The Friendship Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show was designed by Jon and James Wheatley. Photo / Anthony Masi / RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024
Kem Ormond is a feature writer for NZME community newspapers and The Country.
OPINION
With the dreary prospect of winter almost upon us, what better time to take in the colour and excitement of the world’s most famous flower show? The Country’s Kem Ormond has done just that, and fulfilled her lifelong dream of attending the show.
A highlight on the horticultural calendar, long-awaited by garden lovers, is the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show.
The borough of Chelsea is transformed into a mass of artistic colour with every nook and cranny dripping with beautiful annuals, stunning hanging baskets, flower beds overflowing with carefully thought-out plantings, window boxes refreshed, a mass of colour in every direction, in every street and in every shop window and frontage.
Lloyds Bank was a standout for me with a full-sized horse and cart, laden with vegetables and fruit outside its Chelsea branch. Huge strawberries made from flowers hung from the frontage of a small French bakery and offered wonderful photo opportunities for people passing.
Although having been to London on numerous occasions, I have never been able to co-ordinate my visits with this prestigious flower show but, finally, my 40-year wait has culminated in two days at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and the excitement was that of a child in a candy store.
Walking through the large gates at the Chelsea gardens, with my press pass in hand, had to be one of the highlights of my 30-year newspaper career.
Flowing floral dresses for the women and equally stylish floral trousers for the gentlemen were the attire of the day, along with an array of hats to deter the sunshine or rain, and with sneakers the definite footwear of choice for all the attendees, you could feel the excitement in the air.
People come to the RHS Chelsea for inspiration, to view the show gardens and spectacular nursery displays inside the Great Pavilion, to wander through all the trade displays and to take in the wealth of floral wonder.
Gardeners are all hoping to leave with strategies and solutions to help them garden in a more sustainable way and to take home a specially designed tote bag crammed full of purchases from the day, along with a myriad brochures from exhibitors.
On arrival, I was drawn into the Great Pavilion with its dazzling displays from some of the finest plant growers in the UK.
They are all there along with their breathtaking displays offering hands-on advice. It is an opportunity for visitors to view the best in new plant breeding and floral design that has been taken to another level of creativity, and take in the colours and smells.
The delphiniums were a standout for me because their height was like nothing I had seen, and the wonderful array of pastel colours was like a freshly painted piece of art.
There was a stunning display of carnivorous plants complete with dinosaurs standing tall among them, colourful carnations made to look like balls of icecream in cones, and sweet peas of every colour displayed in frames, so they looked like paintings on a wall.
This year, there were 35 gardens on display, all designed to inspire you no matter what size garden or budget you may have. From sanctuary gardens, show gardens to balcony and container gardens, as well as gardens made from repurposed materials, there was something for everyone.
Among these gardens, there were three RHS feature gardens used to highlight some of the important steps the RHS is taking to promote the benefits of gardening for people, as well as protecting our planet.
One such garden on display this year was the Friendship Garden, which James and Jon Wheatley have designed.
Nelson-based James Wheatley grew up in Bristol where he worked for his father as a landscaper.
He moved to New Zealand in 2001 and runs Landform Landscape Services in Nelson. He has travelled back to the UK many times to work on various garden shows organised by the RHS, working alongside his father.
The Friendship Garden commemorated RHS Britain in Bloom’s 60th anniversary and celebrated the amazing relationships formed when people garden together in their communities, nurturing a community’s health and wellbeing through communal gardening.
This garden had been designed with woodland trees, complemented with lupins, foxgloves, ferns, and a wildflower meadow complete with beehives. There was a nestlike structure made from repurposed cedar timber that was inspired by a sculpture Wheatley saw on a visit to Waiheke Island.
Looking closely, you could see what looked like a willow cane structure of a hare peeking out of the foliage, along with a family of hedgehogs.
Included in this garden was an amazing glass and stainless steel arch designed by Carrie Anne Funnell, a glass artist of 25 years from Cambridgeshire. It took her five months from concept to finished design for this installation to be completed.
She worked solidly for three months on the glass aspect of the arch alone. The glass had been shaped to form various shaped discs made to look like round leaves, and clever use of oxides added interest and colour to the glass.
While she created the glass, Sean Mickleburgh worked on making the arch come to life dealing with the practical aspects needed to put such a large installation together.
Each of the glass pieces on the arch represents people in the community, and how by working and coming together, wonderful things can be achieved.
Funnell is a commissioned glass artist, and her pieces are on a large scale and could be described as mind-blowing. She designs for both interiors and exteriors, from domestic garden installations to focal points in public spaces, while being mindful of blending her works with the surrounding environment.
Lighting and water are added to some of her glass installations, taking her designs to a whole new level. With her own display at the RHS Chelsea, I felt treated to see two different sides to her amazing talent and felt privileged to have been able to sit and share a cool drink with her before the crowds arrived.
And talking of crowds, while my first day being media day was void of crowds, the following day was a different story with a lot of queuing up to be endured.
Even though the second day did not produce much sunshine, the champagne tents were still doing a roaring trade and visitors were seeking out what they were going to have for lunch. Film crews mingled with the public as they filmed such gardening gurus as Monty Don and the like.
If you are a garden lover and have been thinking about attending the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, start planning your 2025 visit now.
This show will honestly take your breath away. It is so well organised and laid out. The organisers have thought of everything to make your visit a memorable one.
Go early in the week, the gates open at 8am, so take the opportunity to beat the rush, you will not be disappointed. Make sure you wear your comfortable sneakers, take a water bottle, and be prepared to take a lot of photos.
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