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Garden name

The HESCO Garden

Designer

Martin Walker

Awards

Gold medal

Video

Description of garden

A slice of Yorkshire in Chelsea, Martin Walker has designed a old stone mill house complete with working waterwheel, surrounded by semi-naturalistic planting. The 'mill pond' in the centre of the garden has graduated bog areas planted with water forget-me-not and candelabra primulas. On the corner of the garden a field maple is under planted with lady's mantle and perennial geraniums whilst nearby rocky areas spill over with herb robert.

Large loniceras cloak boundary surfaces beneath huge Thuja plicata making the garden an intimate space which appears to have been here for years. And that's Martin's aim, through sound, sight and scent, to create an atmosphere of days gone by. However it's not just looking to the past when the power of water built cities like Leeds, but also the future and water's potential role in the supply of sustainable energy.

Lychnis flos-cuculi 'White Robin' in the foreground of Leeds garden.

Inspiration / influences

Influenced by a love for his home town and its heritage Martin Walker has directly referenced the industrial watermills like Thwaite and Armley Mills in Leeds.

List of plants planned to feature in garden

Geranium robertianum - Herb robert

Geranium macrorrhizum - Big-root Crane's bill

Myosotis scorpioides - Water forget-me-not

Primula bulleyana - Bulley's primrose - Candelabra primula

Crataegus monogyna - Hawthorn

Acer campestre - Field maple

Alchemilla mollis - Lady's mantle

Lychnis flos-cuculi 'White Robin'

Thuja plicata - Western red cedar

Viburnum opulus - Guelder rose

Also

This is the ninth year the team have been coming to Chelsea and 2010 was the year they won their first gold medal. The garden is built by a large team led by Martin Walker. The team grow their own plants and build their own structures and are always a crowd pleaser at Chelsea. This is Martin's last year designing for Chelsea before he takes retirement.

Links

List of 2011 show gardens - Chelsea Flower Show

Chelsea Flower Show photographs

TV schedule - Chelsea Flower Show

List of 2011 show gardens - Chelsea Flower Show

Archive: Meet the 2010 garden designers