She’s back, on Main Avenue with bells on, and the odd dead tree. The award winning garden designer and all round good egg, Jo Thompson is preparing for her return to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2013 with a ground breaking show garden, in partnership with the Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera). Thompson brought Chelsea its first Caravan in 2012, and this year her arsenal includes an avenue of [...]
Eternally venerated, my RHS Chelsea Flower Show trodden, mud encrusted, steel cap boots stand proud in the hallway. Ever the devotee of RHS Chelsea, being part of the build and planting stages to experience the enormity of the work involved and undeniable dedication to detail, has made attending this most esteemed of horticultural shows, all the more special. The RHS Chelsea Flower Show signifies much more than the habitually referred [...]
‘Bring kneeler, trowel, and nail scissors’ read the email. Usually only comically referenced for the ludicrously finicky of gardeners, though at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, nail scissors are simply convention. Detail and precision is the name of the game, far beyond anything one could ever imagine. At Chelsea, not even the brawniest of builders, lifts an eyelid at the scrupulous hoovering of garden walls, washing of trees, meticulous cleaning [...]
Wearing embarrassingly new steel toe cap boots, with matching high visibility couture, access was granted to the Royal Hospital grounds, where preparations for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2012 are in full swing. The sheer scale of work required to create this most famous of plant shows, is quite incredible. The grounds are simply packed with JCB’s, bobcats, lorries and vans, causing traffic jam havoc. The main Chelsea buildings; the [...]
Renowned, award winning garden designer & plantsman, Roger Platts, explains that the real secret to growing award winning RHS Chelsea Flower Show plants, is the collaborative relationship between nurseryman and designer. In this, the fifth article in the RHS Chelsea 2012 series, Platts shares his experience in growing show garden plants for Jo Thompson, and The Caravan Club’s, ‘A Celebration of Caravanning’ RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden. Team Thompson is [...]
Without their autographed covenant, the aspiration of an RHS Chelsea Show Garden will remain just that; an aspiration. Eligibility for designing an RHS Chelsea Flower Show requires not just exceptional design, salient designer qualifications, previous show experience, generous sponsor, but above all, cooperation with a dexterous and experienced contractor. Leading on from ‘Chelsea Flower Show: The 2012 Thompson Design‘, the fourth article in this Chelsea series, highlights the role of [...]
Leading on from ‘Marathon Woman: An Interview with Jo Thompson‘, the third article in this Chelsea series, highlights Thompson’s inspiration for the design of her ‘A Celebration of Caravanning’, 2012 Chelsea Flower Show Garden. Diarmuid Gavin, once said that good garden design required finding ‘the secret of the location’. Though, what if the location is a flat, 10m by 10m section, along one of the busiest interim avenues in London, [...]
From drama teacher to ‘garden designer tipped to watch’, in just seven short years is quite remarkable. Garden designer, Jo Thompson, is in the midst of her preparations for that most famous of horticultural marathons, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2012. Leading on from ‘Competition for Space: RHS Chelsea from Sketch to Show Garden‘, this is the second post in the Chelsea series; an interview with Jo Thompson, highlighting her [...]
Ever since its first inception in 1913, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show has represented the absolute zenith of the gardening calendar. Steeped in tradition with Royal association, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show sets the standard for horticultural excellence. This series on Chelsea, featuring Jo Thompson, garden designer and Chelsea gold medalist, highlights the journey of a designer (and team) in the run up to the most famous of garden shows. [...]
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