Critics’ shortlist Critics and former winners select their favourite entries
Ahead of the official judging we asked three top designers – including the winner of 2019’s Best in Show – and a leading garden critic to pick out the gardens and trends they’re most looking forward to at this year’s show
Main gardens
My shortlist (favourite in green)
+ The M&G Garden
+ Trailfinders’ 50th Anniversary Garden
+ The Yeo Valley Organic Garden
The designers of The M&G Garden, Charlotte Harris and Hugo Bugg of Harris Bugg Studio, are without a doubt among the most exciting young designers in the industry today. Their fresh and contemporary designs are infused with ideas of naturalism and sustainability, and delivered with precision and panache. Their take on an urban public space – designed as a shared, green sanctuary for both people and wildlife – is bound to deliver the inspiration we all crave in the trickiest of environments – our busy, noisy and restless cities.
+ The M&G Garden
+ The Florence Nightingale Garden: A Celebration of Modern-Day Nursing
+ Bodmin Jail: 60°East – A Garden Between Continents
My guess is that The M&G Garden will win best in show, but The Florence Nightingale Garden will give Harris Bugg Studio a good run for their money. That is because Myers, of all the main show-garden designers, has opted for a design that gives him the freedom to explore a new palette of plants (for Chelsea) in a creative way. Large planting beds dominate the courtyard, which will include plants discovered in Florence Nightingale’s own pressed-flower collection. There is a lighter touch to this design than in some of Myers’ previous outings, so it’s definitely one to watch.
+ The M&G Garden
+The Guangzhou Garden: Guangzhou China
+ The Florence Nightingale Garden: A Celebration of Modern-Day Nursing
Charlotte Harris and Hugo Bugg have individually proven themselves to be thoughtful, innovative designers who make gardens with clear identities and magical atmospheres. This is their first Chelsea outing as a duo, and will surely fit that mould and be refreshingly different. A sculpture by Mcmullan Studio, inspired by an industrial past, weaves through the garden to define a pocket park. Expect a masterful command of space and an unusual take on planting that avoids the ‘commonplace’. Mighty trees are promised and the planting beneath is bound to throw up a few surprises.
+ The M&G Garden
+The Guangzhou Garden: Guangzhou China
+ The Florence Nightingale Garden: A Celebration of Modern-Day Nursing
Charlotte Harris and Hugo Bugg are incredibly talented designers and individuals; combine their minds and that talent and we are sure to see something extraordinary in
The M&G Garden. Don’t be fooled by the simple notion of a requirement for better urban greenery. This will be a garden to open the eyes of the public and excite those seeking truly original inspiration, and will undoubtedly be delivered to world-class standards. Year after year, no matter how ambitious the endeavour, the powerhouse Crocus executes in unwavering and impeccable fashion.
Artisan/Sanctuary gardens
+ Finnish Soul Garden – A Nordic Heritage Seaside Garden
+ Bible Society: The Psalm 23 Garden
I’m excited by both of these gardens. The Psalm 23 Garden is enriched with details of Sarah Eberle’s formative years in the Devon countryside, which inspired her to pursue a career in the landscape industry. Gardens informed by such strong personal links are bound to be very special. However, having spent many summers by the Baltic Sea, I am intrigued by the Finnish Soul Garden, which provides a glimpse of Baltic seaside vegetation and captures the serenity of the landscape without compromising the overall contemporary look and feel of the garden. This is cleverly highlighted through architecture – a modern sauna structure with a green roof.
+ Bible Society: The Psalm 23 Garden
+ The Blue Diamond Forge Garden
+ Finnish Soul Garden – A Nordic Heritage Seaside Garden
+ The Parsley Box Garden
The fearless and occasionally eccentric Sarah Eberle lights up the show with a garden that defies current trends. Psalm 23 is an intriguing premise for a garden, and Eberle takes it as far as it can go, channelling her inner anchorite to concoct a hermit-friendly garden of granite, water, thorn and hornbeam. Among the plants promised are Vaccinium myrtillus, Drosera intermedia and Eriophorum angustifolium. With its pared-down aesthetic, this probably won’t win its category (The Parsley Box Garden, another original conception, is more likely to do that), but it will certainly conjure a memorable atmosphere.
+ The Boodles Secret Garden
+ Finding Our Way: An NHS Tribute Garden + Bible Society: The Psalm 23 Garden
Tom Hoblyn never disappoints at Chelsea. He refuses to be pigeonholed and over the years has produced an eclectic range of highly memorable gardens. An expert horticulturist, his skills and passion are always centre stage, and this year, soft, romantic planting provides the setting for an enchanting garden. Inspired by the children’s book The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, Tom has worked with craftsmen to make an elegant, almost ethereal, ‘wall’ to loosely contain the heart of the space. This unusual sculpture works harmoniously with the planting within and will deliver some wonderfully enticing views for visitors.
+ Bible Society: The Psalm 23 Garden
+ Finnish Soul Garden – A Nordic Heritage Seaside Garden
+ The Blue Diamond Forge Garden
When you have one of the most experienced Chelsea veterans, Sarah Eberle, at the reins, you can be sure to see something carefully considered, immaculate and exciting. The Psalm 23 Garden comes with a strong message in the form of hope, encouragement and solace, which could not be more relevant after 18 months of a pandemic. It is sure to draw crowds, with mesmerising water movement adding welcome animation to a sanctuary garden. Cleverly placed trees will frame views into the naturalistic landscape, pulling visitors into the garden, subtly encouraging and reinforcing the importance of connecting with nature.