Chris Beardshaw's Garden

An Englishmans Retreat

Multi award-winning Chelsea Flower Show designer Chris Beardshaw has designed and will build the largest ever exhibition garden in the 15-year history of the Ellerslie International Flower Show at this year’s Show.

Stretching 12 metres across the shore of Victoria Lake, it will extend 64 metres into the showgrounds and is guaranteed to be a real show-stopper, says Ellerslie International Flower Show Exhibition Manager Kate Hillier.

“With almost 10,000 plants, including 4500 annuals and 3000 herbaceous plants, this magnificent English garden will have loads of colour and plenty of fragrance, making it a real feast for all the senses.”

Chris Beardshaw is renowned for his formal English garden designs, having won nine Gold and Silver Gilt Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) medals, as well as many Best in Show and People’s Choice Awards and the coveted RHS Tudor Rose Award.

He says his Ellerslie 2010 garden will be positioned between two grand Poplar trees on the shore of Victoria Lake, borrowing from the surrounding landscape to make the garden look like it goes on forever.

The garden will have multiple viewpoints but one main axis.

“You will stand with your toes being tickled by the herbaceous perennials looking west through a formal garden with a grand lawn leading down to a Victorian portico with classical references.

“The borders will be 3.6 metres wide, punctured with trees and shrubs so as you look towards the lake there will be a kind of rhythm in the way the structure unfolds. Underneath will be a swath of tapestry planting combinations.

“The first section will be hedged and then opening through wrought iron gates the garden will feature plants usually found in bright, sunny regions and lead up to the portico with potted palms and citrus fruits.”

Chris says in the open-sided portico there will be sculpture and tender exotics. The portico will lead on to the second part of the garden which will be more informal.

“A close mown lawn will lead down to the edge of the lake. On either side, long grass will be peppered with perennial wildflowers and punctured with topiaried trees and informal plantings of rhododendrons, camellias, Japanese maples and ferns. This section of the garden will be more relaxed and less contrived.”