Written on 14 May 2015 by Alistair Boscawen in London
Garden designs incorporating water features, soft elegant planting, entertaining spaces and tropical landscapes will be on display at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show when the four-day event opens its doors to the public on 19 May.
A garden can add 10% to the value of a London home, and what is known as the world’s greatest flower show promises to provide visitors with inspiration as to how to make best use of their outside space.
Brothers Harry and David Rich have Harry and David Rich have used vineyards in New Zealand as the theme for their exhibit. The pair, who won a silver medal at last year’s event for their Night Sky Garden, return to Chelsea with a garden in which to enjoy wine.
Their design takes visitors from the dark and earthy tones of a Pinot Noir with planting in red, purples and plums to the floral, fresh and clean tones of a Sauvignon Blanc with light white and green planting.
The focal point of the Cloudy Bay Garden is a shack reflecting the vineyard’s heritage. The structure will run along steel rails and when the clock strikes 11am, 4pm and 6pm the building will move from one side of the garden to the other allowing show visitors to see different perspectives on the plot.
Meanwhile, John Tan and Raymond Toh’s debut at RHS Chelsea is inspired by Kranji, a suburb of Singapore with a lush natural landscape home to tropical plants, orchid farms and nature reserve wetlands.
Their exhibit will feature palms, coconuts, while ferns create an oasis hiding a display of orchids.
Royalty is represented at RHS Chelsea by Prince Harry’s charity Sentebale, which helps vulnerable children in Lesotho get the support they need to lead healthy and productive lives.
The Sentebale garden is designed by last year’s BBC/RHS Chelsea People’s Choice winner Matt Keightley, who in 2014 created the Hope on the Horizon garden for the military charity Help for Heroes.
This year’s creation, however, is inspired by Sentebale’s flagship child care centre in Lesotho and will include a rock and waterscape feature which is representative of the mountainous region in that part of South Africa.
To many, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is the gardening event of the year. The 2015 show opens to the public between 21 and 23 May but tickets will not be available to buy on the day.
For your final chance to snap up tickets, click on the link below:
If you are a first-time visitor to the show, TV gardening expert Alan Titchmarsh gives the following advice.
“Wear comfortable shoes. It’s nice to dress up for showpiece events like Chelsea, but if you are in agony you won’t enjoy the flowers and the gardens nearly as much.”
He adds that if you are planning to take inspiration from the exhibitors, make notes in a notebook or take photos with your phone. This will allow you to make the most of your garden this summer.
Transforming your own outside space can not only extend the space you and your family can use at home, if you are looking to sell your property a beautiful garden gives your home the chance to stand out.
Image credit: Steve Fareham (www.geograph.org.uk)
