Garden Living

Features

DESIGNER TIPS FROM THE CHELSEA CATWALK

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show represents the catwalk for “garden fashion” showcasing the trends that are destined to hit our outdoor rooms in the future. So if you want your outside space to reflect what’s hot rather than what’s not, gem up on the following predicted hip horticultural themes witnessed at the world’s most famous flower show this May.

Water works!

Water featured very strongly at Chelsea this year, putting in an appearance in gardens of all shapes and sizes, although the emphasis in today’s environmentally aware society was very much on the responsible use of water in the outdoor room.

Water in the guise of ponds provides a boost to a garden’s biodiversity, offering a welcoming habit for wildlife, as well as a much needed source of water and food - even the mud is a must-have for nest building.

With scientists predicting that climate change will lead to drier, hotter summers and milder wetter winters, a number of designers at Chelsea opted for water as a means to demonstrate innovative water harvesting and irrigation ideas.

Other water wonders witnessesd at Chelsea included a soothing water feature which helped to bring a sense of peace to a garden designed for care home residents, whilst a curtain of water suspended over a pond created a thoroughly modern waterfall and injected a sense of movement into a designer outdoor space.

Go green!

Green has featured heavily on the RHS Chelsea Flower Show agenda for the past number of years and this year’s event was no exception – but not just in the sense of recycling and environmentally responsible initiatives. Whilst blue and purple have been the dominant planting colours at recent shows, 2008 definitely marked the return of a variety of shades of green to the garden. Lush foliage, strong lines of hedges, tall palms and sculptured Buxus all put in a appearance whilst bamboos and grasses also staked their claim to fame at Chelsea.

The only way is up

Now that outdoor space is at a premium in the urban environment the pressure is on to make the most out of the limited garden area available to city dwellers. Vertical planting techniques were employed by a number of designers all keen to pack in more plants into the smaller outside space, providing a habitat for wildlife, as well as drowning out the noise and sights consistent with city life.

Shape up!

Topiary - the art of creating sculptures in clipped trees and shrubs – generally associated with grand stately gardens or uber contemporary design looks set to become more mainstream following its dramatic presence at this year’s show. Many designers incorporated elements of the art within their gardens but not necessarily as the traditional bold focal point proving that topiary can add a subtle, dash of style to any outdoor room.