How to Turn a Chelsea flower show Garden into a real-life garden at home
The RNLI Garden, designed by Chris Beardshaw, RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022 - Gold Medal, image by Ellie Walpole
Be inspired
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is a joyous week at the end of May; a chance to view the very pinnacle of garden design and planting. It's packed full of inspirational ideas and planting combinations. It showcases innovative new materials and techniques and brings vital awareness to sustainability and biodiversity, whilst shining a spotlight on associated charities and social issues.
Before you go, here are a few pointers to help you make the most of your visit to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show:
Take a notebook and write down what inspires you, or take photos on your phone. It’s easy to forget after seeing so many gardens, so don’t trust you’ll remember. Make a note of specifics, whether that’s texture, the way the plants move, scent or colour combinations. Be clear on what it is you like so you can jog your memory later.
Pay attention to innovative materials or techniques that you could employ at home. Perhaps it’s the rough edges of stone, contrasted with polished surfaces or the way a wall is rendered? Make a note of the things that you enjoyed.
Look at how designers are promoting sustainability and biodiversity. Some gardens have big ideas, but that doesn’t mean you can’t replicate something similar in your own garden.
Gaze Burvill Stand, designed by Ann-Marie Powell, RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022 - best Trade Stand Award, image by Ellie Walpole
Gardens take time
Chelsea gardens take time - lots of time to create! They are in the planning stage up to two years ahead of Show week. It's really important to remember exactly the same applies to designing a garden for a client. The best designs emerge when there is time to consider every detail and plan for supply issues and logistics. Planting at the right time of year will help to produce the best design possible. It's advisable to approach a designer well in advance of the build so that there is time to consider every detail. This will ensure you achieve the best results that suit your lifestyle, wants and needs.
Things to bear in mind when commissioning a garden designer:
Approach a garden designer with lots of time in hand - they get booked up months in advance.
Allow time for the creative process to get the most from your design for your home and location.
Bear in mind that your plants need to go in the ground at the optimal time of year for the best results.
Kingston Maurward The Space Within Garden, designed by Michelle Brown, RHS Chelsea Flower show 2022 - Silver Gilt Medal, image by Ellie Walpole
Things to do before contacting a garden designer
A combination of The RHS Chelsea Flower Show approaching and the warmer weather means many people reach out for help with their outdoor spaces. Garden designers receive a surge of enquiries at this time of year. My advice would be to gather all the inspiration you have collected at Chelsea and other flower shows, take photos of all the gorgeous plants you have spotted, including images of the plant tags to remind you of the names. Then, at the end of the summer, when the spring surge is over, make contact with a designer. Plan the design during the winter months, build in February or March and plant in April. Your garden will then be ready to enjoy the following summer. Remember a garden isn't just for summer; it's for life so take time over it!
What to do before making an enquiry with a garden designer:
Remember that notebook - make a shortlist or wish list of plants and design themes from the show, plus any photos to remind you.
Anticipate working with your designer to plan things in the autumn; start building in late winter; and plant in spring.
Trust your designer’s plan and enjoy your wonderful garden the following summer!
The Body Shop Garden, designed by Jennifer Hirsch, RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022 - Silver Gilt Medal, image by Ellie Walpole
Top tips for introducing Chelsea trends to your garden
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show exhibits bold and beautiful designs with impressive architectural statements. It displays unusual plants you may love, but are unfamiliar with.
How do you condense those huge ideas to use in your own garden?
It can be overwhelming trying to bring a little bit of Chelsea back home.
A common theme may emerge which could be as simple as vertical linear shapes. Try to condense these ideas to suit the proportions of your garden. The danger is to add small one-off items or an odd plant. Instead, look for a pattern of colour that will suit your space. Many of the plants you see at Chelsea may not be suitable for your garden, so try to find equivalents to suit your soil type and aspect.
Tips for applying Chelsea trends and planting to your garden:
Organise your notebook inspirations into categories and themes
Avoid planting one-off plants in the buzz after Chelsea
Choose the plants that are most suited to your garden
BBC Studios Our Green Planet and RHS Bee Garden, designed by Joe Swift, RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022 - feature garden, image by Ellie Walpole
What to include in your brief to your garden designer
Do some simple preparation prior to contacting a garden designer. Gather photos of your garden (at different times of the year if possible). Prepare a rough sketch of the garden with basic measurements. Start a Pinterest or Houzz mood board of gardens that inspire you. Make a wish list of all the priorities you would like to include, for example, an outdoor kitchen or garden room? Are you looking for dining as well as lounge seating? Would you like the sound of water in your garden? Collating all this information will ensure that you have a head start in the process.
Tips on preparing a brief for your garden designer:
Be visual: sketches, photos and drawings are really helpful
List in priority order what you want to achieve and include inspirational images.
Get the rough dimensions of your garden area
Be clear and honest from the start about what your budget is. This is key to achieving a realistic design that suits your needs.
The Mind Garden, design by Andy Sturgeon, RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022 - Gold Medal, image by Georgia Lindsay
A Garden Sanctuary by Hamptons, designed by Tony Woods, RHS Chelsea 2022 - Gold Medal, image by Ellie Walpole
Images on this page are courtesy of Ellie Walpole
This blog was first published on Wilding’s Studio website as part of their ‘Get ready for Chelsea series’. Georgia Lindsay Garden Design wrote this as a guest post.
