Highlights From The RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2017
By Something CuratedThe RHS Chelsea Flower Show has earned a reputation for being the world’s most prestigious horticultural event, inspiring innumerable spectators through showcasing the best in garden design. Something Curated takes a closer look at the most exciting offerings on display this year and the designers behind them.
Inland Homes: Beneath a Mexican Sky 2017 || Manoj Malde
Beneath a Mexican Sky is inspired by the work of Mexican Modernist architect Luis Barragan. Colour-washed walls in tints of clementine, coral and cappuccino provide a dramatic backdrop to the planting scheme, which is offset by concrete slabs floating across a large aquamarine pool. Pouring water creates a soothing sound at the edge of the seating area. The copper wire sculpture by Rupert Till captures Barragan’s love of horses. The garden applies a new thought process, using drought-tolerant plants that merge Mediterranean with country cottage planting.
M&G Garden || James Basson
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The award for Best Show Garden was presented to James Basson for the M&G Garden, an immersive interpretation of a Maltese quarry where nature and a dedicated gardener have joined forces to repair the damage caused by excavation. This garden was inspired by the philosophies of ecological sustainability, with an intention to show how varied Malta’s ecosystems are. The garden features a number of rare and unusual plants from the country, with special permission from the Maltese government.
Chengdu Silk Road Garden || Laurie Chetwood & Patrick Collins
The Silk Road Garden is inspired by the rich history and culture of Chengdu, capital of the ancient Chinese Shu kingdom, and since ancient times known as ‘the abundant land’ thanks to its fertile soil and favourable climate. The garden combines architectural and planting design in a conceptual depiction of the different landscape features of Chengdu and the surrounding Sichuan Province. In contrasting planting environments it showcases some of the many garden plants familiar in the West that have Chinese origins. At the heart of the garden the symbol of the 3,000 year old Sun and Immortal Bird legend of Chengdu lies on a central theatrical plaza.
G-LION: Gosho No Niwa No Wall, No War || Kazuyuki Ishihara
Inspired by the Kyoto residence of Japanese emperors, which could never be attacked, and therefore possessed neither moat nor wall to protect it, Kazuyuki Ishihara’s open garden contains the beauty and peaceful feeling of history and expresses the communal spirit that has allowed the imperial family of Japan to continue for two millennia.
Neoteric || Robert Hornsby
The 2017 Chelsea Flower Show marks the second year the Bull Ring entrance gate, situated on the bank of the River Thames, has been commissioned. This year’s contemporary design is by Robert Hornsby from In Water Flowers who is known for pushing boundaries and challenging norms. The unconventional piece is named Neoteric, meaning fresh and new. Sponsored by the RHS, the design is inspired by the London skyline, and contains five-metre-high shards of 15,000 white, pink and purple ombre’d Colombian carnations leaning on the entrance’s pillars.
Royal Bank of Canada Garden || Charlotte Harris
The Royal Bank of Canada Garden is inspired by the vast and ecologically vital boreal forest and freshwater lakes of Canada. Stretching from the Yukon to Newfoundland and Labrador, the habitat incorporates exposed bedrock, endless forests, rushing rivers and broad wetlands. The garden seeks to create a space inspired by this landscape, rather than to recreate it. A wilder garden folds around manmade elements, crafted from materials evocative of the boreal. Designer Charlotte Harris led an all-female design team, including an architect, technical detailer and horticulturists.
Walker’s Wharf Garden || Graham Bodle
This garden turns a derelict industrial space into a usable outdoor area. A disused industrial wharf, reminiscent of those along the waterways of northern England, provides the inspiration. It includes a drawbridge, crane arm and a decked area in which to relax. Pines and conifers are used to give the garden structure and a feeling of maturity. Ground cover plants, including grasses, are planted in and around the edges of the industrial hard landscaping. The colour palette is predominantly green to give a sense of calm and wellbeing.
Feature image: Chengdu Silk Road Garden designed by Laurie Chetwood & Patrick Collins (Via The Royal Horticultural Society)