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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| What your garden says about you | What your garden says about you |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| By Alison Smith BBC News | By Alison Smith BBC News |
| A George Harrison memorial and a commute depicted in plants are among the biographical gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show. But even a potted plant on the sill says something about the person who tends it. | A George Harrison memorial and a commute depicted in plants are among the biographical gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show. But even a potted plant on the sill says something about the person who tends it. |
| Turn away from the throngs lining the Chelsea Flower Show's Main Avenue, and the winding paths feel like genuine byways through the British countryside. Wish this was your journey to work? | Turn away from the throngs lining the Chelsea Flower Show's Main Avenue, and the winding paths feel like genuine byways through the British countryside. Wish this was your journey to work? |
| But then a sea of people comes into view. Dozens of enthusiasts linger politely in front of a row of small plots. Many admire a stainless steel spiral staircase leading to a compact home-office - more Foxtons than Flower Show perhaps? Look more closely. This garden is titled A Journey to Work, and captures that struggle we all know - the pull between work, home and family life. | But then a sea of people comes into view. Dozens of enthusiasts linger politely in front of a row of small plots. Many admire a stainless steel spiral staircase leading to a compact home-office - more Foxtons than Flower Show perhaps? Look more closely. This garden is titled A Journey to Work, and captures that struggle we all know - the pull between work, home and family life. |
| But walking down one's garden to work from home is a more pleasurable commute. This show garden's eight female designers decided to depict a fictional male solicitor's journey. | But walking down one's garden to work from home is a more pleasurable commute. This show garden's eight female designers decided to depict a fictional male solicitor's journey. |
| First he heads down a curved pathway, past brightly-coloured flowers and green grasses, then up a spiralling staircase to the tranquillity of his barn, where he can admire the view - and enhance his productivity. | First he heads down a curved pathway, past brightly-coloured flowers and green grasses, then up a spiralling staircase to the tranquillity of his barn, where he can admire the view - and enhance his productivity. |
| Designer Jane Button says the plot has quite a masculine feel: "There are lots of greens, with different textures but muted colours. We've used three different types of begonias with different leaves, and the oranges and purples add to the effect." href="#photo">What part of your garden says something about you? Send us a photo, by clicking here. | |
| She points to the exotic planting, which, paired with evergreens, hold year-round texture and interest for our busy lawyer. This execution of a modern theme clearly struck a cord with the judges, who awarded a silver gilt. A bit of a coup for Chelsea first-timers. | She points to the exotic planting, which, paired with evergreens, hold year-round texture and interest for our busy lawyer. This execution of a modern theme clearly struck a cord with the judges, who awarded a silver gilt. A bit of a coup for Chelsea first-timers. |
| Inner space | Inner space |
| While many Chelsea competitors opt to be bang on-trend and work with a palette of cool greens and whites, other designers at the venerable show aim to do what gardeners love to do most - reflect their personality and what they like to do in their space.Yvonne Innes at work | While many Chelsea competitors opt to be bang on-trend and work with a palette of cool greens and whites, other designers at the venerable show aim to do what gardeners love to do most - reflect their personality and what they like to do in their space.Yvonne Innes at work |
| Or, in some cases, depict another person's life and times. Yvonne Innes, designer of the colourful George Harrison memorial garden, says this comes naturally to a gardener. | Or, in some cases, depict another person's life and times. Yvonne Innes, designer of the colourful George Harrison memorial garden, says this comes naturally to a gardener. |
| "Gardens reflect that space inside our heads, which we can't always have in our home. [At home] I have an old barn in a formal setting, so I have strong lines to give a formality that I need, but then break out into a wild expression of colour in other areas. That's how I am!" | "Gardens reflect that space inside our heads, which we can't always have in our home. [At home] I have an old barn in a formal setting, so I have strong lines to give a formality that I need, but then break out into a wild expression of colour in other areas. That's how I am!" |
| The show garden in memory of the late Beatle depicts each era of his life, involving more than 300 species, including the ferns, mosses and shady areas which Harrison loved. He was a keen gardener himself, and Innes, who designed parts of his Friar Park, hopes she portrays this little-known side. | The show garden in memory of the late Beatle depicts each era of his life, involving more than 300 species, including the ferns, mosses and shady areas which Harrison loved. He was a keen gardener himself, and Innes, who designed parts of his Friar Park, hopes she portrays this little-known side. |
| The garden depicts his life from boyhood, through the psychedelic 1960s, his spirituality and afterlife. The gathering crowds | The garden depicts his life from boyhood, through the psychedelic 1960s, his spirituality and afterlife. The gathering crowds |
| Ms Innes points to last year's homage to Carl Linnaeus, the 18th Century botanist whose system for naming organisms is widely used today. It gave her more impetus for the Harrison garden. Also last year, Iggy Pop's Lust for Life was the inspiration for a garden reflecting the optimism the designers saw in the music. | Ms Innes points to last year's homage to Carl Linnaeus, the 18th Century botanist whose system for naming organisms is widely used today. It gave her more impetus for the Harrison garden. Also last year, Iggy Pop's Lust for Life was the inspiration for a garden reflecting the optimism the designers saw in the music. |
| But Ms Innes is not sure whether overtly biographical gardening will take off with the Chelsea crowd. | But Ms Innes is not sure whether overtly biographical gardening will take off with the Chelsea crowd. |
| Gardeners Lizzie and Christine admiring A Journey to Work for its practicality, its sense of peace and "because it's an English garden". | Gardeners Lizzie and Christine admiring A Journey to Work for its practicality, its sense of peace and "because it's an English garden". |
| But the design is a long way from their own approach to planting. "I'm wildlife oriented, so my garden reflects that," says Lizzie. "I love natural life and mine's a natural garden. Anything which is good for the birds and insects adds to the function and reflects what I like." | But the design is a long way from their own approach to planting. "I'm wildlife oriented, so my garden reflects that," says Lizzie. "I love natural life and mine's a natural garden. Anything which is good for the birds and insects adds to the function and reflects what I like." |
| Me-time | Me-time |
| Ms Innes says making use of even limited outside space in urban areas is important to most of us, which is perhaps why the commuter garden strikes such a chord. Childhood memories for Kazuyuki Ishihara | Ms Innes says making use of even limited outside space in urban areas is important to most of us, which is perhaps why the commuter garden strikes such a chord. Childhood memories for Kazuyuki Ishihara |
| And the gold medal winner in the Urban Garden category receives a lot of attention from impressed Londoners. Kazuyuki Ishihara's Midori No Tobira - which translates The Green Door - paints his memory of a secret rooftop hiding place he used as a child. | And the gold medal winner in the Urban Garden category receives a lot of attention from impressed Londoners. Kazuyuki Ishihara's Midori No Tobira - which translates The Green Door - paints his memory of a secret rooftop hiding place he used as a child. |
| It is covered in moist, cool mosses that are very tactile. The garden is small enough to seem child-like, while containing a space big enough for any metropolitan adult to enjoy some me-time. | It is covered in moist, cool mosses that are very tactile. The garden is small enough to seem child-like, while containing a space big enough for any metropolitan adult to enjoy some me-time. |
| But how can amateurs begin to bring our own lives into our garden? "Think about what you like in your life, or about what you don't like, and take it from there," Ms Innes says. "Do you like yellows? Or long leaves? What do you like to do in your space?" | But how can amateurs begin to bring our own lives into our garden? "Think about what you like in your life, or about what you don't like, and take it from there," Ms Innes says. "Do you like yellows? Or long leaves? What do you like to do in your space?" |
| Whether you reflect on your own afterlife - as in the George Harrison garden - is up to you. | Whether you reflect on your own afterlife - as in the George Harrison garden - is up to you. |
| Is there a plant, scuplture or anything else in your garden -or your window box - that says something about you? Send us a photo and a brief explanation. E-mail yourpics@bbc.co.uk, subject GARDEN, or MMS to 61124 (UK) or +44 7725 100100 (international). Click here here for terms and conditions.Return to top |