Chelsea Flower Show 2014
Garden Designs
Arguably, this is the most personal garden I’ve made for Chelsea. It was inspired by memories of my family including my grandparents and my old man, as well as a difficult period of time at home. I suppose I wanted to look at the past as a way of informing the future. The idea was that different generations could use the garden, either individually or to come together as a family. I wanted it to be a place to stop and pause, to look, to reflect and simply to be.
The design was driven by my dad’s passion for geology and crafts as well as his love of the Devon landscape. I also drew on childhood memories of playing in rockpools and in the garden and my nan putting a buttercup under my chin.
It had a simple layout with a pathway made of sawn paving, yet you could also clamber over the rocks and move around the garden that way. Which I suppose relates to the way life can be slightly more complicated at times and we can choose different routes, but they can all end up leading to the same place. The building at the back provided shelter, seating and a fireplace to gather round.
We used Purbeck limestone but used in all its different forms so rocks, sawn, polished, for the hard landscaping and oak for furniture and the roof of the building.
The planting was soft and natural looking in soft whites, yellows, blues and creams and included geraniums, iris and foxgloves. There was a buttercup meadow sat in the middle of it all and the green was inspired by spring in the Devon moors.
It was awarded a Gold medal.
