I attended the Chelsea Flower Show on 22nd September and was looking forward to seeing a different range of plants from the usual May time of the show and I wasn’t disappointed. There were 27 gardens divided into 6 categories.
Show Gardens
The Sanctuary Gardens are designed to harness the healing power and serenity of nature.
Artisan Gardens are slightly smaller than the grand show gardens and designed so that they can be taken in from a single vantage point with a nod to the master craftsman.
Two new garden features made their debut, highlighting the importance of gardening in small spaces – The Container Gardens and the Balcony Gardens. For the Container Gardens, designers were invited to create a garden where it was impossible to dig into the ground.
The Balcony Gardens recognised the uptake of gardening during the pandemic as people sought to turn even the smallest of spaces into their own oasis of calm. These gardens are a pocket-size 2m by 5m space.
A new feature for this show were the Houseplant Studios. Six studios provided inspiration for every room in the home, including the bathroom.
At the heart of the Great Pavilion was a late summer Italianate market scene, designed by Villaggio Verde. It featured an historic Italian Piazza with a facade of pillars and arches, surrounded by gnarled olive trees and cypress. A giant 800lb pumpkin took centre stage. I particularly liked the vintage market carts from various nurseries which were like chocolate boxes filled with little goodies.
There were many good exhibits within the pavilion, although the one stand of alliums did seem very out of place in this Autumn show.
Exhibitor stands outside
Last, but not least, are the Feature Gardens created by the RHS and partners that promote sustainability. There were three feature gardens this year but I only have images from two of them. The missing one is the RHS Garden of Hope – I found it really difficult to get a good picture of it from the outside. It was possible to walk through it, but it was always closed off when I was nearby.
