Friday 23 January 2015

Homebase Cornish Memories Garden by Tom Hoblyn   Image copyright Rex Richardson
Cancer Research UK Garden by Robert Myers  Image copyright Rex Richardson
2014 M&G Investments Garden by Cleve West   Image copyright Rex Richardson
Best in Show Artisan Garden by Ishihara Kazuyuk    Image copyright Rex Richardson
2014 best in show . The Laurent Perrier Garden designed by Luciano Giubbilei    Image copyright Rex Richardson

The Topiarist Garden at West Green House by Marylyn Abbott
Image copyright Rex Richardson
The Australia Garden by Jim Fogerty    Image copyright Rex Richardson

The Monaco Garden by Sarah Eberle    Image copyright Rex Richardson

Hi. This is my own personal 'take' as a garden photographer visiting London each year to capture the RHS Chelsea Flower Show  .    Every year in May on press day dozens of photographers descend on the Royal Hospital grounds in Chelsea for the Royal Horticultural Society flower show. The title 'flower show' is a little misleading. Someone asked me recently, " Is it just marquees full of flower arrangements" ?.  Well no. The event is much more than this with show gardens designed by some of the worlds best gardening people and also the well loved artisan gardens and of course lots of stalls where on public days you can buy clothing, seeds, and other garden related stuff, and plenty of places also to 're-fuel'.  Looking around the gardens we can easily image we are in the south of France staying at an exclusive villa with a sparkling aqua blue pool and fruiting citrus trees, or perhaps visiting Australia and observing it's flora. Good examples of these are Sarah Eberle's Monaco Garden and the Austalia Garden by Jim Fogerty. These gardens transport us to another country or even another continent. We can see planting on these show gardens that we may in part like to include in our own patch, but often the gardens which come closer to our own 'blueprint 'are the much loved and much visited Artisan Gardens situated in the Royal Hospital Ranelagh Gardens. Someone making a big 'mark' in recent years in the artisan garden section is Japanese garden designer Ishihara Kazuyuki. It's difficult to take in that his gardens are not permanent and have only been constructed in the past few days. Another well liked artisan garden was The Topiarist Garden at West Green House designed by Marylyn Abbott. Very much the English style of gardening. Again, difficult to believe this garden is just a temporary creation. Along with the traditional concept of a garden most years we have the more adventurous offerings. Dirmuid Gavin produces designs to expand our view of how a garden should look . Some 'love', some 'dislike', but we do need to expand our ideas and go beyond replicating the traditional concept year after year. One example of his adventurous approach is his Irish Sky Garden from RHS Chelsea 2011. The Floral Marquee is possibly nearest to the idea of what is expected from a flower show, but of course it goes well beyond that idea. The best growers of perennials, bulbs, roses, vegetables etc are all there. A real treat for the senses not only from what we can see but also what we can smell . A great deal of garden planting at Chelsea will consider it's benefit to wildlife.  Nigels Dunnet's Wildlife Garden from 2011 is one example and it also shows an excellent way of recycling a metal shipping container. The nooks and crannies in the stone walls provide housing for insects and other small creatures. So, If you want to see the best in garden design, beautiful planting combinations, all the latest garden bits and pieces, and enjoy a glass of bubbly or a Pimm's while listening to a superb military band in a beautiful setting Chelsea Royal Hospital grounds 19 - 23rd May is the place to be. Thanks for reading my blog, Rex Richardson, Norwich, Norfolk, UK. email rexrich66@gmail.com .
Nigel Dunnet's 2011 Wildlife garden with recycled shipping container
Image copyright Rex Richardson

The Irish Sky Garden by Diarmuid Gavin   Image copyright Rex Richardson
                                                                                               
                                                           Next RHS Chelsea Flower Show 19th - 23rd May 2015
                                                      Images captured on Canon 5D and various Canon 'L' series lenses.