Welcome to Day 2 of my special coverage of this year’s Chelsea Flower Show. Today, I talk to up-and-coming designers about the trials and tribulations of building a show garden at Chelsea
When Beth Chatto first displayed her naturalistic garden at Chelsea, they tried to ban her, telling her they were just weeds. I'm sure she's have a laugh at where they are at now.
Pretentious, over-crowded and over-priced it may be, but I love Chelsea, especially the Pavilion. Seeing the stunning displays people put their heart and soul into is overwhelmingly positive. Celebs, rules yayas and all, its still full of beautiful plants, and that can only ever be good.
It has to be said that the Best in Show 'A Rewilding Britain Landscape' garden felt very little like a garden and much more like a pastiche or facsimile of a natural landscape - as such, I actually do understand where people are coming from who argue that it doesn't have a place in a show that is all about gardens. Having said that, it was by far my favourite of all of those show gardens on Main Avenue and the one I would most have liked to spend some time in. I'm really glad it won Best in Show. Hopefully a People's Choice will follow too.
And I agree that there's a lot to be said for the plantspeople in the Pavilion. Incredibly knowledgeable and passionate and generous with their time and expertise - look out for interviews with some of them in tomorrow's edition...
When Beth Chatto first displayed her naturalistic garden at Chelsea, they tried to ban her, telling her they were just weeds. I'm sure she's have a laugh at where they are at now.
Pretentious, over-crowded and over-priced it may be, but I love Chelsea, especially the Pavilion. Seeing the stunning displays people put their heart and soul into is overwhelmingly positive. Celebs, rules yayas and all, its still full of beautiful plants, and that can only ever be good.
It has to be said that the Best in Show 'A Rewilding Britain Landscape' garden felt very little like a garden and much more like a pastiche or facsimile of a natural landscape - as such, I actually do understand where people are coming from who argue that it doesn't have a place in a show that is all about gardens. Having said that, it was by far my favourite of all of those show gardens on Main Avenue and the one I would most have liked to spend some time in. I'm really glad it won Best in Show. Hopefully a People's Choice will follow too.
And I agree that there's a lot to be said for the plantspeople in the Pavilion. Incredibly knowledgeable and passionate and generous with their time and expertise - look out for interviews with some of them in tomorrow's edition...
Did your interviews kindle your own interest in maybe becoming an exhibitor yourself? Might we look forward to an Earthworm entry in 2023?
Sure, why not. Assuming I can raise the necessary funding from my backers in Big Worm.
Ok! Count me in ...