Editor’s letter
Looking through the designs and planting plans for Chelsea, it’s apparent that this year’s show promises to be as exciting and inspiring as ever. With the cream of the horticultural world vying for the visitors’ attention, there’s always an incredible amount to take in. So, to make sure you don’t miss key highlights, we’ve distilled down what we anticipate will be the hottest show gardens and plants to look out for this year. It’s fascinating to discover which trends are emerging, so don’t forget to listen to our Chelsea podcast in which myself and my colleague Sorrel interview regulars to the show to find out what they’ve spotted (visit gardensillustrated.com and click through to podcasts). This issue we also take a look at four very different gardens. Although they vary enormously in terms of scale and style, they’re unified by their owners’ love of plants. Designer Tom de Witte’s garden in the Netherlands is a clever example of creating interest along the length of a long, narrow garden by the use of plants and materials to create different ‘rooms’. Long Barn, the garden where newly weds Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson honed their garden skills, displays similar techniques – albeit on a grander scale. Long Barn, which continues to be nurtured by its current owners, is a fine example of how the best gardens pay homage to the past while moving steadily forward through adventurous planting and rigorous horticultural practices – in fact just like the best displays at Chelsea this year. I hope you enjoy the issue.