Andy Sturgeon won his first Best in Show award for his magnificent garden for the Daily Telegraph. The hot weather over the last few days really helped the Mediterranean themed planting to thrive. The judges were really complimentary about it and it’s the second year in a row that the Daily Telegraph has won Best in Show.
Everyone at Crocus is feeling exhausted but happy. That’s our third Best in Show in a row and our fourth in five years. Great news for everyone. Please let me know what you thought of the gardens and the show generally.
Congratulations Andy and the Crocus Team a wonderful garden, especially when you appreciate the meaning behind it and the journey you have all gone on to bring it to fruition. I bought my neighbours tickets to Chelsea this year as a thank you, so am glad they will get to appreciate this gardens beauty while I must be content with enjoying it on telly from the comfort of my sofa!
Very generous of you to buy your neighbours a ticket! I have not seen any of the TV coverage yet (we were busy watering until about 10.00 last night). Is the BBC doing a good job?
Yes wonderful coverage from the BBC and this year’s garden’s definitely seem the best. It’s amazing each year that the gardens just get better and better. I think the unpredictable weather we have had this year has made the gardens even more glorious to look at. My neighbours love gardening and have been wonderful this year looking after our pets and garden while we made numerous trips to Cumbria to be near my partner’s mother who sadly passed away after a long battle with cancer.
I think that is what touched me most about the meaning behind Andy’s garden, having expereinced his own bereavement he has created a wonderful garden of hope and a meaningful concept of creating different pathways and choices in his garden to mirror the same choices and pathways we take and explore in life.
Finally got to see the gardens on Thursday – and as ever, they didn’t disappoint. Great work and congratulations to all at crocus. Yet again, the Laurent Perrier was my personal favourite. I thought there was a real split of the gardens this year into 2 types – refined and rustic. My partner, a non horti type, loved the Leeds garden just because it was so different. Whilst I felt for the Australians last year, I was a bit disappointed by the Trailfinders garden – seemed to be too much hardlandscaping and not much variety in their planting. Just loved the ‘A Joy Forever’ urban garden. I missed the front gardens this year and whilst I know that they were only done last year as an exception, they were so great and such a good idea – bring them back!
I only wish we could wander into the gardens. Appreciate that it would ruin perfection but it’s a bit irritating to see corp hosp guests going inside the gardens – most of whom have no idea about horticulture! (Maybe i’m just jealous)! Maybe the RHS could do a ballot whereby you could win tickets to go into gardens for a very limited group of people (so it still doesn’t ruin it for the rest)?
As ever, I’ll be there next weekend trying to recreate a bit of chelsea magic in my garden!
Angie – interesting thought about a ballot for people to be able to go into the gardens. I will pass that one on. Some of the gardens are really different when you go inside them so I agree with you. By the way, I agree with your partner about the Leeds garden – the workmanship that went into building the lock was excellent.