to The Daily Telegraph Garden designed by Andy Sturgeon. This contemporary gravel garden, inspired by travels to Chile and Tuscany, was praised for retaining its exotic air while retaining English planting.
Both members of the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) and the HTA had a very successful show. Landform Consultants came away with three gold medals plus the accolade of best contractor for their work on site prior to the show. Gold medal number one was awarded to the ‘teenage retreat’ garden designed by Landform’s Director and APL Vice Chairman Mark Gregory. This chill out garden, designed for The Childrens Society, came complete with a pizza oven (as used by Jamie Oliver on the press day at the show), fire pit, curtained seating area with a thyme roof and plunge pool was set amidst a planting scheme including multi-stemmed Acer campestre trees, foxgloves, ferns and aquilegias. This entire garden has been relocated to Capel Manor College.
It was gold too for David Cubero and James Wong’s cool green Tourism Malaysian garden also constructed by Landform Consultants. This thoroughly modern garden featured an outdoor seating area flanked by lush planting inspired by rainforests and idyllic Kampung village gardens.
The hatrick was completed by the Music on the Moors garden designed by Christina Williams and constructed by Landform Consultants, which also won the Best Courtyard garden category. Designed to celebrate the Two Moors Festival the garden reflects the landscape of Dartmoor and Exmoor and the festival’s rural church concert venues.
The best urban garden category was won by the gold medal winning The Unexpected Gardener designed by Jo Thompson and constructed by APL chairman Adam Frost and New Ground Landscapers for gardening charity Thrive. By incorporating raised planter beds for ease of access this garden demonstrated how age and disability present no barriers to gardening.
Other APL member success includes:
Soar Valley Services – The Stephen Hawking Motor Neurone Disease Garden designed by Sue Hayward – Bronze Medal.
The Garden Builders – A Joy Forever designed by Kate Gould – Silver-Gilt Medal.
Graham Bodle and Walkers Nurseries – The Pine and Conifer Enthusiasts Garden – Silver Gilt Medal.
