Taming The Wild At Chelsea

What was evident in all the gardens was our relationship with the natural world and why ‘wilding’ is becoming so valued...

This was my very first visit to Chelsea, and hopefully the first of many. I’d spent the afternoon before walking around Sloane Square where Chelsea fever was in full swing. Shop owners were adorning their shop windows with masses of flowers and decorative motifs. Word on the street was that Chelsea 2019’s main takehome message is bold: get out there and celebrate the regenerative power of nature. Usually I’m behind the scenes designing layouts for The Gardener, and now I was fortunate to attend Press Day at the most prestigious Flower Show in the world. After collecting my press packs

NATURALLY, A new way to do it

I set off to find Main Avenue, where some of Britain’s best designers have worked for the past three weeks to construct and plant up their gardens. Not knowing my way at all, I first found myself on Royal Hospital Way where the ‘Space to Grow’ gardens were situated, one after the other.

This is a new category of compact gardens where space is small and tight, like an urban back yard. These inspirational gardens are filled with take-home ideas for gardeners worldwide. The central idea is to maximise plants and minimise lawns using a seating area and water features. These innovative gardens are cleverly designed to draw your attention to the underlying themes, from natural healing to soothing green spaces, education for African women, childled learning and more.

Four of this year’s gardens were thrilled to win gold.

Giving Girls in Africa a Space to Grow