Sally Nex, a garden writer who writes our Veg Blog at Crocus, spent the day working on Andy’s garden, handing out leaflets and answering questions. These were her thoughts….
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like being one of those people who hand over leaflets at a garden at Chelsea, now, having spent a day on Andy Sturgeon’s fantastic garden doing just that, I can tell you. It’s like having six conversations at once. They go something like this:
“Excuse me, can you tell me what that shrub is just there – the one with the purplish leaves?”
- Yes, that’s Dodonea viscosa ‘Purpurea’. It’s borderline hardy – wouldn’t have got through last winter but should be fine in a sheltered spot in a normal year….
“Is this the garden that won best in show?”
- yes, that’s right, it’s…
“Excuse me? Do you know much about the plants?”
- well…
“Could you just tell me what that tall plant is over there?
- That one over there?
“No, the one next to it… the one with the yellow flowers…
- Oh that’s a yellow knapweed – Centaurea…
“You see that purple-leaved shrub there? Could you…
“I’ve got a gravel garden, you know. Do you think these plants would do all right in it? It’s on clay soil though so it gets a bit flooded in the winter….”
- er… clay?
[Carol Klein walks onto the garden at this point with a large pot of bright pink flowers and a camera crew]
“Excuse me, I’m from a Japanese film company and we did an interview with Andy earlier today – do you think we could just come on the garden….”
“What are those big things made out of? Are they wood?”
- Oh, no, they’re Corten steel. It’s pre-rusted….
“Hi Sally! Remember me? We trained at college together!”
- You’d have to ask him, I’m afraid. He was just on that garden opposite filming a minute ago so if you see if you can find the nearest BBC film crew you’ll probably find him…
“So how come the garden won best in show, then? Why did the judges pick this out?”
- well, I’m not actually a judge, but I can tell you what I think makes it work if you like…
“Excuse me, you see that shrub with the purplish leaves….”
“Why has Carol Klein left those pink flowers right in the middle of the garden? They’re right in my photograph, you know.”
[we move them and risk the wrath of the BBC]
- It’s Dodonea viscosa ‘Purpurea’. Needs well-drained soil, a sunny spot, but it’s evergreen… Do you want me to write it down for you?
“Do those trees grow there all the time?”
- nope, it took a flatbed lorry and a crane to move them into position…
“You know, I re-did my garden last year after it was all curvy lines here. Now it’s all gone straight again.”
- umm…
“Excuse me, there’s this purple-leaved shrub over there….”
“Could you just tell me what that bobbly sort of grass thing is?”
- what, this one here? Stipa tenuissima?
“No, not the soft one, the bobbly one. Behind it.”
- This one? Pennisetum setaceum?
“No, that’s got flowers. The one behind it. The one with the bobbles.”
[I gingerly walk onto the garden and ask her to tell me where to stop]
“There, that one!”
- umm… that’s a Dasylirion. It’s kind of more of a yucca than a grass….
[the camera crew are back and asking everyone to stop using flash photography: there is, understandably, some disgruntled chuntering until Carol Klein calls out, “That's right! No flashers, please!” Whereupon everyone starts giggling]
“Excuse me, could you tell me – is that a Dodonaea?”
- Oh my goodness. Do you realise you’re the first person all day who has recognised that shrub?
“Oh, really? Well I grow it as a hedge.”
- a hedge?
“Yes, I’m from South Australia. You know, we had temperatures of 35 degrees last year for three weeks solid and no rain – and it came through and hardly even noticed. That’s one tough, tough shrub.”
It was great fun, restored my faith in British gardeners and I got to know one of the best gardens at this year’s Chelsea inside out and back to front. And it doesn’t get much better than that.