Show garden winners
Post categories: Tom Sumner
| 11:49 UK time, Thursday, 24 July 2008
Show gardens at flower shows are always very subjective, the judges are looking for one thing, the gardening press another, and very often the public are just looking for something they can recreate in their own garden. All too often they don't agree on which should be the winner.
At Tatton Chris Beardshaw's garden, , pleased all three and it's easy to see why it was awarded the Best in Show title. Recreating a classic english country house garden with bold herbaceous borders on both sides was a sure fire winner. I loved the predominantly pastel planting and highlights of gold added by the Catalpa at the end. I'm told there are subtle elements from at least 12 Cheshire gardens incorporated into the design, including the famous double borders at Arley Hall. If you're visiting the show and you know your Cheshire gardens see if you can spot them.
According to my colleague Louise I have 'Boy tastes'when it comes to gardens and some of the other designs i liked typified this. The garden (Gold) was created by combining the traditional elements of a relaxing Japanese Zen garden with a contemporary seating area and blocky water feature.
Angular water features were in evidence in several other gardens i liked, including the (Silver-Gilt), with white walls, red containers and interesting grassy planing scheme and (Silver-Gilt) a garden created to promote the work of the Samaritans. This was just my cup of tea, with green the predominant colour and plants chosen to complement perfectly the stonework and rusted steel used within the design.
The judges awarded just two gold medals and four silver gilt at Tatton this year and I'd completely agree with their decision. A number of gardens featured heavy stonework waterfalls including (Silver), My Little Piece of the Lakes (Bronze) and Natural Distinction (Silver-gilt) and I think all of them could have done with a bit more planting to soften the hard landscaping.
Elsewhere (Silver-gilt) brought the traditional northern back garden into the 21st century and was definitely drawing interest from the crowds. (Bronze) took a more Mediterranean approach and showed how we can adapt our gardens to the changing climate. Who knows, if the weather continues to be as hot and sunny here as it has been this week maybe bananas will soon catch on in Manchester?
At Tatton Chris Beardshaw's garden, , pleased all three and it's easy to see why it was awarded the Best in Show title. Recreating a classic english country house garden with bold herbaceous borders on both sides was a sure fire winner. I loved the predominantly pastel planting and highlights of gold added by the Catalpa at the end. I'm told there are subtle elements from at least 12 Cheshire gardens incorporated into the design, including the famous double borders at Arley Hall. If you're visiting the show and you know your Cheshire gardens see if you can spot them.
According to my colleague Louise I have 'Boy tastes'when it comes to gardens and some of the other designs i liked typified this. The garden (Gold) was created by combining the traditional elements of a relaxing Japanese Zen garden with a contemporary seating area and blocky water feature.
Angular water features were in evidence in several other gardens i liked, including the (Silver-Gilt), with white walls, red containers and interesting grassy planing scheme and (Silver-Gilt) a garden created to promote the work of the Samaritans. This was just my cup of tea, with green the predominant colour and plants chosen to complement perfectly the stonework and rusted steel used within the design.
The judges awarded just two gold medals and four silver gilt at Tatton this year and I'd completely agree with their decision. A number of gardens featured heavy stonework waterfalls including (Silver), My Little Piece of the Lakes (Bronze) and Natural Distinction (Silver-gilt) and I think all of them could have done with a bit more planting to soften the hard landscaping.
Elsewhere (Silver-gilt) brought the traditional northern back garden into the 21st century and was definitely drawing interest from the crowds. (Bronze) took a more Mediterranean approach and showed how we can adapt our gardens to the changing climate. Who knows, if the weather continues to be as hot and sunny here as it has been this week maybe bananas will soon catch on in Manchester?
Comment number 1.
At 24th Jul 2008, m3ldrew wrote:Yet another potenially excellent ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ programme totally ruined by inappropriate and unecessary 'music' and fancy camera work (e.g. fast zooming in and out). Why do you do it? I gave up watching after ten minutes.
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Comment number 2.
At 19th Nov 2008, ukwaterfeatures wrote:I loved the blocky water features that was shown in the East Meets West garden - but wasn't so keen with the 'Go with A Flow' that won Silver (.
I think the stainless steel pyramids in 'Real Life Brett' were a great addition - if a little overdone with three of them together. Maybe just one would have had more impact?
A good program, but agree about the fast zooming camera work - it seems many programs are going this way at the moment unfortunately.
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Comment number 3.
At 19th Nov 2008, ukwaterfeatures wrote:I loved the blocky water features that was shown in the East Meets West garden - but wasn't so keen with the 'Go with A Flow' that won Silver (.
I think the stainless steel pyramids in 'Real Life Brett' were a great addition - if a little overdone with three of them together. Maybe just one would have had more impact? A similar one is on called the 'Tissino' but sits in a stainless steel sump too.
A good program, but agree about the fast zooming camera work - it seems many programs are going this way at the moment unfortunately.
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Comment number 4.
At 18th May 2009, Vlospiress wrote:I am terribly disappointed that Chelsea decided to let James May do a plasticine garden, he's not taking it seriously and it shows.
It's an insult to the hard working exhibitors who have worked for years on their gardens and on the paying public who come to see actual living plants and great design, neither of which does James Mays' garden fulfill.
If he wanted to promote his new series on toys, couldn't he have found a better way?
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Comment number 5.
At 23rd May 2009, sanuk9 wrote:Did you look carefully at the Plasticine Garden ? How can you say there was no hard work went into it. Well done to the RHS who got into the spirit of it by producing him the plasticine Gold Medal. Yes, it wasn't my favourite garden but it does not make a mockery of Chelsea it shows that anything goes. Personnaly, I felt that at least I would ahve been comfortable having a picnic in James' garden where as most of the show gardens you wouldn't dare breathe in them for fear of moving a petal ! Do the same people who are critisising this believe that people should not have silk flowers in their houses ?
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Comment number 6.
At 24th May 2009, tinagrundy wrote:As a flower arranger I have been disappointed at not being able to see the completed NAFAS arrangemeht at Chelsea. When was it shown? It certainly isn't among the pictures available.
Do I need to go to another site?
I always enjoy the Chelsea show and seeing some of the gorgeous plant displays but we do seem to be shown the same gardens rather frequently. Is this some sort of old boys network?
Also as a north easterner where was our Gateshead garden which won a silver medal?
I only knew this from the local paper.
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