RHS Announces Exhibits for Chelsea Flower Show 2017
It’s time to get excited!
Recently, the Royal Horticultural Society announced a list of exciting exhibits to be included at the Chelsea Flower Show 2017.
Despite uncertainty over garden sponsorship for next year’s event, some of the biggest names are back… and it doesn’t look like it’s going to disappoint!
Form show gardens and centrepieces to celebrity guests and Royal attendees, Chelsea really is one of the best horticultural shows in the world.
Here’s a run-down of what to expect:
1
First up is RHS Double Gold winning gardener, James Basson, who will be returning to the showcase event with ‘The M&G Garden 2017’.
Inspired by the majestic quarries of Malta, Basson will demonstrate the rich diversity of Maltese flora and the beauty of its harsh environment. (M&G are the main sponsor of RHS Chelsea)
2
‘The Royal Bank of Canada Garden’ by debut designer Charlotte Harris is inspired by the Boreal forests and freshwater lakes of Canada. The garden will feature pines, larches, and birch.
Interestingly, Harris has chosen an all-female team in the hope it may inspire more women to consider a career in garden design.
3
Brilliant design duo Andrew Wilson and Gavin McWilliams will be celebrating the work of the prestigious Wellington College in Berkshire by re-creating the endangered heathland which surrounds it.
‘Breaking Ground’ will try to raise awareness of the Berkshire plot, which has seen its natural habitat decline by 97 percent since 1800.
4
‘500 Years of Covent Garden supported by Capco’ will depict the transformation of Chelsea from Westminster Abbey’s orchard garden in 1201 to the bustling market place we know it as today.
Lee Bestall, the man behind the creation, promises a rich floral tribute with arches depicting the distinctive market building.
5
Ruth Willmott will be creating a garden which relates to one of the most recognisable charities in the UK right now.
‘Breast Cancer Now: Through the Microscope’ will highlight the work of the charities scientists and their goal to stop breast cancer taking more lives.
Expect to see magnificent Magenta and vivid pink roses mixed with coppery tones and wonderful white highlights.
6
Inspired by Mexican architect Luis Barragan, Manoj Malde’s ‘Inland Homes: Beneath a Mexican Sky’ will bring together colour washed walls in clementine, multi-stream trees and drought-tolerant herbaceous planting.
Mr Barragan, who sadly passed away on November 1988, is known as one of the most influential architects of his time. His buildings are frequently visited by international students and Professors of Architecture from around the globe.
7
‘The Seedlip Garden’ by Dr Catherine MacDonald, who returns for her second solo year, is a conceptual garden inspired by the story of Seedlip, the world’s first non-alcoholic spirits company.
It is a celebration of alchemy and marries 17th-century apothecary with the modern laboratory, featuring old-fashioned copper pipework and a planting palette influenced by plants listed in the influential 1651 book The Art of Distillation.
Sounds fantastic doesn’t it!??
Well, if last year’s show is anything to go by, it’s sure to be an absolute joy.
2016 Highlights included; the stunning art instillation of poppies on the grounds of the Royal Hospital, a beautiful floral tribute for Queen Elizabeth, and the ‘Harrods British Eccentrics Garden’ by Diarmuid Gavin.
Having been a mainstay on the British calendar since 1804, the show now attracts more than 1,500 visitors per year, and tickets sell out pretty fast.
Next year’s event is between Tuesday 23rd May until Saturday 27th May.
Click here for RHS Chelsea 2017 tickets.