Chelsea is one of our highlights of the year, especially seeing all the beautiful gardens filled with delightful blooms. We caught up with Sophie to find out her six favourite gardens.
National Garden Scheme
First up is the National Garden Scheme’s beautiful garden, located right opposite the Sophie Allport stand! It was a delight to have a stand with a view, especially as they are one of our charity partners too. The garden won gold and was designed by Tom Stuart-Smith OBE, it was fully funded by Project Giving Back and was brought to life by Crocus. The garden has a woodland edge theme and is designed to give a sense of calm and connection through nature. We loved the different levels of height in the plants and trees, and of course the beautiful foxgloves - it felt like a garden you’d want to spend the afternoon exploring or reading a book in. A selection of plants was also donated by the National Garden Scheme garden owners, adding special little touches from all around the country.
The Stroke Association
The Stroke Association’s Garden for Recovery is a truly special space, and it was so lovely to be invited into the garden to feel the peaceful atmosphere. This charity is personal to the Allport family after Sophie and Jem’s father suffered a stroke and sadly passed later. The garden, designed by Miria Harris, who is a stroke survivor, has been created to be a peaceful and sensory space that supports stroke recovery. The plants worked together to support each other, whilst the sound of trickling water soothed and calmed the senses. Sophie could picture her family using this garden, spending time with her father as he recovered. The garden will be relocated to the Chapel Allerton Hospital for the Stroke Unit to allow people to reconnect after a stroke.
The National Trust
The Octavia Hill Garden by Blue Diamond with the National Trust certainly caught our eye with the idea that gardens can and should be for all, and we couldn’t agree more. Designer Ann-Marie Powell created an urban community wildlife garden filled with an abundance of beautiful plants. The idea of having ‘outdoor sitting rooms’ also came to life, giving people the perfect place to sit and enjoy the outdoors. We enjoyed the wildlife pond and different levels of height, amongst all the greenery and colourful flowers.
The Bridgerton Garden
Designer Holly Johnston created a garden of secrecy, growth and desire, based on Penelope Featherington from the Netflix show Bridgerton. The garden is designed to mirror Penelope’s journey and her experiences in society, with a beautiful moongate that leads to an ornate water feature. The shaded area intentionally represents the wallflower that Penelope is whilst the other half is in full bloom with bright florals and symbolises self-development and personal growth. Chris Young, gave us a wonderful tour of the garden, explaining how Holly brought Bridgerton to life.
WaterAid
The WaterAid Garden won a gold medal this year, and it was very well deserved. The garden celebrates the power of water, showcasing how with careful planning and water management beautiful gardens can thrive all around the world. The show-stopping structure, a rain harvesting pavilion, is stunning and leaves you thinking about the way we can conserve rainwater in our own gardens. The materials used are all reclaimed and repurposed, whilst the colourful plant species used were also designed to deal with rainfall.
Children with Cancer UK ‘Raines Repurposed
We often feel the balcony gardens get forgotten about, and we love peering into these balconies and seeing a small haven or retreat. The Children with Cancer UK ‘Raines Repurposed is light and airy featuring a beautiful wooden pergola with climbing jasmine, you could just imagine the fantastic scents throughout the summer! It’s a practical space that you want to spend time in, with soft evergreen plants and muted tones, we could easily relax here in the afternoon!
Have you been to Chelsea this year? We’d love to hear all about your favourite gardens. Let us know in the comments below.