The Chelsea Flower Show is an annual celebration of everything garden held in the grounds of the Chelsea Royal Hospital in London. Aside from its showcase of new plant varieties and various furniture and ornamentation pieces to outfit your garden with, there are expansive gardens that overflow with ideas for your own little plot. Amazingly, the show lasts for only five days — which is hard to believe when you see the level of detail and sophistication in the show gardens created by designers from all over the world.
I made the trek across the pond this year and came back completely inspired and itching to implement some of these ideas in upcoming projects. The following is a collection of images from the 2012 show that highlight various techniques that could work in your own garden.
Matt Kilburn
Contrasting background colors. Contrast is king in garden spaces. Often, contrast can be created by various hardscape and softscape elements, but attention should be paid to color tones too. In this garden by Andy Sturgeon, a rich, dark gray wall provides the perfect backdrop to emphasize the contrasting colors and forms of the foliage in front.
Matt Kilburn
Incorporating industrial materials. Cor-Ten steel has become a very popular material in the garden. Its color tone contrasts beautifully with the surrounding foliage in this garden space designed by John Warland and Sim Flemons. The materials's corrugated texture makes for interesting shadows cast from trees.
Matt Kilburn
Form meets function. Built-in features can act as a great focal point in a garden while also adding function to a space. In this garden by Jason Hodges, plush outdoor furniture integrates into the landscape a cantilevered dining room table protruding from a retaining wall.
Matt Kilburn
Outdoor comfort. Who wouldn't want to curl up with a book in this hidden hammock space? Take a cue from this space by Jo Thompson — hammocks are a great solution for lounging when space is limited.
Matt Kilburn
Low-maintenance lawn substitutes. Meadow gardens were a big trend at this year's show, popping up in both traditional and more abstract applications. Meadow gardens are a great low-maintenance alternative to lawns, because they require much less water and upkeep. Paths can be cut through the meadow for access, and the flowers simply reseed themselves.
Matt Kilburn
Classical ideas in modern settings. Pleached hedges, a classical form of living architecture resembling hedges on stilts, are making a comeback in modern garden design. This garden by Arne Maynard effectively uses pleached hedges to create enclosure down the path while allowing garden beds to flow seamlessly through the garden.
Matt Kilburn
Controlling movement through the garden. The way you move through the garden is an important consideration. Breaking up a path with stepping stones, like in this garden by Chris Gutteridge, is a great way to encourage visitors to slow down and enjoy the surroundings.
Matt Kilburn
Smart spatial solutions. In this garden, Jason Hodges found a great solution for a difficult angle transition from the stairs to the paving stones. The threshold planting of black mondo grass adds an interesting contrasting texture to the space and complements the color tones of the spiky phormiums in the background.
Matt Kilburn
Contrasting background colors. Contrast is king in garden spaces. Often, contrast can be created by various hardscape and softscape elements, but attention should be paid to color tones too. In this garden by Andy Sturgeon, a rich, dark gray wall provides the perfect backdrop to emphasize the contrasting colors and forms of the foliage in front.
Matt Kilburn
Incorporating industrial materials. Cor-Ten steel has become a very popular material in the garden. Its color tone contrasts beautifully with the surrounding foliage in this garden space designed by John Warland and Sim Flemons. The materials's corrugated texture makes for interesting shadows cast from trees.
Matt Kilburn
Form meets function. Built-in features can act as a great focal point in a garden while also adding function to a space. In this garden by Jason Hodges, plush outdoor furniture integrates into the landscape a cantilevered dining room table protruding from a retaining wall.
Matt Kilburn
Outdoor comfort. Who wouldn't want to curl up with a book in this hidden hammock space? Take a cue from this space by Jo Thompson — hammocks are a great solution for lounging when space is limited.
Matt Kilburn
Low-maintenance lawn substitutes. Meadow gardens were a big trend at this year's show, popping up in both traditional and more abstract applications. Meadow gardens are a great low-maintenance alternative to lawns, because they require much less water and upkeep. Paths can be cut through the meadow for access, and the flowers simply reseed themselves.
Matt Kilburn
Classical ideas in modern settings. Pleached hedges, a classical form of living architecture resembling hedges on stilts, are making a comeback in modern garden design. This garden by Arne Maynard effectively uses pleached hedges to create enclosure down the path while allowing garden beds to flow seamlessly through the garden.
Matt Kilburn
Controlling movement through the garden. The way you move through the garden is an important consideration. Breaking up a path with stepping stones, like in this garden by Chris Gutteridge, is a great way to encourage visitors to slow down and enjoy the surroundings.
Matt Kilburn
Smart spatial solutions. In this garden, Jason Hodges found a great solution for a difficult angle transition from the stairs to the paving stones. The threshold planting of black mondo grass adds an interesting contrasting texture to the space and complements the color tones of the spiky phormiums in the background.