At least Joe Swift earns his money from running a design, landscaping business, rather than spouting farty pretentious waffle. I have more respect for those who " walk the walk " rather than just " talk the talk "
The farty pretentious waffle you talk of, @Hostafan1, is to some of us beautiful evocative use of the English language. Why did he get the VMH, if he is such a terrible gardener? Perhaps because he inspires so many people to have a go.
How can you lie there and think of England When you don't even know who's in the team
@Nollie Arthur Parkinson works for Sarah Raven. I think she has taken him under her 'wing'. He was born a few miles away from here and local gardeners are more likely to know him, could be the new Monty Don.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
The one garden that really showed some difference and intense consideration for me was Sarah Price's garden. I've loved that muted tonal colour look for a few years since I discovered the wallflower pastel patchwork which incorporates all of those tones and started scaling back my own shades to a simpler tone. A far more restful effect.
Yes, I totally agree, and the way the colours of those Benton irises were picked up in adjacent flowers and hard materials made it sublime. Should have been best in show I think but understand the RHS work to fairly rigid judging criteria. The winning garden had an interesting water feature, great planting but not quite as good as Sarah Price's garden or Chris Beardshaw's IMHO. Chris's was a bit conventional but you can't argue with that level of excellence. No great new ideas to take away from it, but you would want to take the whole garden away and have it as your own.
Apparently Cleve West was tipped for best in show, but I'm not that keen on his entry. Some of the planting was lovely and most have been difficult to achieve technically, but I'm just not keen when the "message" of a garden takes centre stage to that extent. It becomes more like an exercise in set design than a garden.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
Suze, yes I know who he is, doesn’t make his pot display any more practical. I know all garden presenters are made to do this sort of thing, but a bit of honesty wouldn’t go amiss with them all. A rose needs totally different conditions to the two potentially very large shrubby salvias and the mexican fleabane crammed in there. The whole thing wouldn’t last a year.
Is there a day that Sarah Price’s garden gets a full look-see? I’ve only seen glimpses in passing which looked pretty underwhelming, so be good to watch that and form a proper opinion.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
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I have more respect for those who " walk the walk " rather than just " talk the talk "
Why did he get the VMH, if he is such a terrible gardener?
Perhaps because he inspires so many people to have a go.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
He was born a few miles away from here and local gardeners are more likely to know him, could be the new Monty Don.
Being awarded the VMH stinks of populism over merit IMHO.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
Apparently Cleve West was tipped for best in show, but I'm not that keen on his entry. Some of the planting was lovely and most have been difficult to achieve technically, but I'm just not keen when the "message" of a garden takes centre stage to that extent. It becomes more like an exercise in set design than a garden.
It sounds more like "stage" cockney to me.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
Is there a day that Sarah Price’s garden gets a full look-see? I’ve only seen glimpses in passing which looked pretty underwhelming, so be good to watch that and form a proper opinion.
https://www.countryliving.com/uk/wildlife/countryside/a26515073/joe-swift/
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/apr/02/gardeners-and-their-mothers 😊
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.