A Chelsea Show Garden - medals
Post categories: RHS Chelsea Flower Show
| 07:00 UK time, Thursday, 2 June 2011
Last Tuesday, the day I have been waiting for, for the last six months finally came around - Chelsea Medal Day. Just after dawn, the run around the show ground dispensing medals to the sea of anxious designers and exhibitors; not a shiny-Olympic-pendant-variety I might add, but a printed card in varying shades from Gold to Bronze, that is displayed at the side of your garden.
Joe Swift presents a piece from the show garden
Like an Oscar-nominee, I couldn't bear to look and decided to arrive at the garden a little later than normal. As I turned on to Main Avenue from the Royal Hospital Road, a sparkling Gold emblem is what I yearned to see winking back at me. Only the day before fellow-designer and veteran Chelsea Gold medal winner said 'You've cracked it' and a little bit of me hoped I had.
Unfortunately for me this year, that wasn't to be. I learn that I was only one tiny little point away from reaching the Gold -so it is another Silver-Gilt for me this year. I'm gutted, disappointed, tired and emotional. It is hard to bear.
Later that day, arrives on the garden to do a piece to camera to accompany a pre-recorded film the 91Èȱ¬ did with me in Cornwall a few weeks ago. It is going out that evening and he wants to know how I feel about my medal...I need to pick myself and dust myself down.
"In quieter moments I take refuge in my pavilion"
From here on in it is a whirl of sponsor dinners, tours of the garden and all the general meeting and greeting that comes with Chelsea.
In quieter moments I take refuge in my pavilion. From here I can hear visitors talking about the garden. They love the pavilion, are delighted to see Rhodos back at Chelsea and are a full of praise for my granite water rills. There is nothing like the great British public to lift your spirits.
And hang on; this is the world-famous, world-class Chelsea Flower Show. A Silver-Gilt Medal is a brilliant achievement and a testament to the hard work of everyone who help me get here.
I'm already toying with the idea of coming back next year...but don't tell my wife.
's debut at Chelsea in 2008 resulted in a gold medal, followed by a Silver medal in 2009 and silver Gilt in 2010. Follow the ups and downs of the creation of his most ambitious Chelsea Show Garden to date on this blog in the coming weeks.
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Comment number 1.
At 3rd Jun 2011, hereisabee wrote:This criteria to describe and then deliver is the key to disappointments, not all memories are true and few people live up the standards they set for others?
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Comment number 2.
At 3rd Jun 2011, hereisabee wrote:Just adding to the above, is gold the standard and all else lacking, or is no medal the standard and the medals showing the level of merit. Some years ago Prince Charles fell into the trap with his garden including a laid hedge, looked great and in balance with the garden. However a laid hedge must be left to grow and re-laid ever ten years or so, hence it would of swamped the garden and so he missed the gold and again received silver gilt.
Although the water rills were amazing, they are not peculiar to Cornwall and can be seen anywhere on the coast? I did some adventuring in Cornwall many years ago and cannot recall Rh. yakushimanum as typical. Perhaps there should have been some Cornish bred hybrids from Caerhays or Lamellan. My memories at least think of those blousy and intensely fragrant Loderi rhodos particular of Lanhydrock and Trewithin. Sponsors cannot expect gold it defeats the object of the show, looking forward to next year.
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Comment number 3.
At 4th Jun 2011, hereisabee wrote:Groan (I hear), more Cornish memories. It was the end of the year 1983, I was at a Cornish Garden Society lecture and John Bond gave the lecture which was possibly entitled 'Plants with a bonus' or similar, as he rattled off notable plants which then had a second appeal. John Bond was particularly admiring of the new foliage of rhododendrons which he found on some species to be as attractive as the flowers. However that was not what the gossip was about, it was Trebah, a Wing Commander had purchased the estate and come down from Bagshot bringing his favourite plants with him. As a serious gardener he had I think given the address at the beginning of the lecture. Any way what caused the Cornish so much mirth, was that he bought with him Hostas and plants that gave good autumn colour. It was his first year and the slugs ate all the Hosta and just as his Fothergillas started to give some colour the equinox gales arrived and blew them all the way to Bodmin Moor! It was the story the decade, did he clear off back to Bagshot? No he persevered and made Trebah what it is today, Cornish but with a touch more.
Keyboard now under lock and key
Cheers hereisabee
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