I’ve been asked several times what I made of Chelsea this year. I’ve tried and failed to distill my perceptions to a pithy soundbite so here are a few odd thoughts and pictures instead.

Purple and claret is the combination of the moment.

The very posh Laurent garden looked a little dated to me – somehow jarringly grandiose.

The Cancer Research garden was truly stunning. Beautifully executed, gorgeous curves and green, understated planting. I wonder if the Rhus typhinus cost it a gold? Just checked the RHS website and it got the People’s Choice – rightly so.

One bold, fearsomely expensive, wildly imaginative, exquisitely executed, utterly impractical garden. I overhead the designer saying there was no budget, he just did a design and the sponsor told him to go ahead.

I admired, but was oddly unmoved by the Perfumed Garden. They seemed rather pleased with their idea and were busy spraying all and sundry with Bess’s perfume. The planting seemed a bit skinny in places (and I saw a pot rim…) Funny – it looks better in the photos!

This was the overall winner. I only saw it once as the crowds were too deep (and meaningful..). It was superb, but the Cancer Research garden held my attention and admiration better.

So what of the smaller gardens?
I nearly walked past the Eco Chic garden, it was so understated. But the more I looked the more I saw. And the more I saw the more I liked. And then I found it had won best in show.

No missing this one! How refreshing to see something a bit alternative at Chelsea.

I loved Nature Ascending. See how she’s used long grass around the edge instead of the usual neat turf? And those knitted pouffe/stool things…

The Fenchurch garden stood out with its billowing, curvy forms, presumably cast out of concrete or something. Original, and successful. This one got the most creative award and very well deserved.

And the Plasticine Garden of course which won the People’s Choice in the small gardens by a mile, apparently.

That’ll have to do for the gardens. Summing up? The best of it was more human, less arch, less po-faced, more curvy, more imaginative. A bit less of it than in previous years, but no so as you would notice.

May 23, 2009