And so the Chelsea Flower Show is coming to an end for another year. All the awards have been announced and the flowers are beginning to fade.
The medals were harder to pick this year than in previous years. Best in Show went to the Muscular Dystrophy Forest Bathing Garden, by Ula Maria. Ula is a very talented designer, winning the RHS Young Designer of the Year in 2017, and combined with the perennial-winning Crocus build team, it was a best of the best formula.
Whilst her garden didn’t grab me quite as much as some others, there is no question that it was very beautiful and well put together. I am looking forward to Ula returning in future years, particularly as I know we share a lot of thinking around sense of place and the emotional response gardens can evoke.
Apparently the big award these days, however, is the People’s Choice Award. Not necessary the best technically designed or implemented garden, but the one most voted for by the public. I’m not entirely sure if this award generally goes to the public’s favourite garden, or if it goes to the garden with the best social media campaign, but this year, I think these two dimensions probably overlapped.
Ann-Marie Powell won with her Octavia Hill Garden, in association with Blue Diamond nurseries and the National Trust. This was the extremely cheery garden, full of colour and blooms, which also won the Children’s Choice Award. Ann-Marie is enthusiastically receiving her award from 3 school children here:
My friend described to me how just as with a Paris Fashion Show, people who live and breathe garden design, are looking for something a bit different at Chelsea, compared to the typical gardener. An avid designer will be excited by something new and innovative, however outrageous or unwearable it really is. Whereas the member of the public who likes fashion, or gardens, will be looking for something they can wear or put in the garden themselves.
Ann-Marie’s garden was indeed relatable, and perhaps more in line with the Chelsea of old – the joy of gardening for gardening’s sake. The WaterAid garden that I loved was perhaps a little harder to relate to in terms of the average home garden, but I took from it interesting planting concepts, perhaps not what everyone is out for.
Tom Stuart-Smith’s National Garden Scheme garden also won Gold and drew a lot of attention, as did the World Child Cancer’s Nurturing Garden, in the smaller Sanctuary Garden category. Designer Giulio Giorgi won the RHS Environmental Innovation Award for his drought tolerant planting set with perforated clay block raised beds. Whilst I was excited to see some Australian natives, such as Dodonaea, overall this garden didn’t spark joy for me as with some others.
But Chelsea is about so much more than medals and awards. Even before you arrive at the show, the streets of London are full of flowers this week. Lloyds Bank having a mobile vegetable stall, for example.
And of course we love to see the Chelsea Pensioners in their handsome formal uniform, whilst for some the Great Pavilion is the highlight of the week, with specialist nurseries, floral exhibits and charity gardens cheek by jowl.
Two moments I particularly loved, was seeing a lady taking a quiet moment to check her emails, in the most beautiful setting imaginable.
And on the Highgrove stand, representing the King and Queen’s Gloucestershire garden, I couldn’t quite get over the display of flowers on the table. Hard to show the scale in a photo, but it was quite the most immense and beautiful, yet natural vase of flowers I have ever seen.
Chelsea is nothing if not the best of the best of the best of all things flowers and plants. Bring on Chelsea 2025!
Janna Schreier Garden Design 
I was just thinking about Chelsea the other day and thought about whether I would receive a blog from you……..and then it lands in my inbox! I do hope you are doing well. So lovely to see the beautiful gardens and read your thoughts. My 18yr old daughter won a scholarship to study with an international floral school. She is very much enjoying creating beauty in florals. I often think of you from afar. My garden is 12 yrs old now and has really changed from the dirt patch you visited back then. The vision has changed over time but continues to provide beauty throughout the seasons. So great to hear from you. I do miss reading your once regular blogs. Would love to see and read about your garden and how it’s changed! Sending caring thoughts.
That is so very exciting about your daughter, Louise. Well done her! She knew she loved flowers from a very young age, didn’t she? Thanks in part, I am sure, to her very green-fingered mummy! Lovely to hear that your garden is evolving. So much more fun than having a static one! It’s the changes that make them come alive. And thank you for your kind thoughts. I will, when I get a moment, take some photos and write a blog on where I’m up to with our garden. I’m just always too busy playing in it to write these days!! So much to do, but I adore it.
Dear Janna,
Your 2 Chelsea blogs have given a lot of pleasure to me and our Canadian hosts as we are on our way to England again via North America this time. It was opportune as you undoubtably will remember Catrona from our days together in Australia. Catrona is having much joy and success in establishing a beautiful garden which we were lucky enough to gaze upon and walk around for a few days. Together we read your writings and viewed your photos while we reminisced.
We are now spending a few days with other friends from our time together in London and once again enjoying their beautiful garden on the shores of Wolfe Lake. Reigniting these connections is a joy and thank you for extending them even further.
Much love,
Dorothy
Oh, how lovely to think of you with Catrona! It sounds like you are having a wonderful time in Canada – a very wise idea to break up the long journey to see Alex. And perfect to be immersing yourself in spring gardens all over the world, whilst avoiding the start of your winter. Enjoy the rest of your travels, Dorothy!
Loved the natural flowers vase too Janna. I don’t usually like most flower arrangements but that was right up my street. Another Chelsea year comes to a close. This year I thought the gardens you showed in your posts were better than last year. I agree too, that gardens can become too designery (excuse that word) and not necessarily a gardeners’ delight. Glad to see you are still off to Chelsea and writing your reports. Much enjoyed even though my response is a bit late.
We had birthday celebrations in our house at the weekend and I tried to do a natural vase, taking inspiration from this. I didn’t quite manage the same scale though! Yes, still writing about Chelsea, and Paul has told me I must do a blog on our garden too. He thinks much has happened since my last post and it’s about time for an update! I just need to find some free hours in the day – virtually never even take photos anymore, which I must put right.
Yes I totally agree with Paul, your writing and photography skills shouldn’t be ignored. And I miss those posts! (selfish I know)
Thank you! Once we are through the silly season of this time of year…
Looking forward to your garden blog and photos as soon as able 😀