The World Famous Chelsea Flower show is next week and participating garden designers and garden builders are busy putting together exciting displays of garden inspiration for us all to enjoy, be amazed by, and to learn from. Here in New England, we are having typical England weather (I have just stepped inside a clients home to do some laptop work while the crew slogs it out in the mud and rain).
I have been checking out the field show garden entries for this 2011 show– these are the gardens that I am most excited to see next week when the show opens.
Diarmuid Gavin, once again, has peeked my interest with garden on top of a garden. Literally. The Irish Sky garden looks to be exciting at the ground level, but then imaginatively, there is a crane dangling another garden (seating area) over the ground level garden. This is Chelsea, it’s not about reality (at least not if you want to have any fun) and Diarmuid knows how to be a designer’s designer and fascinate, excite and inspire. Do you think he will win gold?
I am also quite interested in Marney Hall’s Skyshades garden. The idea behind the garden is that it is the “studio/office of a garden designer who works from home. The studio is powered by the very latest in photovoltaic technology, and Skyshades panels on the green roof supply all the power needed. The building has been designed by Philip Game, renowned for his extraordinary designs.
The planting incorporates a wide range of habitats – woodland, meadow, water, hedgerow, herbs and annuals – and features nearly 200 species.
Cleve West has, in the past, designed some of my favorite show gardens, so while his entry for this year isn’t grabbing me from the rendering or the description, I still think it may end up being a personal favorite.
And lastly, Adam Frost has designed a garden that is inspired by the materials and design sense of Frank Lloyd Wright. It is a great inspiration so I will be excited to see how it comes out.
Have you followed any of the show gardens? You can check out the plans and progress at the RHS website. What is looking interesting to you?
As usual, I can’t wait!
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How very exciting! Bring back lots of ideas and pictures to share with us.
I’m excited — I’m going to be there this year! Will you be there on Friday? We’ve got a friend working there for his own friends’ displays that’ll give us a quick behind the scenes tour. Can’t wait.