From Malvern to Chelsea
It's show time! Malvern kicked off the season last week and I start filming for Chelsea this coming Sunday morning at the crack of dawn. Following Chelsea we've got Gardeners World Live, Hampton and Tatton Park hot on its heels.
I still get excited by all the shows and the amount of work and devotion that goes into them is quite scary. It was great to take Mark and Suzanne from my 'Design made Easy' project up to Malvern to discuss ideas and see what kind of thing they liked for their garden - that's what the shows are all about. They had never been to one before but instantly started forging thoughts and ideas on details based around my circular scheme. We looked at a veritable smorgasbord of hard materials and styles of planting and it's given me a far clearer idea about what they want.
Now, the important thing to remember about show gardens is that they are a catwalk of ideas. Most of them aren't sustainable as the planting is overly dense and most things are in flower at the same time. It's also important not to design your garden around 'a bit of this one' and 'a bit of that one' either or you'll end up with a right old mish mash. Once you've seen a good idea try to interpret it and see if it'll work in your own garden using different plants or materials that will blend in well.
Mark and Suzanne liked the way some paving was broken up with herbs to help soften it, so that's a great idea that will work with their path, and Mark and I thought some of the structures and boundaries could double up to make a simple ball game for their kids, rather than being an off the peg play product. These are just two simple ideas we took away with us. There were many more, but I have to keep Mark and Suzanne focussed as (fortunately) they don't have room for a complete garden show with 20 designer gardens!
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~22~RS~)
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I started to watch the Malvern presentation but found it very tame, lacking in the quality of previous years. So I switched off. Hopefully, Chelsea, will regain the high standard we have been used to. I can't belief it is just the presenters!
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I do not want to discuss the Malvern presentation, but I have a guestion about an item on GW (May 15).
In almost 30 minutes Joe was making a hanging basket with multiple levels from aluminium. Is there a working scheme at hand for I want to try to make one myself. I can not review the show, because I am not from the UK, I am from the Netherlands. Hope to hear from you soon.
Simone.
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I have a hot or not for you - circular lawns - I'm thinking not!
Just because they seem to be the standard design that goes in on every TV gardening show - they're going to be the decking or the pampas grass of the 2000s. If in doubt, make a circular lawn. I know in this case the punters chose that design, but it would be so nice to see some other ideas and inspiration for garden design. And I don't mean hard landscaping!
I really hope that when the terrace gardens get started in Greenacre we can see some ideas for gardens with lawns and plants that don't revert to the standard off-the-peg circular lawn solution. Pretty please, Joe!
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Don't want to sound critical - but not having watched GW for some time I find this new 21st century version very off-putting. Don't like the 'slots' version of every task and also a BIG don't like intro music either or the graphics, preferred the guitar with squeaks - but hey ho perhaps I am getting old! Did enjoy the root cuttings though but then you even split that up into sections arrrggghhhhh!
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Oh and another thing - gardening is fun but it's not necessary for you to 'joke about' during tasks!
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Hi Toby
Couldn't find where else to write about this.... However, your hanging basket was inspirational. I'm going to have a go but want to start where you finished off. Create the same then go from there. Could you tell me what plants you used in your basket please?
I'll send you the pictures when I create my first.
Thanks
Rich
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I was appalled by Alan Titchmarsh's sneering report from Chelsea this evening on the plasticine garden - much of which was created by children. If the BBC couldn't find someone who could be more impartial, then it would be better not to report it all. The garden celebrates flowers, vegetables, colour and creativity. Is he really pretending that most of the show gardens are not mere artifice? Would those gardens really survive in their beautiful perfection for more than a week? The flowers that have been preened, kept under artificial light and heat for weeks to produce blooms out of season are no less artificial than the plasticine cauliflowers or roses.
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re Chelsea coverage - more about plants & gardens please, I'm not interested in the celebrities, less talking & more looking.
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Well, at least the RHS has a sense of humour - awarding James May a plasticine gold medal! What a pity Mr Titchmarsh is too pompous to enjoy the joke.
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