RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2021 - Gardens

This year we proudly provided materials for five gardens at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2021. Read on to hear about the different ways designers used our products and the colours they chose.

Finding Our Way : An NHS Tribute Garden

This Sanctuary Garden, designed by Naomi Ferrett-Cohen and built by Burnham Landscaping Ltd, is a beautiful tribute to the NHS and all those involved in fighting the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as the universities working vigorously to find treatments and vaccines. Sponsored by the University of Oxford, the garden celebrates the relentless and selfless work of so many over the past 18 months.

Naomi told us how, when the University contacted her to create this garden, she wanted to build something that captured the emotions of the country during this time. Many of us experienced a range of emotions, including fear, hope and determination to beat this. Naomi therefore wanted to create a calming and immersive space where people could feel safe and reflect on the turmoil of the recent times.

A Silver-award winning design

With a palette of exquisite materials, it is easy to see why this garden won a silver medal. Heathermoor Buff Yorkstone creates a bright base for the design, instantly uplifting the surroundings and allowing the planting to shine. While we no longer supply Heathermoor, our Britannia Buff sawn Yorkstone is a worthy replacement, adding warm, light colour to designs.

The timber arches make a striking feature, but also symbolise the nation being on the edge of a precipice when the pandemic began, not knowing what is to come. Water gently flows from these arches, running into a trough at their base, the perfect representation of the various bodies coming together to fight COVID-19 - fighting together for a better future.

The pools of water around the garden produce a gentle and constant sound that immerses you and creates a peaceful space. Bold autumn colours of pinks, reds, oranges, and yellows bloom in the flower beds to add brightness. Set against the backdrop of our Metal Dark DesignClad, the planting truly shines. Yorkstone seats, expertly cut by Ed and his team on site, provide the perfect spot to take in the surroundings of the garden. Congratulations to Naomi and Burnham Landscaping on gaining Silver.

Tawatchai Sakdikul and Ploytabtim Suksang designed The Calm of Bangkok, an impressive garden built by AJ Watts Landscaping. The Calm of Bangkok represents the unique personality of the vibrant city. Winning a Silver Gilt medal, this garden fuses unique elements that create a tranquil space.

The Black granite paving, expertly cut by our in-house stone masons to have neat lines, leads you to the wooden pergola and decking area. Here, the hammock is the perfect place to unwind and take in the peacefulness of the garden. The gentle trickling of the water from the circular feature creates a restful ambience that helps the visitor to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Lush ferns and water-loving Cyperus alternifolius are planted around the water feature, creating a vibrant green space. A multi-stemed camellia makes a statement feature, with colourful plants of purple Phormium, Actaea, golden Dryopteris fern and flowering Tricertis at its base.

This minimalist and modern garden perfectly captures the spirit of Bangkok with its tropical planting and luxurious simplicity.

The Parsley Box

Designed by Alan Williams from Form Plants and built by Landform Consultants, The Parsley Box combines the philosophy of preserving Nature's bounty with the desire to empower the over-60s by challenging the outdated stereotype of aging.

A pathway of our Sidewalk porcelain leads into the garden and to a sleek, elegant entertainment space. A dense border encompasses this, brimming with edible plants like fragrant herbs and edible flowers. Foraging the garden will bring a plateful of flavoursome dishes that minimise food waste. At the table, a cantilevered pergola shelters guests, while the rich palette of yellows, oranges, mauves, and Burgundy brings the perfect autumnal feel to the garden.

The combination of materials was carefully selected to draw conversation to the topic of aging. Reclaimed wood and aged brass refer to our changing identities over time and aging with grace and beauty. This stunning garden was a winner of a Silver medal for its impressive design and execution.

The Landform Balcony Garden and Walkway

Even small spaces should be beautiful. Balconies are brimming with potential for homeowners to make the most out of every inch of their space.  Nicola Hale at Landform Consultants perfectly demonstrates how to turn a balcony into tranquil spot in this year's new unjudged category.

Paved with our Light Grey porcelain to create a light and open space, the balcony is instantly turned into a relaxing area to entertain. The modern design and simple structures make the most of all the space available, whilst the vertical planting uses space that would otherwise remain empty. A bright and sunny floral palette perfectly balances the contemporary clean lines of the garden. Hyssop, yarrows and salvias provide much-needed nectar for insects and ensure the balcony is buzzing with wildlife and filled with the scent of the flowers.

A special mention should be made of The Landscaping Consultants, who used our Black Granite paving to create a stunning walkway between each of the balcony gardens on display this year.

The Stolen Soul Garden

Anna Dabrowska made an impressive first entry to Chelsea Flower Show with The Stolen Soul Garden, built by Big Fish Landscapes, in the second unjudged category dedicated to small spaces. This Container Garden may be small, but it's certainly not boring.

The intention of the garden was to raise awareness around the taboo topic of mental health. Mental health is the invisible health issue that can live within many. By drawing attention to this subject Anna hopes to raise awareness and increase conversations around this topic.

The focus of the garden is an amethyst centred on our Steel Dark Luxury DesignClad. The stone is the ideal representation of the soul, and a sign of strength, regeneration, and healing. Its placement in the middle of the sheets of DesignClad represents how sometimes we can be living within a scope of emotions outside of our control. The purple tones of the stone are enhanced by the grout used between the DesignClad panels to truly draw out their beauty. Cutting the DesignClad to shape was no easy task. Anna visited our Bespoke Stone Centre where our in-house stone masons expertly cut it to size.

Within the garden is vibrant planting for joy, light and hope. The plants sit within three large containers, sculpted from new oak, burnt using the Japanese technique and finally sandblasted by the talented Andreas Szilard Jakab. A calming pool is the symbol of life, connecting the elements of the garden by reflecting them in its water. The small details in this garden perfectly demonstrate how even the smallest of spaces can be transformed.

With such impressive gardens this year, we are already excited to see what next year's Chelsea Flower Show brings.

Post updated: June 2024