{"id":11393,"date":"2022-05-27T09:51:54","date_gmt":"2022-05-27T07:51:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gardensillustrated.com\/?p=82264"},"modified":"2022-05-27T10:07:10","modified_gmt":"2022-05-27T08:07:10","slug":"the-gardens-illustrated-teams-favourite-chelsea-flower-show-gardens","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/rss_feed\/the-gardens-illustrated-teams-favourite-chelsea-flower-show-gardens\/","title":{"rendered":"The Gardens Illustrated team\u2019s favourite Chelsea Flower Show gardens"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Veronica Peerless\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 27 May 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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As the RHS Chelsea Flower Show<\/a> comes to a close, the Gardens Illustrated<\/em> team have been discussing their favourite gardens. Here\u2019s our verdict \u2013 do you agree?<\/p>\n

The New Blue Peter Garden \u2013 Discover Soil by Juliet Sargeant<\/h3>\n
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Chosen by Sorrel Everton, Deputy Editor<\/em><\/p>\n

This year\u2019s show has seen something of a shift change in attitude, due in part to Project Giving Back<\/a>, so I\u2019ve picked out just one example that highlights the ethos of the project \u2013 \u00a0Juliet Sargeant<\/a>\u2019s Discover Soil garden. Perhaps not a garden as such, but as a thought-provoking exhibit, this worked hard and is a perfect example of the purpose behind Project Giving Back, in which a show garden is sponsored to go on to fulfil a beneficial purpose beyond its brief appearance at Chelsea.<\/p>\n

Juliet has thought about how to dig the dirt when it comes to teaching children about the importance of soil<\/a> and our increasing awareness of its complexities and vitality. From a chill-out area to tune in to the sounds of compost<\/a> activity to artworks that highlight the textures of different soils, to finding out how soil is formed and the influences of weather and environment, it\u2019s all here as the basis for discovery.<\/p>\n

As the new garden for the long-running BBC children\u2019s programme Blue Peter<\/em>, the show garden will be moving to its permanent home at RHS Garden Bridgewater<\/a> \u2013 and it will work much better there as an interactive, educational space for children to engage with the story of what soil is. Tantalising glimpses too of the wildflower meadow, which at Chelsea were on the roof of Juliet\u2019s observation chamber along with an impressive tree, will hopefully be more accessible to children, with perhaps an actual subterranean chamber that takes children underground.<\/p>\n

This is one to watch as it settles into its new home, and Juliet\u2019s energies into making learning relevant should ensure that we \u2018don\u2019t treat soil like dirt\u2019.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for ways to make your own garden more environmentally sound, Juliet will be hosting our third online masterclass on 14 July on \u2018How to design a sustainable garden\u2019. Find out more about our Garden Masterclasses for 2022<\/a>.<\/h4>\n

MEDITE SMARTPLY Building the Future by Sarah Eberle<\/h3>\n

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Chosen by Jodie Jones, Contributing Editor<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018You might as well go large or go home,\u2019 Sarah Eberle<\/a> told me when I interviewed her in the run up to Chelsea, and designing a garden around a huge waterfall made out of sustainable timber construction panels could have been decidedly risky. Except that Sarah has won more Chelsea Gold medals than any other garden designer and she knows exactly what she is doing. I was expecting her to pull it off in high style, and that is exactly what she did, with a bold design and exceptional planting which played with texture more than colour. Her vision was expertly realised by Chelsea veteran contractors Landform Consultants, but the plants were the star of this show garden. From a graceful Picea omorika<\/em> and exotic Schefflera taiwaniana<\/em> to the highly textured underplanting featuring curly wood sage (Teucrium scorodonia<\/em> \u2018Crispum\u2019) and other tiny treats, this was my favourite garden at a show with a lot of strong contenders.<\/p>\n

The Plantman\u2019s Ice Garden by John Warland<\/h3>\n
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The Plantman\u2019s Ice Garden, designed by John Warland. Sponsored by The Plantman & Co at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022<\/span><\/figcaption> \u00a9 RHS\/ Sarah Cuttle<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Chosen by David Grenham, Art Director<\/em><\/p>\n

Chelsea 2022 is full of sumptuous wild planting, from the large show gardens on Main Avenue through to the Sanctuary gardens. My highlights include A Rewilding Britain Landscape, A Textile Garden for Fashion Revolution and my favourite, The Plantsman\u2019s Ice Garden. The visual effect of the wonderful planting framing the ice block, which can be heard cracking in the heat, is powerful and thoughtful. The fact that the ice block may have melted away by the weekend accentuates the clear message of how global warming is changing our planet at an alarming rate.<\/p>\n

A Garden Sanctuary by Hamptons by Tony Woods<\/h3>\n
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A Garden Sanctuary designed by Tony Woods. Sponsored by Hamptons and Koto Design at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022<\/span><\/figcaption> \u00a9 RHS\/ Sarah Cuttle<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Chosen by Niki Goss, Deputy Art Editor<\/em><\/p>\n

I loved Urban Flow, Tony\u2019s debut Chelsea garden in 2018, and he\u2019s back with another standout offering in 2022. I\u2019m a sucker for a bit of burnt-larch cladding, so was immediately drawn to the inviting garden retreat in this garden. The jaunty angular cabin is beautifully offset by the soft, clever planting that surrounds it: a palette of mainly greens and whites, including a flowering multi-stemmed Cornus kousa<\/em>, green honesty seed pods and Angelica archangelica,<\/em>\u00a0with accents of deep purple and black from Aquilegia vulgaris<\/em> \u2018Black Barlow, Anthriscus sylvestris<\/em> \u2018Ravenswing\u2019 and Baptisia<\/em> \u2018Indigo Spires\u2019 popping through to tie it all back to the darkness of the charred timber. Add in the subtle babbling sounds of the water<\/a> and it\u2019s simply a recipe for tranquility. Every time I looked I noticed another detail, something to make one truly immersed in one\u2019s surroundings and to pause and just be, which to me epitomises what a Sanctuary garden<\/a> should be about.<\/p>\n

Morris & Co. by Ruth Willmott<\/h3>\n
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Morris & Co Show garden at Chelsea Flower Show 2022, designed by Ruth Willmott<\/span><\/figcaption> \u00a9 Veronica Peerless<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Chosen by Daisy Bowie-Sell, Digital Editor<\/em><\/p>\n

Not only did the Morris & Co. garden appeal to my love of history and literature \u2013 William Morris\u2019s philosophies and novels have been constant companions throughout my life \u2013 it also appealed to my senses. Bright swathes of colour made the pollinators buzz. The metal pavilion at the centre of the garden, featuring one of Morris\u2019 most iconic designs, worked beautifully alongside Ruth Willmott\u2019s planting \u2013 set in a layout edged by water and also inspired by a Morris design. The great man once said \u2018Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful\u2019\u00a0 (I think it\u2019s fair to assume he\u2019d have meant garden, too) and this garden encapsulated that: useful as a resting space for the mind, for the bees, birds and butterflies and wonderfully beautiful, too.<\/p>\n

Hands off Mangrove by Grow2Know<\/h3>\n
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Hands Off Mangrove by Grow2Know. Designed by Tayshan Hayden-Smith and Danny Clarke at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022<\/span><\/figcaption> \u00a9 RHS Neil Hepworth<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n
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Chosen by Veronica Peerless, Commissioning Content Editor<\/em><\/p>\n

They say that you only have a few seconds to \u2018read\u2019 a Chelsea garden and I had an immediate reaction to quite a few this year, including Tony Wood\u2019s A Garden Sanctuary by Hamptons, Ruth\u2019s Willmott\u2019s Morris & Co., The Place2Be Securing Tomorrow garden and Taina Suonio\u2019s Connected, by Exante. But the garden that put an instant smile on my face was Grow2Know\u2019s Hands off Mangrove.<\/p>\n

Despite conveying several serious and important messages, this garden was joyful, not least thanks to its smiley and laid back designers Tayshan Hayden-Smith<\/a> and Danny Clarke \u2013 who, as Danny pointed out, had never designed so much as a garden fete before. The planting by Humaira Ikram<\/a> was confident and exuberant and the hard landscaping (sculpture aside) was minimal. The garden was the place to be on Press Day, with a steel band, schoolchildren and a flood of notable visitors totally stealing the show.<\/p>\n

Within a flower show and industry that is still overwhelmingly white, this garden was a triumph and a breath of fresh air. As BBC Gardeners\u2019 World<\/em> presenter and gardener Flo Headlam said on Instagram: \u201cThese guys have arrived and they\u2019re slaying it.\u201d Tayshan has just been made an RHS Ambassador<\/a>, so he will now be working within the RHS to create more access to nature and make gardening more inclusive.<\/p>\n

The garden may also have turned out to be a beacon for biodiversity. When caterpillars started eating the hornbeam hedges at the back of the garden, threatening the Chelsea perfection that the judges expect, the team left blue tits to feast on them \u2013 accepting that the leaves might have holes in them. Which raises an important question: with climate change and biodiversity at the forefront of the gardening agenda, does a Chelsea garden still have to be perfect?<\/p>\n

The Cirrus Garden<\/h3>\n
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The Cirrus Garden, designed by Jason Williams, a Balcony Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022<\/span><\/figcaption> \u00a9 RHS\/Tim Sandall<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Chosen by Molly Blair, Editorial and Digital Assistant<\/em><\/p>\n

Being a pot-bound gardener myself, I was drawn to the container<\/a> and balcony<\/a> gardens at this year\u2019s Chelsea straight away. Although there were plenty that caught my attention \u2013 A Mediterranean Reflection looked stunning in the sunshine on Sunday morning and the Wild Kitchen Garden drew me in with its galvanised metal planters \u2013 it was the Cirrus Garden that really stood out for me.<\/p>\n

The consideration that the designer, Jason Williams (@cloudgardeneruk<\/a>), had put into the altitude of the Cirrus Garden was really inspiring and left me desperate to get back to my roof terrace and start planting. The garden showed a great balance between ornamentals and edibles and the whole thing was alive with pollinators. One detail I particularly liked was two climbing red roses underplanted with red pak choi.<\/p>\n

Having a chat with Jason while the finishing touches were being made on Sunday, he told us about some of the challenges that come with gardening on a balcony and how he\u2019s had to adapt. For example, he likes to use pots with fewer drainage holes (or none at all!), as the sun and wind can dry the soil and plants out really quickly. He doesn\u2019t use terracotta pots<\/a> as they dry out too fast, and avoids dark containers, as they absorb heat and dry out compost. The Cirrus Garden was the perfect example of what can be achieved in a small space as a renter.<\/p>\n

Head to our Chelsea Flower Show hub page for all the latest coverage of the Show\u00a0<\/em><\/a><\/h3><\/body><\/html>\n
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