Chelsea Flower Show – Garden #4

The Daily Telegraph Garden – Arabella Lennox-Boyd

In a slight departure from the cheek by jowl planting of many Chelsea show gardens, Arabella Lennox-Boyd’s garden was inspired by traditional Japanese gardens, where the simplicity of design, planting and materials bring a sense of peace and unity- and yet is very British using plants and materials suitable for the UK.

The reflective surface of water creates an atmosphere of calm and is a bold statement about the garden as an environment that can bring harmony and peace.

All the elements of this garden are kept in harmonious relation through a carefully balanced design and the result is a counterpoint of different textures, materials, and plants. The still, glistening surface of water is complemented by the visual interest created by the informality of some plants and the neat texture of the yew hedges.

Wording adapted from http://www.arabellalennoxboyd.com

For me, this garden was a brave move for Lennox-Boyd. The water element was a significantly dominant factor in the garden, and yet it worked as the perfect foil to the cool, lush, yet minimalistic planting at one end of the garden.

Daring perfection…

Author: Mike the Gardener

Freelance gardening writer, consultant and designer. Mike Palmer is a passionate and professional plantsman, offering services in garden writing, consultancy and garden design. Mike is also available for garden and plant related talks and presentations. Mike has been a professional horticulturalist for over fifteen years. View all posts by Mike the Gardener