In case you’ve missed mention of it The RHS Chelsea Flower Show has been on this week and I’ve been gutted that I haven’t had the opportunity to go down and check it out for myself this year. While it’s for a good reason - I’ve been so busy doing designs for Blue Daisy's own clients - not being able to get there in person hasn't stopped me taking a sneaky peek at the TV occasionally. From what I’ve managed to see, here are some of my favourite garden designer bits:
Designer Chris Beardshaw never seems to disappoint, and this year he continues to inspire with his Arthritis Research Garden. A personal journey for him - he was diagnosed with arthritis in his teens - his planting is absolutely gorgeous and I just love the scupture that's forming the focal point in this shot.
This garden is a sum of its parts and is split into 3 sections that represent the journey that arthritis sufferers go through from diagnosis through to managing their condition effectively and with confidence. The warm, vibrant planting in this image forms the Radiant Garden, representative of that final happier stage. See Chris Beardshaw talk about his 2013 show garden here.
Chris won a well deserved gold medal for his efforts and the coveted People's Choice award.
There were lots of lovely scuptural elements in this year's show and one that particularly appealed to me was the bench backdrop in Michael Balston & Marie-Louise Agius's East Village Garden. It offers both a functional windbreak and a stylish design piece and focal point, perfect for a curvy garden and these designers have made the most of it.
For a simple but beautiful sculptural piece I also loved the hand crafted bee hive in Adam Frost's Sowing the Seeds of Change garden.
All of these pieces play a crucial role in the gardens surrounding them and for some tips about using focal points check out our other blog: Garden Design Quick Tip: Focal Points.
The Chelsea Flower Show celebrated its centenary year this time around and there have been lots of acknowledgements of its past history. I've found it fascinating seeing old photos of past designs, seeing how trends have appeared, disappeared and sometimes reappeared in new interpretations. I wish I had been able to visit their photo gallery in person to see some of the images up close. If any of you did manage to visit do let us know which gardens were your favourite and which garden trend are you thankful we've managed to leave behind!