Chelsea Flower Show 2012

Our first garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show demonstrated that no matter how small your plot, even grand Italian principles of garden design can be applied.

The brief, from our sponsors APCO Worldwide, was to create a small garden informed by the flow of conversation. Drawing inspiration from some of the great Italian gardens, in particular the water table at Villa Lante where conversation and merriment were said to have taken place, the garden included a dramatic water feature with an infinity edge that spilled over a water chute to a second lower pool. Three fastigiate Conifers, designed to resemble Italian Cypress, stood proudly in the water feature creating a spectacle that hadn’t been seen at Chelsea before.

In a colour palette of orange, white and green, to reference the sponsor’s branding, the planting surrounding the U-shaped seating area was pretty and restful with a specimen multi-stem Acer griseum creating balance and interest in one corner.

The garden was awarded a Silver medal.  After the show, it was relocated to our project at the Paddington Recreation Ground in honour of Sir Simon Milton.