East Village Garden
Site MA19
Designer Michael Balston and Marie-Louise Agius
www.balstonagius.co.uk
www.eastvillagelondon.co.uk
Michael Balston returns to Chelsea following a 13 year absence, with the East Village Garden. Co-designed with Marie-Louise Agiusas Balston Aguis, the garden picks up the ‘designed for living’ theme of the Olympic legacy East Village, and represents the sustainable regeneration of a locality. Referencing the local history of nurseries and gardens, it sets strong architecture against a
rich horticultural palette, including less commonly exhibited shrubs and herbaceous plants. Curving lines and leaf-forms respond to elements of the Olympic Park, and local references are picked up in the boundary, structures and planting. The balcony-like chevrons overlooking the garden evoke the ‘designed for living’ concept of the village with views onto green space.
Trailfinders Australian Garden
Site RGB10
www.felmings.com.au
Phillip Johnson, makes his debut at the 2013 RHS Chelsea Flower Show with an innovative and su
stainable landscape design for Fleming’s Nurseries. He will create a relaxing and inviting ecosystem within an Australian urban environment. Showcasing the possibilities of sustainable landscaping within an urban environment, a home structure is integrated seamlessly into a tranquil, relaxing atmosphere
incorporating a natural billabong and hot spring.
Native Australian plants are used throughout the site. From lush ferns to bright kangaroo paws and striking bottle trees from the Kimberley region, the varied environments and weather conditions that make up the Australian landscape are represented. The garden will be entirely ‘off the grid’. From the period of build to the breakdown,
it will be managed effectively without having to source power from external sources. Solar panels will maintain energy requirements, and water will be harvested from surrounding sites and filtered throughout the garden and ‘billa bongs’,
which in themselves go through a natural
filtration process. The billabong supports and works
The focus of the planting is on shrubs, t extures and foliage, and this is realised through the use of plants such as rhododendrons, Enkianthus, Ceanothus,
Pittosporum, Vibernum and ferns. These are off-
set against an herbaceous palette.
Celebrating the creation and delivery of London’s ‘Legacy Promise’ and the birth of London’s
newest neighbourhood, which opens to residents in late -Summer 2013, the garden is inspired by a desire to provide the best of city living, but with the luxury of open space. Marie-Louise Agius has previously designed a Show Garden at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show in 2008.
Michael Balston first designed a Show Garden at Chelsea in 1985, when his garden designed for Vogue was awarded a Silver- Gilt medal. Since then he returned in 1986 with a Gold medal-
winning garden for Faberge and in 1999 with a Gold medal -winning design for
The Daily Telegraph which was also awarded Best Show Garden.
with the surrounding habitat to create a
sustainable and healthy system, which is beneficial to both humans and the surrounding
flora and fauna. Sustainable material reclamation is the foundation of the design. Raw materials have been sourced locally to reduce the environmental footprint of the garden. Reclaimed materials, including concrete waste rubble have been used as innovative design solutions. The
rooftop and vertical gardens form a surface of green over the home and the structure is designed to seamlessly integrate with its surrounding environment, and uses recycled materials such as reclaimed wharf timbers, recycled fence palings and car tyres in its construction. Fleming’s have exhibited regularly at RHS Chelsea Flower Show since 2004, winning four gold and four silver-gilt medals. Phillip Johnson is recognised as an Australian sustainable landscape pioneer in the residential and commercial sectors. He leads one of the most awarded firms in the industry, known for their natural pools, green walls and the creation of thriving habitats-centred on the use of indigenous and native plants, sustainable sourcing and construction practices and
water management. Philip and his team have won the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show, Ford Sustainability Award for the past two years, as well as Gold in the Show Garden category, and Best in Show in 2009. The garden
reflects Phillip’s design philosophy to create gardens that are at least 80-percent plants and only 20-percent hard landscaping.
The Brewin Dolphin Garden
Site MA21
Designer Robert Myers
www.brewin.co.uk/chelsea
Brewin Dolphin designer, Robert Myers, will
create a calm, reflective and private garden
space. With native planting, stone, timber and
water , the garden will be an area for relaxation and informal entertainment. The design is inspired by sponsor Brewin Dolphin’s ethos as a company; bespoke and innovative, but firmly rooted in past traditions. The various spaces for entertaining and interaction reflect the importance placed on personal relationships and conviviality. The planting is based on a palette of UK native species, reflecting interest in the benefits of native planting, as well as the sponsor's British provenance as a UK company. Species have been chosen for their flower colour, form and leaf texture, appropriate for this garden setting. The selection of British natives is based on the Natural History Museum's Checklist of British Native Plants and the planting will include some cultivars as well as the true native species.
Structure is created with pleached field maples enclosing the rear of the garden, and a scattering of multi-stemmed rowans creates vertical punctuation. Towards the rear of the
garden, the planting has been selected for sun/semi-shade and will include the green textures of shrubs, grasses and herbaceous plants with splashes of white, purple and blue
flowers. At the front of the garden, a mixture of grasses, shrubs and herbaceous plants will
contain blue, pink and white flowers with splashes of yellow. In the central sunken area, the
planting will be predominantly green and textural, with low groundcovers around scattered
domes of clipped box. The garden promotes the use of UK native plants, and shows how they can be used within a garden setting and in an ornamental way. The use of native plants in gardening and landscape design is attracting growing interest in relation to their importance for creating local distinctiveness, sustainable planting and habitat for wildlife. Timber is a theme within the garden, including areas of timber floor, a cantilevered canopyand a side wall with repeated oval relief. Several innovative sculptural pieces by sculptor, Ben Barrell, will also be incorporated. Robert Myers’ previous appearances at Chelsea include the Sir Hans Sloane Garden (2003), the Costiera dei Fiori Garden(2006), the Fortnum & Mason Garden(2007), A Cadogan Garden (2008) and show gardens for Cancer Research UK in 2009, 2010 and 2011.