Chelsea Flower Show 2011 – Press Day Highlights
It was a bit blustery but a good day nonetheless. Here are a few brief highlights from today in pictures. Hopefully more to follow later.
Diarmuid’s Irish Sky Garden
Watching Diarmuid going up in his flying garden. I quite liked the contrasting pink against the green and the effect of the floating structure (shame about the ugly crane needed to raise it up and down - off the view of this shot)
I admit I liked the landscaping and planting on the ground. It was striking and effective, filling the large site well and giving an impression of the depth of the garden
I loved the shapes and textures provided by the topiary, grasses and reflective pools
Sarah Eberle’s Monaco Garden
I didn’t have particularly high expectations for this one and it unexpectedly turned out to be one of my favourite gardens. There wasn’t actually much about it I didn’t like. If you can imagine living on a Monacan hillside then this is one garden you could imagine being just the thing, should the situation arise.
A Mediterranean metropolis paradise. I love the orange geum ('Totally Tangerine') and citrus highlights in the planting against the aqua, blues and purples. Also liked the lavender planted roof.
Side view through the high rise structure at the back of the garden. Steps lead up to the cantilevered roof
Tom Hoblyn’s Homebase Cornish Memories Garden
Tom Hoblyn's garden inspired by childhood memories of Cornwall. Beautiful informal plantings of ferns, grasses and other perennials including non-too-fashionable rhododendrons
Beautiful criss-crossing rills, sculpted in granite slabs, run down to the shadow pool
Luciano Giubbilei’s Laurent Perrier Garden
I know it's not ground-breaking and the planting was reminiscent of his garden a couple of years ago but I found this garden pretty and romantic; calming yet arresting. Something about it grabbed me. I love the beauty in its simplicity and the Japanese influences. Also love the view of the dusky pink planting below those sculpted stems of Parrotia persica
In contrast to the first picture taken in the overcast morning this one was taken in the sunny afternoon. Beautiful shadows, colour and light play on the screens of the bamboo pavilion, which moved in the breeze (or rather gusts of wind!)
Ann-Marie Powell’s British Heart Foundation Garden
Blood-red structures represent veins and arteries contrasting against a monochrome palette of green planting
Even the stepping stones are veiny
Cleve West’s Daily Telegraph Garden
Sunken garden with columns inspired by Roman ruins. Popular with the crowd and was one of the favourites to win Best in Show.
My favourites of the Artisan gardens:
Hae-woo-so
Korean toilet. Cleansing your mind with a scenic walk to the john?
Welcome to Yorkshire
The Art of Yorkshire
Postcard from Wales
Welsh boathouse based on an area close to Dylan Thomas' Laugharne
Now really looking forward to seeing the gardens on Wednesday. Love Luciano Giubbilei’s but fear the planting may be a little lacking for the RHS judges for it to win the top award. To me I think it is perfect
Hi James – hurrah on Luciano winning gold! I agree, it was pretty perfect. Hope you had a wonderful day at the show on Wednesday.
nice design