In 1985, Chris Baines created the first ever wildlife garden at Chelsea... Apparently it caused quite a stir - wildflowers in those days were often dismissed as 'weeds'...
In 1985, Chris Baines created the first ever wildlife garden at the Chelsea Flower Show. Apparently it caused quite a stir - wildflowers in those days were often dismissed as 'weeds' - and his medal was mistakenly inscribed "Chris Baines, for a wildfire garden".
Now, 26 years later, the gardens at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show are awash not just with wildflowers, but with green roofs, ponds, streams and insect habitats. Indeed, these are such great gardens for wildlife, that on Sunday morning a couple of ducks were found in Ann Marie Powell's British Heart Foundation Garden and a frog was sat in the stream of the SKYShades Garden. When I arrived on Sunday, everything was buzzing with the sound of honey and bumblebees foraging on the variety of nectar and pollen on offer.
My favourite was the RBC New Wild Garden, designed by Nigel Dunnet, where there wasn't a weed in sight. Instead, urban dry stone walls incorporating insect habitats were surrounded by penstemons, geums, thrift, salvia, geraniums and scabious, against a backdrop of a green-roofed garden office and serene water pools.
I also liked the SKYShades Garden, designed by Marney Hall. Her garden depicted a range of wildlife habitats, including hedgerow and woodland planting schemes. There was also a gorgeous sculpture of two boxing hares.
Even more traditional ornamental gardens featured relaxed, wildlife-friendly planting. Cleve West's Daily Telegraph Garden was made using reclaimed Cotswold stone and yew hedging, along with nectar-rich plants including achillea, astrantia, erigeron and verbascums.
And, thanks to the warm, dry spring, the usual stalwarts of Chelsea - alliums and irises to name two - were few and far between. Instead, lavender, salvias, red valerian and geums took centre stage, bringing a hot, summery feel to the show.
Will you be visiting Chelsea? What will you make a beeline for?
View our Chelsea 2011 image gallery.
View our Chelsea exhibitors image gallery.
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