Flower power in Chelsea

Five trends we spotted at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show

The trend for meadow-style planting continues – delicate, frothy umbellifers, wild flowers such as the lovely ragged robin Lychnis flos-cuculi, and understated grasses were a feature of many of the gardens on display, including that of gold medal winner Sarah Price.

Sculptural topiary was a key element of Cleve West’s Best in Show garden, where a series of sharply-clipped, giant yew specimens that resembled outsized chess pieces were used to punctuate the herbaceous planting.

Two oriental gardens shone out at Chelsea. Satoyama Life was an exquisitely executed essay in restrained and elegant planting, winning its designer the award for Best Artisan Garden, while Quiet Time; DMZ Forbidden Garden, by designer Jihae Hwang, was truly exceptional; finely detailed, understated and expertly finished.

Diarmuid Gavin’s futuristic Westland Magical Garden showed that gardens can be lots of fun – one almost expected to see Indiana Jones swinging from the scaffolding or whizzing down its curling helter skelter to land with a thump amongst the pillows. Think garden dens/tree houses for grown-ups, full bar included.

Irish florists raking in the medals . . .  Dunshaughlin-based Jenny Murphy took home Chelsea Gold and Best in Show for her chandelier-themed floral display. The Naul Gardening and Flower Club nabbed themselves a silver, while Newry-based florist Siobhán Hughes won bronze.