8 Brilliant Ideas to Steal from Past Chelsea Flower Shows
From wildflower escapes to scented havens, these Chelsea show gardens offer a wealth of inspiration
Visitors might not be able to see show gardens up close at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, but there’s plenty to enjoy in the festival’s virtual coverage. To give you a flavour of the inspirational ideas that are usually on show, here are some clever outdoor space tricks to take from previous beautifully planned designer gardens.
Block out pollution
There were a few green ideas in Kate Gould’s 2018 New West End Garden, including a bench with vents below to circulate air around the space. But a simple idea that stood out was her choice of ferns as a plant to grow up the walls.
They were picked for this vertical area because of their ability to soak up traffic noise and absorb pollution. This is something well worth considering in an urban plot, and ferns have the bonus of being easy to grow while adding stunning feathery foliage to your scheme.
Visit more of this peaceful haven.
There were a few green ideas in Kate Gould’s 2018 New West End Garden, including a bench with vents below to circulate air around the space. But a simple idea that stood out was her choice of ferns as a plant to grow up the walls.
They were picked for this vertical area because of their ability to soak up traffic noise and absorb pollution. This is something well worth considering in an urban plot, and ferns have the bonus of being easy to grow while adding stunning feathery foliage to your scheme.
Visit more of this peaceful haven.
Think long-term
Tracy Foster’s 2017 Welcome to Yorkshire Garden was full of wild, natural planting. She provided a good tip for thinking further than the immediate flowers when choosing plants for your plot.
Although the majority of plants in the garden were May-flowering blooms, she also added those that had gone over and some that hadn’t yet come out. “It’s good to have things that have a seedpod or are still in bud, because they add texture – especially if they have large leaves or something like that,” she said.
Discover how waves and wildflowers conjured up the coast.
Tracy Foster’s 2017 Welcome to Yorkshire Garden was full of wild, natural planting. She provided a good tip for thinking further than the immediate flowers when choosing plants for your plot.
Although the majority of plants in the garden were May-flowering blooms, she also added those that had gone over and some that hadn’t yet come out. “It’s good to have things that have a seedpod or are still in bud, because they add texture – especially if they have large leaves or something like that,” she said.
Discover how waves and wildflowers conjured up the coast.
Focus on fragrance
When we design our gardens, we usually think about how the space looks, but Tamara Bridge and Kate Savill’s 2017 showpiece, the Jo Whiley Scent Garden, inspired us to shift focus to how the garden would smell.
“This garden showcases the power of scent and its ability to improve your mood, uplift you and make you feel good,” Kate explained. The designers kept the colour palette muted and chose plants for their fragrance, so visitors could focus on this rather than just the visuals.
There were plenty of scented plants placed around the garden to create a journey through the space. Herbs along pathways released scent when people brushed past them, roses gave off fragrance in the centre of the garden, and a woodland area provided the earthy aroma of a forest walk.
Get more ideas from this scented garden.
When we design our gardens, we usually think about how the space looks, but Tamara Bridge and Kate Savill’s 2017 showpiece, the Jo Whiley Scent Garden, inspired us to shift focus to how the garden would smell.
“This garden showcases the power of scent and its ability to improve your mood, uplift you and make you feel good,” Kate explained. The designers kept the colour palette muted and chose plants for their fragrance, so visitors could focus on this rather than just the visuals.
There were plenty of scented plants placed around the garden to create a journey through the space. Herbs along pathways released scent when people brushed past them, roses gave off fragrance in the centre of the garden, and a woodland area provided the earthy aroma of a forest walk.
Get more ideas from this scented garden.
Find areas for planting
If you want to create a lush outdoor space, it pays to look beyond your flowerbeds. There are areas away from the borders where you might be able to introduce foliage and turn a grey area into something much more calm and natural.
In her 2017 City Living Garden, Kate Gould made use of all areas to bring in nature. Here, for example, the space beneath a stairwell has been planted to create a “green route” for people to enjoy as they walk down from their front doors in the imagined apartment block.
Take a peek around this sociable urban garden.
Need help to bring your garden vision to life? Find local landscape architects and garden designers on Houzz.
If you want to create a lush outdoor space, it pays to look beyond your flowerbeds. There are areas away from the borders where you might be able to introduce foliage and turn a grey area into something much more calm and natural.
In her 2017 City Living Garden, Kate Gould made use of all areas to bring in nature. Here, for example, the space beneath a stairwell has been planted to create a “green route” for people to enjoy as they walk down from their front doors in the imagined apartment block.
Take a peek around this sociable urban garden.
Need help to bring your garden vision to life? Find local landscape architects and garden designers on Houzz.
Be balanced
A great way to create a calm feel in your garden is to use a symmetrical layout. A balanced look is easy on the eye and gives the space a relaxing harmony.
Tommaso del Buono and Paul Gazerwitz’s 2014 Telegraph Garden used the balanced principles of classic Italian gardens to give their space a restorative feel. Here, for example, two pebble-shaped hedges sit either side of a seating area. The plot here is quite grand, but this idea could apply equally well in a small garden. By using symmetry, you can add interest without cluttering the space.
Visit this Italian-style English garden.
A great way to create a calm feel in your garden is to use a symmetrical layout. A balanced look is easy on the eye and gives the space a relaxing harmony.
Tommaso del Buono and Paul Gazerwitz’s 2014 Telegraph Garden used the balanced principles of classic Italian gardens to give their space a restorative feel. Here, for example, two pebble-shaped hedges sit either side of a seating area. The plot here is quite grand, but this idea could apply equally well in a small garden. By using symmetry, you can add interest without cluttering the space.
Visit this Italian-style English garden.
Create places to stop
When you’re planning your garden, it’s a good idea to divide the space into zones. This will help to make it look and feel interesting as well as providing separate areas for relaxing.
In this 2016 Husqvarna Garden, designer Charlie Albone wanted to create a space that harnessed the “healing effect and solace found while being in a garden”. He did this by splitting it into zones, such as a sunken area in the centre and a raised deck. These zones provide smaller areas within the larger space where the imaginary owners can sit and reflect
Your garden doesn’t have to be large to do this – think about adding a small bench surrounded by plants at the end of the garden away from the patio.
Find out how this sunken urban garden was realised.
When you’re planning your garden, it’s a good idea to divide the space into zones. This will help to make it look and feel interesting as well as providing separate areas for relaxing.
In this 2016 Husqvarna Garden, designer Charlie Albone wanted to create a space that harnessed the “healing effect and solace found while being in a garden”. He did this by splitting it into zones, such as a sunken area in the centre and a raised deck. These zones provide smaller areas within the larger space where the imaginary owners can sit and reflect
Your garden doesn’t have to be large to do this – think about adding a small bench surrounded by plants at the end of the garden away from the patio.
Find out how this sunken urban garden was realised.
Lose the lawn
The lawn is an area garden owners often wonder about – should they keep it or lose it?
Laurélie de la Salle provided a solution in her 2019 Harmonious Garden of Life. A carpet of clover has replaced a traditional lawn, creating a soft, green surface without the need for mowing. Clover is a great choice, as it needs infrequent watering and will provide nutrients for the soil.
Discover more small garden ideas from 2019’s Chelsea Flower Show.
Tell us…
What do you like most about the RHS Chelsea Flower Show? Would you use any of these ideas in your outside space? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
The lawn is an area garden owners often wonder about – should they keep it or lose it?
Laurélie de la Salle provided a solution in her 2019 Harmonious Garden of Life. A carpet of clover has replaced a traditional lawn, creating a soft, green surface without the need for mowing. Clover is a great choice, as it needs infrequent watering and will provide nutrients for the soil.
Discover more small garden ideas from 2019’s Chelsea Flower Show.
Tell us…
What do you like most about the RHS Chelsea Flower Show? Would you use any of these ideas in your outside space? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
In a small garden, we often assume we have to decide between flowers and crops, but it’s not always necessary to remove a beautiful blooming border to free up space for a vegetable patch.
Jon Wheatley’s 2017 Chris Evans Taste Garden illustrated how to combine the two. Borders are planted with crops including courgettes and cabbages, and mixed in with edible flowers such as dahlias and nasturtiums.
“I’m a great believer in using vegetables as part of the design,” Jon said. “They provide shape, form and texture, and offer great succession. Some varieties provide architectural forms that can last as long as nine months, which is much longer than the bedding plants seen in most gardens.”
See the rest of this edible garden that championed home-grown produce.