Golden day for green fingers at flower show
IT WAS a golden day in the sunshine at Chelsea yesterday with more than 70 prestigious Gold Medals awarded.
A total of 117 medals were handed to the gardens and floral exhibitors in the Great Pavilion, which also included 30 SilverGilt Medals, 13 Silver Medals and one Bronze Medal.
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show sponsor M&G’s garden was awarded their seventh Gold Medal and scooped Best Show Garden. Showcasing ecological sustainability based on the unique environment of Malta, the garden designed by James Basson also received the coveted Best Construction Award, making it the second year running for contractors Crocus.
The Welcome to Yorkshire garden, inspired by the spectacular scenery of the Yorkshire coastline, won a silver medal. It showcases the key elements of the county’s beauty with cliffs, a ruined abbey, a pebble beach, and the sea – complete with a fishing boat and lobster pots.
Kate Gould’s City Living garden, representing an urban apartment block and how to innovatively use space, won Best Fresh Garden. Meanwhile Best Artisan Garden was awarded to Walker’s Wharf Garden supported by Doncaster Deaf Trust, by designer Graham Bodle.
A total of 61 Gold Medals were awarded to nurseries and growers at the heart of the show, without any Bronze medals in sight. The Diamond Jubilee Award for the best display was presented to Penberth Plants for their ‘A reflection of Penberth – A Cornish Garden’ and the New Design Award was given to Raymond Evison Clematis.
Show garden judging panel chairman James AlexanderSinclair said the best show garden was faultless.
“Outstanding in terms of both construction and attention to detail,” he said.
The Welcome to Yorkshire garden is the creative vision of multi-award winning designer Tracy Foster, who was born in Sheffield and now runs a design business from her home in Leeds.
The show continues until May 27.