Chris Beardshaw's Garden is Sponsored by first timer Morgan Stanley. Personally this garden was our favourite Show Garden of the entire Show. Chris Beardshaw never fails to disappoint.
Rather than following the usual route of simply attaching its name to a show garden, RHS Chelsea Flower Show sponsor Morgan Stanley challenged Chelsea regular Chris Beardshaw to design a garden to form an integral part of the firm’s global Healthy Cities programme.
This means that Chris has been involved with the residents of the community surrounding the site in Poplar, who all have their own aims and ambitions for the garden.
Everything in the garden has its roots in the history of the site. The coppiced trees reflect the fact that it was originally wetlands where willow, poplars and field maples were pollarded. The pollarding theme continues throughout the garden using traditional Acer campestres - but also mulberry and pomegranate, reflecting the edible requirements of today’s community. A lovely touch.
The knot garden references the docks and Victorian slums surrounding them, and the effect the conditions had in bonding the community together. The pattern of hedges is based on a nautical ‘Friendship’ knot that binds a fine rope with a coarse rope, which seems particularly relevant.
Plant list
Hedging
Buxus sempervirens
Taxus baccata
Trees
Acer campestre
Shrubs
Hydrangea petiolaris
Herbaceous
Alchemilla mollis
Anchusa Loddon Royalist
Anthemis cupaniana
Aquilega vulgaris Blue Barlow
Asplenium scolopendrium
Brunnera macrophylla Jack Frost
Camassia leichtlinii ‘Blue Heaven’
Camassia leichtlinii ‘Caerulea’
Camassia cusickii Zwanenberg
Camassia quamash
Camassia quamash ‘Orion’
Cirsium atropurpureum
Dryopteris affinis
Dryopteris affinis crispa
Dryopteris lepidopoda
Euphorbia ascot rainbow
Euphorbia amygdaloides Red Wing
Euphorbia griffithii Fireglow
Eupatorium rugosum chocolate
Geranium macrorrhizum czakor
Geranium ‘Johnson’s Blue’
Geranium palmatum
Geranium sylvaticum 'Mayflower'
Geranium sylvaticum Album
Geum Princess Juliana
Hakenchloa macra
Hosta Devon Green
Hosta Krossa Regal
Hosta Patriot
Hosta sieboldii var elegans
Iris Mer du Sud
Iris Sable
Lupinus Masterpiece
Matteucia struthiopteris
Nepeta subsessilus
Onoclea sensibilis
Penstemon Riding Hood Red
Polystichum setiferum Congestum
Primula japonica Apple Blossom
Primula beesiana
Primula Bulleyana
Saliva nemerosa Caradonna
Saxifraga urbium
Stachys lantana
Tellima grandiflora
Thalictrum Black Stockings
Verbascum Merlin
