I went to Chelsea this year seeking inspiration for my own garden – a first for me. It was great to be able to wander around the Great Pavilion, knowing that I could actually use the plants in my own garden if I wanted. My favourite garden was by Cleve West, especially the gravel section – not that I could recreate that in the soggy West Country.
I also really liked Marilyn Abbot’s Topiarist’s Garden (below). I loved the cool greenness of it. And the fact that a lot was crammed into a small space, without it feeling cramped.
I’m on the lookout for a multi-stemmed shrub or tree for my main border, and the Amelanchier canadensis above (in Luciano Giubbilei’s garden for Laurent Perrier) comes highly recommended by James Alexander-Sinclair as a tree for all seasons. It’s on sale at my local garden so maybe I’ll go for it.
I loved this dark pink rose, peony and box ball, lightened by the airy grass in the Positively Stoke-on-Trent garden.
A friend has given me lots of Geranium phaeum, which I’m planning on using in the shady side of the garden. It looked great mixed with euphorbia and purple-leaved plants.
This year there was a refreshing lack of young ladies wearing only body paint to promote the gardens. I failed to match my celeb- spotting nirvana of Chelsea 2012, when I got up close and personal with Gwyneth Paltrow. Instead I saw Esther Rantzen rush up to a Chelsea Pensioner, presumably to interview him. (Esther (gushingly): ‘Hi!! Are you Jack?!!!!’. Chelsea Pensioner (coolly): ‘No.’). The highlight of my day was meeting some Vikings. They told us all about the battles they take part in, the injuries they’ve sustained, and how to hold a sword correctly. You wouldn’t mess with them, I can tell you.
Lovely pix, as ever. A good combination of lime and blue is simply alchemilla mollis and Johnson’s blue geranium.
Love those Vikings!!!
And I want that topiary garden!!!
Alchemilla mollis and ‘Johnson’s Blue’ is a lovely combo! I want the topiary garden too!
It looks like Robbie Coltrane joined the Vikings for a spot of pillaging 😉
Yes, he was a dead ringer!
Fantastic displays and I love the period costumes.
Thank you!
Great pics : )
Do you know the specific name of the peony used on the Stoke on Trent garden?
a lovely carmine colour but I can’t find a plant list anywhere!
Hi – sorry, I’m afraid I didn’t pick up a planting list, and I can’t find one online, either! Which is a shame because I want to know the name of the rose!
I found the planting lists at last but the peony wasn’t on it! (I’ve since found out that it’s peony ‘Kansas’ woohoo! : ) )
The dark rose is listed as ‘Munstead Wood’ on the Stoke on Trent council pages —
http://webapps.stoke.gov.uk/uploadedfiles/Dark-Pink-Planting-Images.pdf
http://www.stoke.gov.uk/ccm/content/environment/general-environment/chelsea-flower-show.en
(the plant lists pdfs are at the very bottom of the page, including ones for the white and paler pink plants too.)
Thanks so much for letting me know!! I’ll add it into the post. Funnily enough ‘Munstead Wood’ has long been on my wishlist of roses, so that’s decided it – I’m getting one! I’ll keep an eye out for peony ‘Kansas’ too!
Aww. That’s a shame I was there on monday too, but didn’t spot you. My Favouurites were the Hope on the Horizon garden and the Night Sky. The dry part of Cleve’s appealled less to me when I was there, but since getting back and looking at my photos has really grown on me.
That’s a shame that I missed you and Louise! I liked the Night Sky one too but have no memory of the Horizon one, which I know a lot of people liked. I was working so was in the Pavilion for most of the day.
I like the ‘shed’ in Marilyn Abbot’s garden…. I could see me in there!
The white marble(?) behind tree and between the hedges works really well in the Laurent Perrier garden.
TB