Sunday, May 31, 2009

More Chelsea, and NAFAS

The off-shore garden designer Sarah Eberle

I have a few more gardens from Chelsea to show starting with this one, quite usual all water not sure how you get to the door as the middle stone is under water. At least it would deter unwanted visitors. It won a silver medal.

This was the 1984 garden and got a bronze medal

The two photo's above were designed by Drusilla Stewart and William Beresford for the help for heroes Sanctuary Garden. It was neat and clean lines and was in aid of helping our fighting heroes.

Another example of plants growing up the wall. This was the Fenchurch garden designer Paul Hensey and not only won silver gilt but most creative award.

There were many more gardens but this garden was a bit of fun and seemed to be attracting a lot of attention. Paradise in Plastic By James May and a lot of others was awarded a special plastic medal.

Now for something different.

RHS Chelsea Florist of the year

Sorry I can't tell you who won but they are all very clever and all made from plant material and worth a look at.

The next photo's are from the ladies who belong to the NAFAS association this year it was the turn of the Wessex and Jersey branches and won a gold medal. It was title was Inside Outside and was very contemporary lovely colours.

The show was about to close we were nearly done in and went for a cup of tea and noticed the Que for the floral art marque was gone. We had tried to take a look earlier on in the day but the Que was so long I was afraid we wouldn't get round the whole show, so with tea in hand we had a mad dash round the exhibits taking some photo's of what I thought was the best, here are just a few sorry no names of the designers or the medals.

Before I end this blog I though a word for the plant growers must be mentioned. They do a brilliant job of getting the flowers to bloom for the show, holding flowers back and forcing them forward.

How they get daffodils in may to look this good

and delphiniums this tall

Tropical flowers from overseas

And finally this display by Zita Elze was stunning a interior designer, florist and garden designer.




I hope you have enjoyed just a small amount of Chelsea as much as I enjoyed going again this year, who would of thought 7 years ago when i was part of a team and won a bronze medal it would still inspire and bring such joy to me.

Posted by Bob :: 7:29 pm :: 2 Comments:

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Monday, May 25, 2009

Trip to Chelsea 09

Our day out at Chelsea started with the train from Coventry being cancelled but only 20 minuets to wait for the next one which as it happened got us there the same time. The station was Marylybone in London and the first site when you leave the train is the flower stand. I don't know what time they start or how many work there but they must sell a lot with the amount they had for sale. Very cleverly there were bags of flowers ready to go for the busy commuters.

The company is Go flowers http://www.go-flowers.co.uk/ they are also at Victoria and paddington stations and a shop at primrose hill. The prices are higher than my shop but that reflects the area and we struggle to get what we charge, but the supermarkets don't help with cheap bunches and there are two near the shop.

On to the flower show, the weather was dry bit windy but good. We thought we would do the small gardens first, when I say we its my sister Julie I am with.

This first garden won a silver gilt titled wild and wonderful

The Fenland Alchemist garden by Stephen Hall and Jane Besser got a gold and best court yard garden.

The small gardens are mostly lovely cottage type gardens very popular with the public and very much like my garden due to the size, if i had a large garden I would love to dedicate part of it to a contemporary design. The garden above is the potters garden made by four ladies from Cumbria all three gardens were lovely. This one got a got a silver medal This garden was called Jacob's ladder by Jeffery Hewitt won a silver medal

This garden is Demelzer by Jo Thompson a garden for children with soft water and chimes it won a silver gilt.

The two photo,s above are from the Entente Cordiale garden. A garden of friendship after the signing on the 8 April 1904 between Britain and France. The colour's were red white and blue it was a lovely crisp garden.

Pilgrims rest by Chris Odonoghe, was herbs of all kinds and was awarded a silver gilt

Posted by Bob :: 3:29 pm :: 1 Comments:

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Large gardens at chelsea

On to the large show gardens, These tend to be contemporary gardens with bold structures and this year was just so.

The perfume garden by Laurie Chetwood and Patrick Collins won a gold medal and most creative award, all the plants and flowers all were to have a sent but you could not get to close and could only smell the perfume being made and the sample being given out.

With the wet summers we have had the last few years the Leeds city council with designer Martin Walker with water and floods in mind designed the Hesco garden which they won a silver gilt medal.

The Cancer research UK garden by Robert Myers won a silver gilt. The structure at the back of the garden represents Impact and sends ripples through the garden the water feacher was very clever, I can't make up my mind if this was my best garden.

I love this garden this avenue of trees was fabulous. laurent Perrier Garden by Luciano Giubbilei got a gold with its calm atmosphere, simple classical structure of the planting.

Look at the way the trees have been shaped with ivy growing all very neat in the black wall.

The Sweadish designer Ulf Nordfjell designed this garden for the Daily Telegraph and not only a gold but best in show. A modern take on a rock garden it was wonderful, I especially loved the rocks in the water.

Foreign and Colonial Investment garden by Thomas Hoblyn. The wood was very dominant in colour there were some similar coloured flowers dotted throughout the garden but I felt should have been stronger, but what do I know it got a silver medal.

Future Nature designed by Nigel Dunnett, Adrian Hallam and Chris Arrowsmith won a silver gilt. The aim was the wider environment and wildlife saving water and wild planting.

Not really sure about this garden. I like large stepping stones but the design at the back is well !!The flowers are pink Impatients and the garden title is the quilted velvet garden by Tony Smith and if I'm right the sponsors were the toilet tissue and that's all I can see as the advert says soft soft soft. Sorry, It did however get a silver medal.

The next garden I thought was very brave, instead of one large garden the designer Ian Dexter for Marshalls created four modern urban street gardens for the times we are living in. All were different and earned him a silver gilt.

Room to park the car but still space for plants, up the wall there was a lot of this at Chelsea this year. There is also a water feature running down the wall.

The second garden is soft planting like a meadow and cottage garden. All have a seating area.

The third garden is for a couple who like to grow their own with an edible wall of herbs, salads, tomatoes. In the garden there are vegetables, fruit trees and vines growing up the coloms.

The forth and final garden has an oriental feel with clean lines and a water river running through the garden with water lilies.
There is a lot more I would like to show you but don't want you to get fed up and must really go and feed Robert so if you are still interested I will post more at the end of the week. There are all flower arrangements and the NAFAS stand and more gardens still yet to show.

Posted by Bob :: 2:00 pm :: 1 Comments:

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