I set off to RHS Chelsea Flower Show press day from my home in Stamford early on Monday morning. It was very chilly, under a blanket of cloud, but there was a promise of sunshine for later on. Emerging from Sloane Square underground, the sky was already looking brighter. I followed the flock of brightly dressed Chelsea flamingoes past the Thames to the press gate. There is always a sense of great excitement and anticipation at this point in the day. What will be the hallmarks of the show this year? Where shall I start? It’s hard to pack everything in, as the day ends around 3.30pm when the site is cleared ready for the Royal Family to visit. I needed to be organised if I was to going to try and see everything on my list. First job, into the Press Tent to grab a show guide – and then I was off…
Just after 8.30am, there was already a buzz. The first thing I came across was a press conference for Monty Don and his BBC Radio 2 Dog Garden. There was Monty – and Ned – surrounded by a throng of people and camera crews. I knew I wouldn’t be able to take a good photo amidst such a big crowd, so after I’d listened to Monty speaking, I made a beeline for another hotly anticipated show garden.
Jo Thompson’s design The Glasshouse Garden is about celebrating second chances through horticulture. The aim was to encapsulate the aims of a social enterprise called The Glasshouse, which rehabilitates women nearing the end of prison sentences through a programme of horticultural training, employment and resettlement.
This was done through a garden full of sensory elements: the vibrant colour of the plants, lots of textures, a rill and tranquil pool, and a safe space, a pavilion with screens which open like petals. The colours were really amazing: inspired by ‘strong beauty’ they included carmine, deep red, dark pinks and purple. Grasses, ferns and river birch trees provided a contrast.
I felt moved by this garden. Perhaps it was the theme of redemption, perhaps the creation of a retreat from a sometimes cruel world.
The planting was joyful and uplifting, with a fabulous mix of roses, including ‘Emma Bridgewater’ (shown) with astrantia ‘Burgundy Manor,’ Rosa ‘Tuscany Superb’ and ‘Charles de Mills.’ Riotous, romantic planting is not that common at RHS Chelsea, and I think this really resonated with people.
Also on the main avenue was the Boodles Raindance Garden by Catherine Macdonald. A very different beast to the previous one, with a pale, elegant planting palette and three circular platinum finished water features and a Pavilion. I really admired this one, it was like a work of art, but I didn’t necessarily feel moved by it. Both gardens received well deserved Gold medals.
I like to break up the intensity of concentrating on the show gardens with visits to some of my favourite exhibitor stands. First on my list is always Alitex, makers of the most amazing greenhouses. These are way out of my reach and budget, but I love seeing how they can be used. The company’s creative director, Nelly, always comes up with incredible themes and collaborations. This year, she was celebrating the joy of scent, and particularly scented pelargoniums. I love these plants, and everyone can have a collection of pellies, however modest their budget and space (I have just taken my first free cuttings from a beloved ‘Prince of Orange’ plant). Nelly’s collaborators this year were Jo Fairley, master of scent, founder of the Perfume Society and ex-magazine maven, along with Cath Kidston and her new company C.Atherley which specialises in scented geranium products. Fibrex Nurseries supplied the pelargoniums, and artist Jess West was responsible for the charming art work on the greenhouse glass.
As I stepped into the Mottisfont glasshouse and saw Jo Fairley standing there, I had a sudden flashback. Forty years ago, when I was journalism student, I did a work placement at Honey magazine, where Jo was then the editor. It was only for two weeks, but it felt incredibly exciting and my time there made a big impression on me. Later, I would go on to work in women’s magazines. I told Jo that I had met her before, and she said she remembered (perhaps it is my unusual surname, I was very quiet in those days and probably didn’t say much to her!) We had a nice reminisce, and it felt lovely to join up two eras of my life. I also learned the story behind Jo’s fascination with scented pellies. She remembers her grandmother taking her into her greenhouse when she was a tiny child, and getting her to rub her fingers on the leaves of an ‘Attar of Roses.’ The release of that warm, Turkish delight scent sparked a lifelong fascination with fragranced plants.
How lovely is the styling here? You’d expect nothing less from a Cath Kidston collab!
The planting outside the greenhouses was also right up my alley! Geums and salvia ‘Caradonna’ – can’t go wrong with that in a vintage tub.
On to the next show garden which was Nigel Dunnett’s Hospitalfield Arts Garden. I’m an admirer of Nigel Dunnett for his greening of urban spaces. His work has had a profound effect on cities such as Sheffield.
This garden received a Silver Gilt in the judging. It was refreshing, a take on the coastal location of the contemporary Arts Centre Hospitalfield in Arbroath, which overlooks the North Sea. This is notable for its sand dune coastline, which was reflected in the timber ‘fins’ creating undulations and planting pockets.
Key plants are Tamarix ramosissima ‘Pink Cascade,’ dune grass, thrift and Geranium palmatum, all drought resistant. There is a rainwater collection pool, to utilise every precious drop of water which falls. An artists studio, or bothy with a corrugated facade was enticing but you cannot enter the gardens unless you are an invited guest, so the details of this remained a mystery! I enjoyed the ethos behind this garden and the way it had been carried out.
Another detour to the stands followed, this time a collaboration between interior designer Birdie Fortescue and garden designer Butter Wakefield. And oh my goodness, what a feast for the eyes this was. Sorry to gush, but the colours! I just loved it all.
Butter’s planting around the stand was also inspirational. Exactly the sort of thing I can translate to one of my containers. Here, lupins, euphorbia and geums. Not difficult, but so dramatic! Definitely doing this.
Now to another show garden on my radar. This one has a local significance for me, as it was designed by Nicola Oakey, a garden designer from Rutland (sponsored by Project Giving Back). The SongBird Survival Garden was all about biodiversity as a way of providing vital habitats for endangered bird species. The concept followed a bird’s daily life, and the three elements needed for survival: shelter, water and food. A bird house den featured six metalwork motifs of endangered birds, made by wonderful Cambridgeshire artist Jeni Cairns. This was a vibrant, fun garden, full of dense, countryside-inspired planting.
Next door, the ADHD Foundation Garden was a calm retreat.
I wanted to explore the Balcony Gardens as these resonate with me and my tiny garden. I love seeing the creativity of designers let loose on minuscule plots, worlds away from the huge show gardens in the main avenue. I wasn’t disappointed this year. I loved all of the balcony gardens. Here is a selection:
The final image is the stylish and pared-back Fettercairn Wilderness Retreat, designed by Sonia Kamel, Sally Giles and Helier Bowling. When I spoke to Helier, it was clear just how much planning and effort goes into executing such a compact space. “It’s probably easier to design a larger garden, there is just no room for error with this size,” she said. “You need total precision with the design and build. Even a millimetre out can create problems, as we found with the flooring!” Materials were sourced with great care, from the reclaimed copper from water tanks for the incredible weathered door, which looked like an abstract painting by Rothko, to the oak for the stool, made by Helier’s husband. Verdigris Bird Baths made the copper planter, the door and the birdbath. Planting reflects the Cairngorms landscape which provided the inspiration: think heathers and Scots broom.
It was time to go into the Great Pavilion for a very exciting launch, and some pure plant heaven….
At 12 noon, I was standing by the David Austin Roses installation, nibbling a rose flavoured macaron and sipping tea from a delicate china cup. This was the fitting celebration for a beautiful new stripy rose, ‘The King’s Rose’ launched in collaboration with The King’s Foundation, which invests in education, sustainable practices and the revitalisation of heritage. And what a rose she is!
I was really excited to see this, my paintbrushes started twitching the night before when I received a preview email, and I’m half way through a watercolour sketch, which I’ll add as soon as I finish this blog.
The Pavilion is home to the best of the best nurseries and plant specialists. I will show a few of my favourites, but just to say that it’s hard to pick, they are all amazing in their own way.
She Grows Veg, which is breathing new life into heritage species, had an awesome stand.
I made my only purchases of the day here, three packets of seeds! There’s no time for shopping.
I was also desperate to see the National Collection of Cedric Morris irises, brought by Sarah Cook. They were just as wonderful as I hoped, and I had the added bonus of a long chat with a botanical artist who was painting nearby. I was in awe of her delicate work.
And more…
I was also very impressed with Kent Wildflowers. Gorgeous styling, and a superb product, native wildflower seeds.
And Frank P Matthews stand of Malus trees. My own Malus ‘Red Sentinel’ comes from this company.
The Hardy Plant Society’s superb display (above).
And there were ideas for new plants and planting combinations everywhere I turned. The next three are from Hare Spring Cottage Plants, a marvellous stand where the co-owner, Malcolm Exley, credited his wife Stella with all the creative input!
And finally for this very long blog post, some sights and scenes that made an impression…
Bamford’s pretty table.
Handmade cloches based on Victorian designs by young entrepreneur Beth Gregg.
Delphinium display…
Houseplant Studios…
Saatchi sculpture…with recycled agricultural twine…
And more celebrities than you can shake a stick at. I do rather love Jo Whiley!
Finally, footsore and with my head full of sights, my phone bursting with images, and some brilliant conversations and meetings made, it was time to leave. I just had the energy for a walk along the King’s Road where Chelsea in Bloom is busting out all over.
This one reminded me of my youth.
To sum up an amazing day: it was a calmer RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year, with gardens full of heart and thought. Yes, there were innovations, and futuristic visions in some cases, but overall they represented havens of peace against a world in turmoil, pockets of peace in which to restore and reflect. But this doesn’t make them boring. I loved the use of strong colours, the riots of roses, and the powerful inspiration to grow, grow, grow. I was busy filing photos and writing today, but I did manage to make time to paint The King’s Rose in my sketch book. Those colours were definitely on my mind! Plants have a kind of magic.
There are many wonderful things and people that I’ve missed out, but I hope you enjoy this small selection.
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