Small Gardens Peoples' Award
Post categories: Sally Nex
| 14:41 UK time, Saturday, 24 May 2008
One of my favourite moments on the last day of the Chelsea Flower Show is when the People's Award for Best Small Show Garden is presented. Alan Titchmarsh leads the way through the crowds and - to the surprise of the visitors who happen to be in front of the winning garden at the time - presents a rather snazzy trophy to the delighted designers. It's a great way to give these talented people some of the recognition they so richly deserve.
This year the award went to the delightful Shetland Croft House Garden, one of the tiny courtyard gardens designed for the Motor Neurone Disease charity by Sue Hayward and Martin Anderson. Sue - who's never designed a show garden at Chelsea before - told me she was overwhelmed: "It almost means more than the gold medal," she said. "You almost forget that people are going to look at it in the end - the fact that we've had that reaction as well is brilliant."
The small gardens are little microcosms of what Chelsea is all about. There's tremendous camaraderie among designers, especially along the Serpentine Walk where the Courtyard Gardens are, a little removed from the hustle and bustle of Main Avenue. Sue told me the patch of turf lining a ditch was given to them by a neighbour after they arrived without any: they planted it up with cowslips and orchids and it looks as natural as any wild grassland.
The tiny size of these gardens means designers really have to pack in the detail. Sometimes it's so intricate you can overlook real gems: it took Sue to point out to me that what looks like quite a nice flower in a pot on the step of the croft is in fact Cerastium nigrescens, the Shetland Mouse-ear, which grows nowhere else in the world. I must have taken a good look at this garden half a dozen times this week: but not once did I give the rarest plant in the world so much as a glance. Just when you think you know Chelsea, it turns round and amazes you all over again.
Comment number 1.
At 25th May 2008, rachaelcontainer wrote:Whilst the Shetland Croft House garden was clearly of a very high quality, I thought the Good Gifts Garden was exceptional.
To me the GGG displayed an absolutely amazing attention to detail and authenticity. I was particularly enthralled by the innovative design which replicated the tide crashing through the rocks.
Of all the gardens at Chelsea this year I felt this one drew me in the most and kept my attention the longest. This took my vote.
The courtyard gardens are always my favourite and I think this is where we see the really talented designers who don't benefit from big budgets and large support teams. The ´óÏó´«Ã½ TV shows should spend more time focussing on these gardens and designers, particularly their build up to the show.
Anyone else agree or disagree ?
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Comment number 2.
At 26th May 2008, myAlgarve wrote:I have been able to read the Blog about the Small Gardens Peoples Award, But as I missed the last programme on Saturday due to the timing being changed, I missed finding out who won the Show Gardens Peoples Award, can anyone out there tell me which garden won ?
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Comment number 3.
At 27th May 2008, Barefoot wrote:Same problem here: Which big garden won the people's award? Unfortunately, I missed Saturday's Chelsea broadcast and couldn't find anything on the web.
While I do understand that BBc staff was as eager to get to their - certainly well deserved - bank holiday break as everybody else, it wouldn't be too much effort to leave an anouncement about the winners of the people's awards on the website???
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Comment number 4.
At 28th May 2008, myAlgarve wrote:It is now May 28th and I have tried every web-site available to find out this information.
Why is it so difficult ?
I agre with 'strictly armchair' can please someone now update the web-site now the Bank Holiday is over.
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Comment number 5.
At 28th May 2008, myAlgarve wrote:PM 28th May.
I have at last found the answer to my question 'strictly armchair'.
The winner was Cleve Wests garden.
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