The David Harber and Savills garden: Designer: Nic Howard
As a garden photographer one of the joys of the Chelsea Flower Show is getting early access at 5.30am to witness some beautiful sunrises over the show gardens. With such a large catalogue of images I’m looking back at the past 5 years of gardens at Chelsea, a time that camera sensor technology really advanced too, allowing shots like these sunrises.
Designer: Cleve WestDesigner: Jo ThompsonDesigners: Andrew Wilson and Gavin McWilliamDesigner: Sarah EberleDesigner: Andy SturgeonDesigner: Paul Hervey-Brookes
As an organic allotment holder I am always on the look out for gardens that incorporate growing fruit and vegetables. In 2017 the BBC Radio 2 Chris Evans Taste Garden designed by Jon Wheatley really had it all.
Photographer: Stephen Studd – The BBC Radio 2 Chris Evans Taste Garden garden, Lettuce from right to left, ‘Red Iceberg’, ‘Nymans’, ‘Lettony’, ‘Lollo Rossa’, Swiss Chard ‘Bright Lights’, with leek ‘Cumbria’, Pak choi and Chinese cabbage, Designer: Jon Wheatley
Photographer: Stephen Studd – The BBC Radio 2 Chris Evans Taste Garden garden, from right to left: Cabbage ‘Red Jewel, Kale ‘Reflex’ Kale ‘Redbor’, lettuce ‘Red Iceberg’, Leek ‘Cumbria’, with nasturtium ‘Tall mixed’, sweetcorn ‘Sundance’, runner bean ‘St George’ ‘bay tree, greenhouse growing ‘Cherry Baby’ tomatoes ‘Designer: Jon Wheatley
Photographer: Stephen Studd – The BBC Radio 2 Chris Evans Taste Garden, red brick path, vegetable garden with lettuces from right to left: ‘Red Iceberg’, ‘Nymans’, ‘Lettony’, Lollo Rossa’, ‘Designer: Jon Wheatley
The Welcome to Yorkshire Garden designed by Mark Gregory in 2018 had a beautifully compact veg patch under a cascading Wisteria.
Photographer: Stephen Studd – Welcome to Yorkshire garden, view of small vegetable garden planted with red cabbage, red kale, leeks, red lettuce, kale nero di toscano, chives, small patio area with wooden tables and chairs with Wisteria and sweet peas – Designer: Mark Gregory – Sponsor: Welcome to Yorkshire
Photographer: Stephen Studd – Welcome to Yorkshire garden, Wisteria, vegetable garden with Brassica oleracea Nero di Toscana, Red cabbage, beetroot, Rainbow Chard, dry stone wall – Designer: Mark Gregory – Sponsor: Welcome to Yorkshire
For small urban spaces Tom Massey found a great solution for growing your own.
Photographer: Stephen Studd – The Lemon Tree Trust garden, vertical vegetable and herb garden, lettuce growing in old guttering, herbs grown in unusual containers, old plastic bottles and tin cans, parsley, mint, strawberries, thyme – Designer: Tom Massey – Sponsor: Lemon Tree Trust
Photographer: Stephen Studd – The Lemon Tree Trust garden, vertical vegetable and herb garden, herbs grown in unusual containers, old plastic bottles and tin cans, parsley, mint, strawberries, thyme – Designer: Tom Massey – Sponsor: Lemon Tree Trust
Photographer: Stephen Studd – The Lemon Tree Trust garden, vertical gardening, herbs growing in unusual containers repurposed tin cans filled with, mint, alpine strawberries, thyme – Designer: Tom Massey – Sponsor: Lemon Tree Trust
A hand woven wicker compost heap was a novel idea on the garden designed by Ann-Marie Powell.
The cut flower garden by Sarah Raven was a delight and packed with colour.
Matt Keightley’s Radio 2 Texture garden had to have the best garden wall award.
His planting in the garden was also exquisite.
Photographer: Stephen Studd – The BBC Radio 2 Jeremy Vine Texture Garden, Acer Griseum, Prunus serrula, Iris germanica ‘Kent Pride’, Cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpureum’, Pinus mugo ‘Mughus’, Pinus mugo ‘Pumilio’, Stipa tenuissima, Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’, Calamagrostis brachytricha, Melica altissima ‘Alba’, Pimpinella major ‘Rosea’, Foeniculum vulgare ‘Giant Bronze’, Designer: Matt Keightley
Photographer: Stephen Studd – The BBC Radio 2 Jeremy Vine Texture Garden, Iris germanica ‘Kent Pride’, Cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpureum’, Stipa tenuissima, Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’, Calamagrostis brachytricha, Melica altissima ‘Alba’, Eschscholzia californica, ‘Ivory Castle’, Pimpinella major ‘Rosea’, Foeniculum vulgare ‘Giant Bronze’, Astrantia ‘Ruby Star’, Pinus mugo, Designer: Matt Keightley
Photographer: Stephen Studd – The BBC Radio 2 Jeremy Vine Texture Garden, sun reflected in small pond, Verbascum ‘Firedance’, Pinus mugo, Stipa tenuissima, Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’, Calamagrostis brachytricha, Melica altissima ‘Alba’, Astrantia major ‘Florence’, Astrantia major ‘Ruby Star’, Eschscholzia californica, ‘Ivory Castle’, Foeniculum vulgare ‘Giant Bronze’, Designer: Matt Keightley
I’m always fascinated by the seating used by garden designers, my all time favourite were the granite boulders by Darren Hawkes.
Here’s a selection of some more.
Stephen Studd – Royal Bank of Canada Garden – laminated wood hammock style benches and a table on red cedar wood decking, cedar garden wall – Designer Matthew Wilson – Sponsor RBC – awarded Silver gilt
Stephen Studd – Breast Cancer Haven Garden – woven willow garden seat, planting of aquilegia, ladies mantle, primula, beech tree -Designer Sarah Eberle woven willow by Tom Hare – Sponsor – Nelsons – awarded Gold and best Artisan garden
Stephen Studd – Morgan Stanley Healthy Cities garden – Buxus sempervirens clipped hedge, concrete wall with rusted steel panels, woven willow seat on stone tiled patio area – Designer Chris Beardshaw – Sponsor – Morgan Stanley – awarded gold medal
Photographer: Stephen Studd – The Chelsea Barracks Garden, view of bronze bench, Basaltite stone water wall – Designer: Jo Thompson – Sponsor: Qatari Diar
Photographer: Stephen Studd – The Supershoes, Laced With Hope Garden: urban garden wall with graffiti, curved wooden bench, mixed border planted with Lupinus ‘Towering Inferno’, Lupinus Desert Sun’, Lupinus ‘Masterpiece’, Geum ‘Cosmopolitan’. Poppies, Allium ‘Beau Regard’ and Allium ‘Mont Blanc’ – Designer: Laura Anstiss – Sponsor: Frosts Garden Centres
A garden which took me back to the colourful Mexican palette I encountered on my travels was the Beneath A Mexican Sky garden designed by Manoj Malde.
Photographer: Stephen Studd – Beneath A Mexican Sky garden, view of turquoise pool with Stenocereus marginatus cactus and container with Agave americana grown in gravel, orange and red, polished concrete floating patio with chair with floral prints, table with succulent growing in atrium – Designer: Manoj Malde – Sponsor: Inland Homes PLC
Favourite water feature was Jo Thompson’s natural swimming pool, one day I’ll have my own it’s on the tick list.
These other water features I really liked.
Photographer: Stephen Studd – The Telegraph Garden, bronze chute water feature, rock pool, Isoplexis canariensis – Designer: Andy Sturgeon – Sponsor: The Telegraph
Photographer: Stephen Studd – The M&G Garden, view of Forest of Dean stone boulder carved bird bath – Designer: Cleve West – Sponsor: M&G Investments
First sauna in the garden at Chelsea, Paul Hervey-Brookes one was very enticing.
For the inner child in you, who didn’t want to climb up in to the tree house designed by HRH The Duchess of Cambridge with Andree Davies and Adam White.
During lockdown many of us are having to work from home, Chelsea had some great spaces for garden offices.
Stephen Studd – The M & G Garden The Retreat – oak summerhouse,, Rosa ‘Tuscany Superb’, Acer palmatum, Verbascum -designer Jo Thompson – sponsors M & G Investments awarded silver gilt medal
Stephen Studd – The Homebase Garden Urban Retreat – cedar wood and concrete outdoor structure and path, water rill, yew tree topiary balls, planting of foxgloves, Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’, geranium, Cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpureum’ and Iris – Designer Adam Frost – Sponsor Homebase awarded Gold
RHS Chelsea flower show 2015 Cloudy Bay Garden in association with Vital Earth – Designers Harry and David Rich – Sponsor – Cloudy Bay – Bord na Mona – awarded Gold medal
Another on my to have list is the shepherd hut by Plankbridge, office or hideaway, tbc.
With climate change a reality, al fresco dining areas are increasingly important areas of the garden. This one designed by Tony Woods had an outdoor kitchen, edible living wall and had water conservation at it’s heart.
Photographer: Stephen Studd – The Urban Flow Garden: laser cut steel pillars, brick paved patio area with dining table and chairs, Lupinus ‘Masterpiece’ – Designer: Tony Woods – Sponsor: Thames Water
Photographer: Stephen Studd – The Urban Flow Garden: laser cut corten steel pillars, edible vertical wall planted with lettuce, herbs and nasturtium, brick paved patio with table and chairs, wood panel garden wall – Designer: Tony Woods – Sponsor: Thames Water
Photographer: Stephen Studd – The Urban Flow Garden: outdoor kitchen area with polished cement work surface, kitchen sink, vertical living edible wall of salad plants, different varieties of lettuce, chives, chilli peppers, rainbow chard, kale, viola, nasturtium, strawberry, hand made clay brick paved patio with table and chairs, wood panel garden wall – Designer: Tony Woods – Sponsor: Thames Water
The RHS Greening Grey Britain Garden also had water conservation at it’s heart and creating spaces that are beneficial to wildlife.
Greening Grey Britain Garden Nigel Dunnett RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2017 London Photographer Stephen Studd Photography
Photographer: Stephen Studd – The RHS Greening Grey Britain Garden, Wheelie bins for household rubbish and green wheelie bin for recycling with a living roof cover planted with edible plants and herbs, viola, chives, strawberries, thyme, sage and mint, drilled wood panels for insect hotel, Designer: Professor Nigel Dunnett
Naturalistic planting is becoming more evident at Chelsea, a technique that I use in my own garden. It has been backed up in numerous studies that the colour green promotes quicker healing and recovery from illness and is also good for mental well being and stress reduction.
Photographer: Stephen Studd – The M&G Garden, view of Forest of Dean sandstone path, Aquilegia chrysantha, Briza media ‘Golden Bee’, Euphorbia wallichii, Phlox divaricata ‘Clouds of Perfume’, Geranium ‘Bill Wallis’, Angelica dahurica, Deschampsia flexuosa, Melica altissima ‘Alba’, Luzula sylvatica, Valeriana pyrenaica, Saxifraga umbrosa, Quercus pubescens – Designer: Cleve West – Sponsor: M&G Investments
Paul Hervey-Brookes Associates, 11 Lansdown, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 1BB, England, UK. landscape garden designer Viking Cruises Wellness garden gold medal RHS Chelsea Flower Show London UK 2018 photography by Stephen Studd photographer, Built by Gareth Wilson Gardening Services Ltd
Stephen Studd – The Brewin Dolphin Garden – slate steps leading up to seating area with Salvia and foxgloves – Designer Darren Hawkes Landscapes – Sponsor Brewin Dolphin awarded gold medal
This softening with green can also be used in urban landscape design and community centres.
Photographer: Stephen Studd – The David Harber and Savills garden, Equisetum fluviatile – Water horsetail grown in gravel, concrete wall – Designer: Nic Howard – Sponsor: David Harber and Savills
Finally the plants are the real show stoppers at Chelsea and here are some of my favourite views over the past 5 years.
Stephen Studd – Morgan Stanley Healthy Cities garden – mixed herbaceous border, Lupinus ‘Masterpiece’, Geum ‘Princess Juliana’, Iris ‘Mer du Sud’, Salvia nemerosa ‘Caradonna’, Verbascum ‘Merlin’, Camassia – Designer Chris Beardshaw – Sponsor – Morgan Stanley – awarded gold medal
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Stephen Studd – The Telegraph Garden – planting of Doronicum x excelsum ‘Harpur Crewe’ and Euphorbia polychroma, Papaver – water rill and concrete stepping stone Designer – Marcus Barnett – Sponsors The Telegraph – Awarded Gold medal
Stephen Studd – Pure Land Foundation garden – Jesmonite white waved walls, mixed planting with Iris ‘Kent Pride’, Milium effusum ‘Aureum’, – designer Fernando Gonzalez – sponsors Pure Land Foundation – awarded Silver gilt
Stephen Studd – The Time in Between garden – Protea cyranoides ‘Little Prince’ – Designer Charlie Albone – Sponsor – Husqvarna – Gardena – awarded Silver gilt
Stephen Studd – The Brewin Dolphin Garden – garden sculpture made from slate with Digitalis purpurea, common foxglove – Designer Darren Hawkes Landscapes – Sponsor Brewin Dolphin awarded gold medal
Photographer: Stephen Studd – The Telegraph Garden, bronze coated fin panel screens, Isoplexis canariensis – Designer: Andy Sturgeon – Sponsor: The Telegraph
Photographer: Stephen Studd – Welcome to Yorkshire garden, view of stone bothy with old terracotta plant pots and Lupinus ‘Terracotta’ – Designer: Mark Gregory – Sponsor: Welcome to Yorkshire
Chelsea flower show 2017 Chris Beardshaw garden for Morgan Stanley
Stephen Studd Photography Artisan Gardens; Plant Exploerer`s Garden; Designer Karolina Tercjak Penny Wright Anna Kapuvari Tom Edgar Mattt Lowe Simon Garnett ; Sponsor ; Scottish Agricultural College Awarded Silver Gilt RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2012
Stephen Studd – The Homebase Garden Urban Retreat – Designer Adam Frost – Sponsor Homebase awarded Gold
Stephen Studd – Morgan Stanley Healthy Cities garden – Lupinus ‘Masterpiece’, and Camassia, against rusted steel wall panels – Designer Chris Beardshaw – Sponsor – Morgan Stanley – awarded gold medal
Stephen Studd – The Telegraph Garden – Eremurus himalaicus -Designer – Marcus Barnett – Sponsors The Telegraph – Awarded Gold medal
Stephen Studd – Dark Matter Garden – bamboo in large rusted steel container and Verbascum -designer Howard Miller Design Ltd – sponsors Science and Technology Facilities Council – Liverpool John Moores University – Urbis Design – awarded
Don’t you just love Chelsea.
Really missing Chelsea this year and seeing lots of friends there and coming home with bags full of design ideas, but looking forward to next years. Do check out this years RHS Virtual Chelsea by clicking this link.
You can also follow my Chelsea highlights on my social media channels:
The month of May sees both Malvern Spring Festival and the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, two great gatherings for horticulturists. Fortunately this year I had access to the show ground at Chelsea on the Sunday, a blessing as the weather for the press day on Monday looked like it was going to be wet and windy. On the Sunday the gardens are receiving their finishing touches and it is usually quite a frantic time. Not so this year as most of the gardens seemed very complete when I arrived in the morning.
This was the start of my 4 day photo shoot at Chelsea with 5.30am early access for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday when the light is usually much kinder for photographers.
Walking round finding where each garden designer had their garden this year I came across the one designed by James Basson for L’Occitaine. Perhaps it was the Monet’esque bright red poppies that stopped me in my tracks and the feeling of being transported to the south of France.
A Perfumers Garden in Grasse – Designer James Basson – Sponsor – L’Occitaine UK Ltd – awarded Gold Medal
Tufa stone was used to great effect in the garden.
Tufa stone in the James Basson designed garden
I was next transported to the Middle East and it’s wonderful architecture and gardens. In this garden designed by Kamelia Bin Zaal white marble was used for the hard landscaping.
The Beauty of Islam – Designer – Kamelia Bin Zaal – Sponsor – Al Barari Firm Managemnet LLC awarded Silver Gilt
Both these gardens seemed to be at their best in the bright sunlight, a time I don’t usually photograph gardens.
The Artisans gardens are usually a better bet to go to when the light is too bright as they are usually more shaded with dappled sunlight..
The Evaders garden – Designer John Everiss – Sponsor – Chorley Council – awarded Silver Gilt (stained glass by Irene Mackay).
In the front of the garden who spotted the evader in front of the bombed stone church? Such a clever piece made by John Everiss himself.
The Evaders garden – Designer John Everiss – Sponsor – Chorley Council – awarded Silver gilt
There was the beautiful, if a bit samey Japanese garden ‘Edo no Niwa’ designed by Kazuyuki Ishihara wh0 uses stone to great calming effect.
Edo no Niwa – Edo Garden by Ishihara Kazuyuki Design laboratory garden – Designer Kazuyuki Ishihara – Sponsor – Cat’s Co Ltd – awarded Gold
The designer himself.
Edo no Niwa – Edo Garden by Ishihara Kazuyuki Design laboratory garden – Designer Kazuyuki Ishihara – Sponsor – Cat’s Co Ltd – awarded gold
A garden I was drawn back to again and again was the one designed by Darren Hawkes.
The Brewin Dolphin Garden – – Designer Darren Hawkes Landscapes – Sponsor Brewin Dolphin awarded gold medal
Perhaps this was due to the use of stone from Bodmin for the granite boulder seating. If you ever get chance visit the Cheesewring on Bodmin moor and find one of the naturally weathered granite stone boulder seats there and shut your eyes for a while, but be prepared for lift off.
The Brewin Dolphin Garden – – Designer Darren Hawkes Landscapes – Sponsor Brewin Dolphin awarded gold medal
I wondered whether this piece in the garden was inspired by the Men-an-Tol stone circle in Cornwall.
The Brewin Dolphin Garden – Designer Darren Hawkes Landscapes – Sponsor Brewin Dolphin awarded gold medal
Bodmin is home to the Hurlers stone circle and the Cheesewring a place I have been drawn back to over the years. The Cheesewring with it’s balanced granite boulders is a favourite place to photograph. On reflection power places built with stone seem to have a big magnetic attraction for me!
Balanced weathered stones Bodmin moor
Dan Pearson’s Chatsworth garden was another garden with giant stones as a feature, this time gritstone.
RHS Chelsea flower show 2015 The Laurent Perrier Chatsworth Garden – Designer – Dan Pearson – Sponsor – Champagne Laurent – Perrier awarded gold and best in show
The oak boardwalk started between two gritstone boulders.
The Laurent Perrier Chatsworth Garden – Designer – Dan Pearson – Sponsor – Champagne Laurent – Perrier awarded gold and best in show
Charlie Albone’s garden had some beautiful stonework in it, the sandstone path and columns had lovely patterns in it.
The Time in Between – Designer Charlie Albone – Sponsor – Husqvarna – Gardena – awarded Silver Gilt
At the end of the garden was a well crafted dry stone fire pit and wall.
The Time in Between – Designer Charlie Albone – Sponsor – Husqvarna – Gardena – awarded Silver gilt
Charlie’s garden had to have the most talked about plant of all the show gardens, this beautiful Protea illuminated in early morning sunlight.
Protea in The Time in Between Garden, Designed by Charlie Albone
Matthew Keightleys’s garden had conical stone pillars sourced from Cumbria supporting the porch of the house and a stone waterfall to the side.
Sentebale – Hope in Vulnerability – Designer Matt Keightley – Sponsor – David Brownlow Charitable Foundation – Sentebale – Princes Foundation for Building Community – awarded Silver Gilt Medal and People’s Choice award.
Finally it was good to see Harry and David Rich’s garden receive a gold medal, they both know how to design gardens with natural stone. Here they are sat on their dry stone bench.
Designers Harry and David Rich – Sponsor – Cloudy Bay – Bord na Mona – awarded Gold medal
The winners of the RHS, BBC People’s Choice award at the Chelsea flower show 2014 have just been announced, here is a small selection of my garden photographers overview of the gardens.
Show Gardens: People’s Choice
‘Hope on the Horizon’ designed by Matt Keightley, built by Farr & Roberts, sponsored by the David Brownlow Charitable Foundation for Help for Heroes, awarded Silver Gilt.
‘Hope on the Horizon’ garden, designer Matt Keightley, built by Farr & Roberts, sponsors, David Brownlow for Help for Heroes‘Hope on the Horizon’ garden, designer Matt Keightley, built by Farr & Roberts, sponsors, David Brownlow for Help for Heroes‘Hope on the Horizon’ garden, designer Matt Keightley, built by Farr & Roberts, sponsors, David Brownlow for Help for Heroes‘Hope on the Horizon’ garden, designer Matt Keightley, built by Farr & Roberts, sponsors, David Brownlow for Help for Heroes
‘Hope on the Horizon’ garden, designer Matt Keightley, built by Farr & Roberts, sponsors, David Brownlow for Help for Heroes‘Hope on the Horizon’ garden, designer Matt Keightley, built by Farr & Roberts, sponsors, David Brownlow for Help for Heroes‘Hope on the Horizon’ garden, designer Matt Keightley, built by Farr & Roberts, sponsors, David Brownlow for Help for Heroes‘Hope on the Horizon’ garden, designer Matt Keightley, built by Farr & Roberts, sponsors, David Brownlow for Help for Heroes
Fresh Gardens section: People’s Choice
‘The Mind’s Eye’ garden for the RNIB, designers: LDC Design, sponsors Countryside awarded Gold Medal & Best in Show.
‘The Mind’s Eye’ garden for the RNIB ,designers: LDC Design‘The Mind’s Eye’ garden for the RNIB ,designers: LDC Design‘The Mind’s Eye’ garden for the RNIB ,designers: LDC Design‘The Mind’s Eye’ garden for the RNIB ,designers: LDC Design‘The Mind’s Eye’ garden for the RNIB ,designers: LDC Design‘The Mind’s Eye’ garden for the RNIB ,designers: LDC Design‘The Mind’s Eye’ garden for the RNIB ,designers: LDC Design‘The Mind’s Eye’ garden for the RNIB ,designers: LDC Design‘The Mind’s Eye’ garden for the RNIB ,designers: LDC Design‘The Mind’s Eye’ garden for the RNIB ,designers: LDC Design‘The Mind’s Eye’ garden for the RNIB, designers: LDC Design‘The Mind’s Eye’ garden for the RNIB, designers: LDC Design
Artisans Section: People’s Choice
Le Tour de Yorkshire garden, designer Alistair W Baldwin, built by Aire Valley Landscaping, sponsor Welcome to Yorkshire.
Tour de Yorkshire garden, designer Alistair W BaldwinTour de Yorkshire garden, designer Alistair W Baldwin
Tour de Yorkshire garden, designer Alistair W BaldwinTour de Yorkshire garden – designer Alistair W Baldwin
His planting in the garden was also exquisite.
Here’s a selection of some more.
For the inner child in you, who didn’t want to climb up in to the tree house designed by HRH The Duchess of Cambridge with Andree Davies and Adam White.
Stephen Studd Photography 