THANK YOU, AND GOOD NIGHT...

Still smiling...

Soft flowing lines of desert sand dunes

Mediterranean-look plants on the Sand side of the garden

Jagged edges of cracked and melting ice

Cool, silvery colours on the Ice side

After the blood, sweat, and tears (all of them literally), as you can see from the photo above, I was still smiling at the end of it all. And for that I have to thank you, all the people that told me during the week of Chelsea how much you loved the garden. It really did make it all worthwhile.

Unfortunately the judges didn’t really agree, but they did award us a bronze medal which is a good result for my first garden at Chelsea (especially since my garden was being compared with Show Gardens with five times my budget). The RHS only choose the best designs out of all the applications, so it’s amazing (but gratifying) that they let me build the garden at all!

I’ve learned so much through this process, and I’ve met some wonderful people. Not only famous people like Prince Philip, HRH Duke of Edinburgh, and TV celebrities like Rachel de Thame, but the wonderful group of guys who pull together each year, and support each other through building Chelsea and making it the best Flower Show on Earth.

The idea behind the ‘Hasmead Sand and Ice Garden’ was to raise the issue of climate change. I wanted to demonstrate that drought tolerant plants can be used to create very different looks. As well as the traditional warm Mediterranean gravel garden on the Sand side of the garden, I used white and silvery colours and spiky textures on the Ice side to create a cool and contemporary space.

Please find below a list of the plants that I used. They are suitable for a sunny, well-drained garden, sheltered from strong winds. The plants have a water-efficient character, ideal for areas which have periodic water shortages.

Acanthus spinosus (Bear's Breeches)
Achillea 'Moonshine' (Yarrow)
Agave Americana variegata (Century plant)
Armeria maritima 'Splendens' (Thrift)
Artemisia ludoviciana 'Valerie Finnis' (Mountian wormwood)
Artemisia schmidtiana 'Nana' (Satiny Wormwood)
Astelia chathamica 'Silver Spear' (Silver spear)
Eragrostis curvula (African love grass)
Euphorbia cyparissias Fens Ruby (Cypress spurge)
Euphorbia myrsinites (Myrtle spurge)
Festuca glauca 'Blauglut' (Blue fescue)
Festuca glauca 'Golden Toupée' (Chartreuse Fescue)
Foeniculum vulgare 'Rubrum' (Bronze Fennel)
Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus (Day lily)
Hemerocallis 'Stella de Oro' (Day lily)
Libertia ixioides 'Taupo Sunset' (New Zealand iris)
Libertia peregrinans (New Zealand iris)
Libertia peregrinans 'Gold Leaf' (New Zealand iris)
Nepeta faassenii Six Hills Giant (Catmint)
Nerium oleander (Rose bay)
Olea europaea var. 'Frangivento' (Olive)
Phormium 'Alison Blackman' (New Zealand flax)
Phormium tenax Purpureum (New Zealand flax)
Pittosporum Tobira variegatum (Japanese pittosporum)
Salvia officinalis 'Purpurascens' (Purple sage)
Salvia x sylvestris 'Schneehugel' (Snow hill wood sage)
Scleranthus uniflorus (Scleranthus)
Sedum telephium subsp. ruprechtii (Stonecrop)
Stachys byzantina 'Silver Carpet' (Lambs ears)
Stipa tenuissima (Mexican feather grass)
Stipa gigantea (Golden oats)
Yucca gloriosa (Spanish dagger)

Linda Bush is a garden designer based in Kent.

www.lindabush.co.uk/chelsea.html

We're half way though the build at the Chelsea Flower Show, and it's going remarkably well. There have, of course, been set-backs, but nothing that has had a major impact on the project plan.

First, the ABS system on my lovely Smart car failed, so I can't drive it until I can get it to the garage for a service. Since I'm surviving on 4 or 5 hours sleep at the moment I guess that won't be until after the show now.

The day my wonderful Acacia trees were due to be delivered, I got an email from the supplier to say that they had just been delivered from Italy and were not of Chelsea quality. Apparently they didn't like being dug up from the field and had protested by dropping half their leaves. Which is all well and good, these things happen, but to wait until the day they should have been delivered to tell me was unforgivable. I had two days to source mature, potentially gold-medal winning trees. Luckily, Premier Trees came to the rescue with some beautiful Ginkgo biloba trees.

The next morning I ran a bath and the pump for my shower blew up. The flat was filled with smoke, the smoke alarm was blaring, and there was water everywhere. It was quite scary, and of course impossible to get a plumber around at 5am, so I was bailing out for 3 hours until my mum came to rescue me. I had to leave her holding the fort so I could get up to site.

We got on to the Chelsea site on 5 May and the garden must be complete by 20th. After setting out, the wall we had constructed in Milton Keynes was craned in, and the work on the curving stone paths began (see picture above). It's great after working on the project for so long to see it finally coming to life. The water wall and pond are being worked on at the moment, and the trees have been planted. It's all a bit hectic in a very small space. The weather's not been on our side either. The constant rain showers has meant that the render and paint took much longer to dry than planned.

My plants began to arrive yesterday, and 4 of us began the unenviable task of 'cleaning' the grasses, which means painstakingly pulling or cutting off any brown or damaged leaves. We'll have to continue that today, and I will start the setting out. As with many Chelsea exhibitors this year, we've had real problems with our flowering perennials. The hottest April on record seems to have affected the rooting of young plants and they simply refuse to flower. I have lots of lovely grasses and Libertia though, so the garden will still look great.

I'm beginning to think we might have created something beyond my expectations. Fingers crossed!...

Linda Bush is a garden designer based in Kent.
www.lindabush.co.uk/chelsea.html

Don't push yet!

26 days to go and the stress has really started to kick in. Now when I ask project team members to update me on their progress some of them are getting really defensive. It’s like they’ve suddenly realised that we do have an immovable deadline (Chelsea judging day) and that if they don’t deliver according to plan then the garden will not be finished in time – duh!

Still, 26 days is almost a month, so nothing is impossible. The wall structure is finished and I will get a chance to see it on Friday. It’s really exiting! Creating this garden is a bit like having a baby (not that I’d know, but come with me on this one…). The conception was intense and exhilarating, followed by a quiet period and then the work just piled on. I’m getting to the point now when I really just want to get it over with, regardless of how painful the event may be. And I’m already saying never again (although I’ve done the next design just in case). I’m sure that after a rest I’ll be raring to go again.

I’m really looking forward to the build-up. That’s probably the best bit. We start on site on 5 May and the whole garden must be finished by 20th. Not long now!...

Linda Bush is a garden designer based in Kent.
www.lindabush.co.uk/chelsea.html

Judging a Chelsea Garden

I've been asked to tell you a little about the judging process at Chelsea.

When designers apply to do a garden at Chelsea, they submit what's called a 'Client's Brief'. The assessors and judges look at whether this Brief has been delivered, and of course to what standard, before deciding whether a garden should win a medal. This is why the public are sometimes surprised by a lower medal than expected; they don't see the Brief and cannot therefore judge whether it has been met. A beautiful garden that does not meet the Brief cannot be awarded a gold medal.

The day before judging 3 assessors visit the gardens to see if the intention of the Brief has been met, and to look at the overall impression, design, construction, and planting. They make a recommendation to the judges on the following day and it is debated and a vote taken. The photo above shows a 'huddle' of judges on Andy Sturgeon's garden in 2005. There is then a moderation meeting, and the exhibitors are informed of the results the next day.

Linda Bush is a garden designer based in Kent.

www.lindabush.co.uk/chelsea.html

The design

So here it is! This is the 'Hasmead Sand and Ice Garden' designed by me to be built at the Chelsea Flower Show in May.

The garden addresses concerns about global warming, melting glaciers, and expanding deserts. The soft flowing lines of the desert contrast with the jagged edges of melting ice.

A focal point in the garden is a large water wall constructed of different coloured pieces of Perspex, which represents cracked and melting ice.

On the other side of the garden, the silhouette of the rear boundary and the wall down the centre of the garden echo the outline of rolling sand dunes, and during the day its shadow moves around the garden, advancing across the ice on the other side.

A series of curved walls and paths sweep around the garden. The hand crafted pieces of stone vary from ‘soft sand’ shapes on one side of the garden to ‘sharp ice’ on the other side. These walls were inspired by the walls of Nijo Castle which was constructed in Kyoto, Japan from 1601.

After 5 years of negotiation, the Kyoto protocol was finally ratified in 2005. The countries that have signed the agreement have committed to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions which may contribute to Climate Change.


You can also see the garden on the RHS website - http://www.rhs.org.uk/chelsea/2007/exhibitors/showgardens/hasmead.asp

Linda Bush is a garden designer based in Kent.
www.lindabush.co.uk/chelsea.html

The Chelsea Flower Show

It occurs to me that some of you may never have heard of the Chelsea Flower Show, or have not had a chance to visit. So I thought I’d tell you a little about it.

Considered by many to be the world’s greatest flower show, the Chelsea Flower Show is the highlight of the British gardening year, and is an important event in the London social season. The show has expanded since its’ first year in 1913 and now includes gardens, floral exhibits, trade stands, and much more. The Royal Family has become increasingly enthusiastic about the show, and HRH the Prince of Wales even designed ‘The Healing Garden’ in 2002 in conjunction with Jinny Blom for Laurent-Perrier and Harpers & Queen.

157,000 paying visitors visit the show over 5 days Tuesday - Saturday, and the Press, the Royal Family, and many well-known celebrities visit on the Monday. The BBC have programmes every day and evening during the show, and there is extensive coverage in the media, newspapers and magazines around the world.

The show is held in the South Grounds of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London, UK, sandwiched between the Chelsea Embankment and Chelsea Bridge Road. There is a massive pavilion in the centre of the show ground which houses the floral displays, nurseries stands & gardens, and some of the small gardens. Around the outside, and in Ranlagh Gardens on the North East of the site, there are more small show gardens, the large show gardens, trade stands, floristry and floral arrangement marquees, and food courts and hospitality suites.

It’s hard to describe the atmosphere at the show. Until recently it could be a bit of a scrum. The photo above shows the crush of people around the Courtyard gardens in 2004. The Royal Horticultural Society extended the event from four to five days in 2005 to include the Saturday, with no increase in the overall number of tickets sold. This has eased the situation considerably. The people that visit the show in person vary from keen down-to-earth gardeners who are looking for new plants and ideas, to the Chelsea set and celebrities who come to be ‘seen’ themselves. It’s a magical mix, which I don’t think could be recreated anywhere else. Why not come and see the show this year, or if you can’t make it, do check out the BBC coverage. The garden I have designed is called the ‘Hasmead Sand & Ice Garden’, and we'll be on Royal Hospital Way.

The Chelsea Flower Show takes place from 22-26 May 2007.
All tickets must be booked in advance of the Show.
Ticket booking line 0870 906 3781.
Or you can buy online at the RHS website - http://www.rhs.org.uk/chelsea/tickets.asp

Linda Bush is a garden designer based in Kent.
www.lindabush.co.uk/chelsea.html

Keep it moving... !

I feel like one of those entertainers who keep lots of plates spinning on poles! Most of the time I just love the adrenaline, but sometimes it can be a little over-whelming. I normally prioritise my work by deciding what is both urgent and important, and doing those tasks first. But at the moment all my work is urgent and important! It is varied though, which is great. I start the planting on my Stoke Newington garden tomorrow. It will be nice to get out of the office… so long as it doesn’t rain and hale like today that is!

Now I wouldn’t want you to think that I’m complaining about being busy; I wouldn’t have it any other way. But my business is in that awkward stage where there’s too much work for one person, but not enough income to employ someone to help. It’s a tricky time for all new businesses.

The lovely students at the Inchbald School of Design have volunteered to help out at the Chelsea Flower Show. They will be handing out leaflets and plant lists when the show is open, so come and see us all if you have tickets to the show. My garden will be on Royal Hospital Way. It’s called The Hasmead Sand and Ice Garden. See you there!

The Chelsea Flower Show takes place from 22-26 May 2007.
All tickets must be booked in advance of the Show. Ticket booking line 0870 906 3781.
Or you can but online at the RHS website - http://www.rhs.org.uk/chelsea/tickets.asp

Linda Bush is a garden designer based in Kent.
www.lindabush.co.uk/chelsea.html

Plant power

85 days to Chelsea… and counting!! Wow, doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun! I’m just so busy with my ‘real’ work that it’s hard to allocate time to my Chelsea project at the moment. One should never look a gift horse in the mouth, I know, and I love my work with individual clients, and I enjoy it too. One of my gardens has just been finished in Stoke Newington, and I’m going to help with the planting at the end of this week. This is my favourite stage of a project, when the design on paper comes to life in front of your eyes. You really can’t beat that feeling. I guess it's like a painter standing back for a look at a masterpiece they have created just after they have made the final paint-stroke.

I visited Howards Nursery in Norfolk last week. They are a fabulous wholesale nursery that is providing most of the perennial plants for my Chelsea garden. For those of you who aren’t gardeners, a Perennial is a plant that dies down to an over-wintering rootstock each autumn and grows up again the following spring, (although some are evergreen). I use a lot of evergreen plants and shrubs in my designs because one of the first things that most clients request is a ‘low-maintenance’ garden, with ‘all-year-round interest’. Evergreens provide the structure of the garden and then I ‘colour-in’ with plants that flower at different times of the year. Hopefully my clients will always have something beautiful to look out onto.

Linda Bush is a garden designer based in Kent.

www.lindabush.co.uk/chelsea.html

Happy New Pig...

So, it's out with the year of the Dog and in with the Golden Pig, which is supposed to be very lucky... and I have a wonderful feeling that this is going to be my year at last. I'm also sure that my ex-colleagues in my old office life would say golden pigs would fly before they could see me running my own successful garden design business.

So, how did I get here? Well, after 16 years in the City as an accountant and project manager (yawn), I decided I should get out while I was still young and sane enough to learn a few new tricks. I tried to think 'outside-the-box' (an awful consultant-speak word, but you know what I mean) as to what I wanted out of a job. I had always been interested in design, be it interior or in the garden, and I wanted to use this artistic and creative side in my work. I also wanted the ability to work for myself, to meet people in the course of my work, and not to be stuck behind a desk all the time. Garden design seemed to tick all the boxes, so I took the massive leap and decided to re-train. I sold my house and car, left the City, and enrolled on a horticultural diploma. This was followed by a full-time diploma in Garden Design at the Inchbald School of Design for which I won the Course Director's prize.

Then after 2 years study, I managed to get a job working with Christopher Bradley-Hole, five-times gold medal winner at the Chelsea Flower Show. It was a fantastic opportunity to see how the whole creative process can work from the drawing board to the final details in a real garden. I have admired Christopher's clean and contemporary designs for years, and I was very keen to work with him. He is a master of creating spaces that are well-proportioned and comfortable to be in, and the quality of the detailing is second to none (I should know, I had to draw and re-draw many CAD drawings during my time there!).

Since the last Chinese new year I've been striving to set up my own business. It's been a struggle, and I had to make some very hard decisions, but it's all now starting to pay off. I have had a garden design accepted by the Royal Horticultural Society for this year's Chelsea Flower Show, and there is increasing awareness of my design work around London and the South East. This year, customers seem to be flocking to my door for design services, so much so I'm having to use all my project management skills to juggle my 'real' work with the Chelsea project. So I hope that this year the golden pig will bring me luck, and I can again bring home the bacon.

Linda Bush is a garden designer based in Kent.
www.lindabush.co.uk/chelsea.html

Dirty day in Huddersfield

They say that divorce, moving house, and bereavement are the most stressful things that can happen in one's life, but 'they' have never designed a Show Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show. I have been working on this project for over a year, but with less than 100 days to go the reality of what I have taken on is beginning to dawn... better late than never!

I'm sitting on a delayed GNER train (dead person on the line) with my shoes caked in mud. I've been to the Johnson Wellfield quarry in Huddersfield today with Andy Loudon, award-winning dry-stone waller, to see the stone for my garden. One of the consequences of being a garden designer is getting over-excited about stone and paving. Everywhere I go I'm scanning to see if there are any ideas I can use in my gardens. Friends will be at best perplexed and at worst incredulous as we are walking to the pub or a restaurant and I start gushing over a beautiful stone wall or an exquisite piece of detailing (or slagging off an example of poor workmanship). So today, when I had a whole quarry (not to mention the stone used to build Huddersfield railway station) to amaze at, I was in my element. It was also fascinating to see a working quarry, including the most enormous diamond cutting machines, and a huge 3 metre circular saw - visions of James Bond in Octopussy crossed my mind...

All of the staff at the quarry were friendly and falling over themselves to be helpful. Is this an example of Yorkshire hospitality I wonder, or is it a Landscaping thing? I haven't been to Huddersfield before. Coming from London as I do, it's always nice to travel outside the Capital and experience the generosity and hospitality shown to visitors elsewhere in Britain.

I used to work in Investment Banking in the City, and I'm still blown away by how kind and helpful people in the Landscaping business generally are. The nice thing about the Chelsea Flower Show is that, in theory, everyone could get a gold medal or everyone could get none. So, while a friendly rivalry exists, because we're not in direct competition with each other, there is none of the bitter back-biting that I left the City to escape. I have planted two gardens at Chelsea over the last two years, and I've really got the bug. This was probably partly due to the gardens winning gold medals (the Savills garden last year and Andy Sturgeon's Merrill Lynch garden the year before that), but more than that it's the buzz, the adrenaline, and the camaraderie that draws you back to the Chelsea Flower Show year after year.

Linda Bush is a garden designer based in Kent.

www.lindabush.co.uk/chelsea.html