Swedish garden wins Chelsea title

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A garden which fuses Swedish modernism with a traditional English cottage look has been named best show garden at this year's Chelsea Flower Show.

The Daily Telegraph-sponsored garden combined "cool lines with wonderful planting", manager Alex Baulkwill said.

The annual event has seen fewer entries than in previous years as recession-hit sponsors were forced to drop out.

However, the show has been a sell-out, with the Queen as well as stars of film, TV and music visiting on Monday.

Among them were Rod Stewart and his wife Penny Lancaster, Ringo Starr, Sienna Miller, Bill Nighy, Stephen Fry and Dame Helen Mirren.

Plasticine cake

Tuesday will be the first day on which members of the public can view the 42 gardens, including the creative, exotic and fragrant and the quirky.

BBC Top Gear presenter James May came up with the most unusual entry - a Paradise in Plasticine - in which petals, leaves, wildlife, even Koi carp and a Victoria sponge, are all created from the modelling material.

The perfume garden won an award for its creativity

"It's broken the mould. I don't think it's an insult to gardening - we're not trying to pass it off as a garden; it's taking its inspiration from gardens," said Mr May.

"It's relatively low-maintenance - Plasticine flowers don't die and you don't get weeds."

There was also a nod to the recession by designer Sarah Eberle who imagined three front gardens belonging to the impoverished artist, the off-shore dweller and the banker on gardening leave.

The most creative award was won by a perfume garden, designed by Laurie Chetwood and Patrick Collins.

Other awards include that for best courtyard garden - which went to Giles Landscapes for its alchemist's garden; Helios took best urban garden for its "eco chic" creation; the President's award went to Winchester Growers and the President's most creative award to the Cayman Islands department of tourism and Newington Nurseries.