A gardener's garden page

Chelsea 2000...the garden that nearly bankrupted us!

Chelsea Flower Show is held in London in May each year. It is the most important event in the gardener's calender and there has to be a serious reason for me not to attend. It is a chance to catch up with old friends in the industry, see new ideas and products and to surround oneself with the very best that the world of gardening has to offer.

The show gardens are designed by the best garden designers and built by the finest landscapers, so it is an honour to be invited to take part. Plans are scrutinised by the Royal Horticultural Society and if they are happy with what you propose they will invite you to build. Only two dozen main gardens can be constructed each year, so competition is intense.

The year 2000 was the10th anniversery of my company The Design and Landscape Centre so we wanted to build a garden to celebrate. Considering the nature of our exhibit, the RHS were very brave to let us. It was designed, built and paid for by us, to ensure that no sponsers message got in the way of our birthday party!

The design was based on Cubist painting and consisted of bold blocks of contrasting colours formed from plants and gravel. The stones were from South Africa: semi-precious gems-stone gravels and blocks, including a water feature made of 5 Tonnes of Rose Quartz.

The whole company were involved, transforming the allocated patch on the Main Avenue. 1000 hours of effort went into the building, with additional time spent on the plans, our application and the logistics. Many favours were called in, with suppliers offering us products at no cost or at discounts.

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• #1 Comment from thequeencee 
  17/04/04 14:12 | Permalink

  If you only have one flower in your garden this year just remember one flower is better than none.