And the winner is...
Post categories: Sally Nex
| 10:42 UK time, Tuesday, 8 July 2008
The level of thought and detail which goes into the creation of these show gardens is often quite astounding.
I've been spending a lot of time talking to children, their teachers and all sorts of other people about getting gardening into schools - and that of course gave me an excuse to make my way onto the exquisite , by Nick Williams-Ellis, rather more often than perhaps I had to. This was another of my tips for the top - so I was delighted to see Nick and his team got a Gold medal and Best in Show
There was an ominous black cloud looming over the garden as I began one of my interviews, so we opted for the shelter of the potting shed - beautifully crafted from Dorset oak and a central feature of the garden.
The inside of this humble little shed is quite as exquisite as the garden itself. One wall of the shed was plastered with colourful pictures of vegetables, drawn by local primary school children. On the other wall was a display of antique gardening tools with a notice: "These are tools our grannies and grandpas used". On the table was not only a pile of compost and half-filled pot, but a few seedlings ready to go out in the garden.
Nick is inviting everyone who visits the show to walk right through the garden and peek into this little child-sized bolthole. "This is about creating intimate spaces," he told me, "and you can't do that if you keep everyone outside looking in."
And intimate it certainly is - this is a truly unpretentious garden, and entirely believable. You just wish you could take it home with you. The team had a few problems with the weather - a black plastic bag put over the scarecrow's head took most of her face off too when it was removed, so they had to do a quick rummage in make-up bags to restore her to her former glory. But they've come through to create a beautiful and entirely unpretentious space. And you should see the size of those strawberries.
The inside of this humble little shed is quite as exquisite as the garden itself. One wall of the shed was plastered with colourful pictures of vegetables, drawn by local primary school children. On the other wall was a display of antique gardening tools with a notice: "These are tools our grannies and grandpas used". On the table was not only a pile of compost and half-filled pot, but a few seedlings ready to go out in the garden.
Nick is inviting everyone who visits the show to walk right through the garden and peek into this little child-sized bolthole. "This is about creating intimate spaces," he told me, "and you can't do that if you keep everyone outside looking in."
And intimate it certainly is - this is a truly unpretentious garden, and entirely believable. You just wish you could take it home with you. The team had a few problems with the weather - a black plastic bag put over the scarecrow's head took most of her face off too when it was removed, so they had to do a quick rummage in make-up bags to restore her to her former glory. But they've come through to create a beautiful and entirely unpretentious space. And you should see the size of those strawberries.
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