Destinations Magazine

Chelsea 2012: Show Gardens

By Alternativeeden @markngaz
The Show gardens were divided in three categories this year, large show gardens, smaller Artisan gardens and Fresh gardens. 
Of the main show gardens our personal highlights were the "Quiet Time: DMZ Forbidden Garden", Joe Swifts first entry to Chelsea "The Homebase Teenage Cancer Trust Garden", Flemings "Trailfinders Australian Garden". The overall winner was Cleve West's Garden.

Chelsea 2012: Show Gardens

The M&G Garden

Chelsea 2012: Show Gardens

Chelsea 2012: Show Gardens

Fantastic Garden by Chris Beardshaw, best hobbit house in the show!

Chelsea 2012: Show Gardens

Chelsea 2012: Show Gardens

Flemings Australian Garden

Chelsea 2012: Show Gardens

Cleve West's prize winning garden.

Chelsea 2012: Show Gardens

Chelsea 2012: Show Gardens

Chelsea 2012: Show Gardens

The Homebase Teenage Cancer Trust Garden

Chelsea 2012: Show Gardens

Chelsea 2012: Show Gardens

Chelsea 2012: Show Gardens

Chelsea 2012: Show Gardens

Diarmuid Gavin's Pyramid in the background and DMZ forbidden garden in the foreground.

Chelsea 2012: Show Gardens

Chelsea 2012: Show Gardens

The Artisan gardens were also interesting, our favorite (and the Judges Favourite too), was the "Satoyama Life" Japanese  styled garden.  We also particularly liked the Scottish Agricultural College Garden which had a theme relating to an imaginary plant hunter.

Chelsea 2012: Show Gardens

Scottish Agricultural College Garden

Chelsea 2012: Show Gardens

Chelsea 2012: Show Gardens

Satoyama Life

Chelsea 2012: Show Gardens

Chelsea 2012: Show Gardens

Chelsea 2012: Show Gardens

The Fresh gardens is a new concept this year, and we didn't really think it worked too well, the basic idea was to do something different, modern or unusual, but it just didn't seem to gel very well. The Fresh gardens were placed with various retail displays, and some of them (for example the Sculpture Park display) were far more interesting than the actual gardens in this category. It seems the Chelsea judges were also disappointed with only one garden attaining the much coveted Gold Medal.

Chelsea 2012: Show Gardens

Spot the spray-painted Agave...

Chelsea 2012: Show Gardens

The Renault Garden

Chelsea 2012: Show Gardens

This was the winner in the Fresh Gardens category

After a busy day its been fun to watch the more relaxed TV coverage and compare the gardens (they look bigger on TV!)
Gaz

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