Creating a show garden, how the process begins.
The countdown for Andrew Wilson and Gavin McWilliams’ garden for the 2013 Chelsea Flower Show continues. There are 9 weeks to go now before the garden is completed, but the journey began way back last year.
Once the decision was made to enter a garden for the Show they had a meeting with the vineyard, Cloudy Bay and their partnership was formed with them in October last year.
The concept and inspiration for the garden comes from the vineyard in New Zealands’South Island. It’s in a beautiful setting and represents a quality lifestyle of simplicity and a closeness to nature, which is a great model for a garden.
The garden comprises a simple terrace and cantilevered platform over a stream, rammed earth walls, specimen weathered trees and textural planting through gravel.
I wondered what the difference in the approach to the concept and design of a Chelsea garden was compared to their usual commissions?
Andrew:
“I think often the concepts are more evident because they relate to the show aspect of the garden as an exhibit as opposed to an ongoing living entity. Designers have to get their message across to both judges and the visiting public and I think the concepts come out in a more theatrical way.
The benefit of this is that the concepts then link into the wider field of garden design as designers and future clients see the results and use them or want to explore them.”
The next step was to submit their design and concept for the garden to The RHS selection panel in November last year.
Once the design had been selected and accepted by the R.H.S., by no means a forgone conclusion, they were on their way and the process of getting the show on the road began in earnest.
The finer details were developed at this stage, suppliers of materials had to be sourced and nurseries found to supply their proposed plants, which included a trip to Belgium, but more of that later.
Next weeks post will be about their inspiration that led them to the design concept, click here to see last weeks post about the garden.
If you’d like to see the completed garden, you can buy tickets for the Chelsea Flower Show here
Jill
The model of the garden at the top of the page was made by Gavin McWilliam.
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