Description

The National Garden Scheme show garden is being fully funded by Project Giving Back and is designed by internationally-renowned designer Tom Stuart-Smith, who has an unrivalled record of success with Chelsea show gardens. The garden will be constructed and planted by Crocus, the UK’s largest gardening website which has also amassed 33 gold medals at Chelsea over 22 years.

In this talk Tom Stuart-Smith explains his affection for the National Garden Scheme, built up over 30 years of opening his own garden in Hertfordshire and responsible for tempting him back to Chelsea after an absence of 14 years. He will reveal the inspiration for his design and planting, how he hopes it will project the philosophy and principles of the National Garden Scheme, and how the future site of the Maggie’s Centre has played a part in his vision.

With Tom, Peter Clay will unveil the fascinating complexity and skill involved in creating a Chelsea show garden to gold medal standard. How it involves a daunting  combination of long-term planning and restricted time, meticulous sourcing of plants and all the other elements in the garden from trusted sources, and the achievement of the elusive alchemy which brings everything together à point on the appointed day. Peter will reveal why the third week in May is the perfect few days for a flower show in Britain and together he and Tom will give a riveting insight into this most challenging of gardening achievements.

This is only the second time in the charity’s history, that the National Garden Scheme is having a large show garden at the Chelsea Flower Show, the most prestigious horticultural event in the world, publicised via BBC television and a plethora of international media channels. After Chelsea the garden will live on as the central part of the garden for a new Maggie’s Centre at Addenbrook’s Hospital in Cambridge, Maggie’s being one of the National Garden Scheme’s major long-term beneficiaries.