Chelsea People's Choice Award
Kitty 2
Posts: 5,150
http://bbc.in/1HcpL2v Hi folks, I've just been looking at the gardens in the running for the peoples choice award. Am I alone in not having a stand out favourite?
I loved the purple and orange colour combo in Chris Beardshaw's Healthy Cities garden but not keen on the big fake tree with a glass roof.
The Retreat by Jo Thompson was very nice although her authors "shed" seemed a little impractical. I wouldn't fancy climbing that ladder to sit in the roof, one small round window supplying not much light I imagine and not a great view of the garden below. I would much rather sit in a comfy chair at ground level beside the pond.
On a lighter note, James Basson describing other garden designs at Chelsea as "botox" made me chuckle. He probably wont win due to lack of "theatre" but his garden seemed the most real to me.
Call me cynical but I think Sentebale will probably take the crown because of the Harry factor.
Do you have a favourite?
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My vote is for Chris, (a lot of the others are nice but a building plus a path and some planting doesn't make a garden, for me, whereas I can imagine being in Chris's garden).
Although I agree the fake tree thingy with a glass roof seems unnecessary and isn't very nice.
It will not be allowed though my vote would go to Shaun the winner of the Chelsea competition. Our area does not have the front garden car park problem we all have drives, some of the older streets of Stockton have lost front gardens to concrete. Needs must though there are plenty of ways to get the car off the road and still have greenery. The garden Shaun created had the Royals interested, in my opinion one of the best.
Frank.
I like Sean's garden too, clever, and looks like it actually works as a garden rather than a pretty 'set piece'.
I've just been looking at photos of the winning gardens on the BBC Chelsea website and they have a slideshow of Shaun's garden on there. Very nice, I couldn't figure out where the car is supposed to go though maybe it's the angle of the photos.
Most of my neighbours have paving at the front for parking but many like me have kept a bit of open ground for planting (not easy as our gardens are very small). What's disappointing is that the local authority will not give permission for a dropped kerb until you rip out your garden and install the hardstanding. The young couple next-door have recently made enquiries about a driveway and are now in two minds as they don't want to lose their front garden. We are set back from the road, separated by a deep grass verge easily two car lengths. Rules are rules I suppose.
There are also 5 more gardens showing on the BBC website for the peoples choice award but I still can't pick a favourite.
Chris Beardshaw's gardens are always though through on many different levels so have form, colour and texture form plants and hard landscaping and sculptures and so on to take them through all the seasons and he manages to make them connect with all sorts of people.
Others may be superficially stunning but just don't have the staying power or else don't work as everyday gardens to live and work and play in.
In the video Chris Beardshaw mentioned that his design will be installed in an area in North East London after the show and become a community garden for local residents (lucky folks). I like that sometimes these gardens go on to become more than just a week long show garden.
I presume that Chatsworth will be going home but many of the others are simply dismantled and sold off in bits.
Chatsworth is going home and will be the designers last garden at Chelsea. It brought back fond memories of my wife and I walking those paths during our many visits to Chatsworth. Joan loved the place and we did manage one last visit before she died. Ust admit too a lump in my throat when it was shown. Chris' s garden was my choice. The parking space on Shaun's garden was to the left with low planting under and alongside the parking, the idea being you get out of the car and the plants touch your legs, you get a feel of relaxation from that.
Frank
His garden, for me at least, is breathtaking.
I bet it's very relaxing when it's been pouring down and your trouser leg or skirt or even just feet and legs get soaked.
Dans garden is quite rightly the best in show, however the corner spot and his garden are not ever really meant to be what I would call nomal: Nor would you say its what the peoples choice is about - which is perhaps bringing Chelsea back down to earth and congratulating those that have something we can aspire too at home.
Having seen them in the flesh I have to say Chris is my peoples choice for several reasons. It works as a semi formal garden as a whole or as a "room" in an even larger garden. It also works in its own right and size as a semi formal contemporary garden. However whats utterly wonderful about it is every single plant in each of those miniature buxus rooms could be taken away and fitted into almost any garden weather its a cottage scheme or a small border along a lawn. Utterly wonderful and one of the few designers yesterday who was on site a lot of the time talking and explaining to the crowds what to underplant bulb wise with for spring and winter and what . (I have to agree with the steel tree though).
Re Shauns garden - it may be just myself (though my wife agreed which is unusual) but it was very disappointing especially as he had professional help. In the flesh its just a little empty looking and very grey and dare I say it slightly depressing. The scale of the planting seemed wrong for the scale of the landscaping and the idea -however he did have the largest crowds most of the day so who knows.