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It’s Show Time, Folks Garden design


t’s that time of year again when garden designers get over excited and hyper- ventilate a little. Well, I do anyway. I am


referring to the glorious madness that is the Chelsea Flower Show. In pursuit of inspiration (and cake


obviously), I made my annual pilgrim- age to check out the design zeitgeist. This year was particularly interest- ing and I got the impression that the ethos behind at lot of the gardens has shifted. At the risk of being a smarty- pants I would refer you back to one of my recent articles that I wrote about the importance of the colour green. Green was the overwhelming first


impression in a lot of the gardens. Many designers seem to have shifted their focus away from flowers and


Green


because they come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes and are great for adding structure and winter interest. In line with the problems now associated with box the topiary on show tended to be yew and not clipped to within an inch of its life. Overall the planting schemes


was the overwhelming


bright colours and onto foliage; using size, texture and shades of green to give in- terest. Those colours that were used were much softer and more subtle than those used in recent years. There were some particularly lovely combinations using pale yellows with whites and flashes of blue. Other colours that were used were some- what reminiscent of faded Venetian tapestries such as dusky claret, soft pink and bronze, copper, purple and old gold. Another notable feature was the


use of trees. This year there were trees in abundance with lots of different species. Conifers have also made a triumphant return, which is good


first impression in a lot of the gardens.


were subtle and understated. There was imperfection (á la Chelsea) and a much greater use of native or species vari- eties, together with large trees, which gave a lot of the gardens a


very beautiful and tranquil feel. The hard landscaping also followed this more naturalistic approach with a lot of very raw materials in evidence. There was rustic wood, log walls, chunky stone terraces and paths made from crushed concrete, gravel or simply trampled soil. I appreciate that a lot of people


feel that Chelsea gardens are not achievable in the real world and I would agree completely. Of course they aren’t. It is theatre, smoke and mirrors, show time. However there were some beautiful elements that would certainly translate into reality.


colette@charsleydesign.com www.charsleydesign.com t: 01548 581753 m: 07774 827799 Follow me on Twitter @ColetteCharsley • Instagram colettecharsley Professional Landscape & Garden Design


Creative and beautiful designs for village, town and country gardens


Colette Charsley PG Dip OCGD t: 01548 581753 m: 07774 827799


colette@charsleydesign.com www.charsleydesign.com


by Colette Charsley


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