News

The Chelsea Flower Show and Beth's Legacy

 

The Chelsea Flower Show and Beth's Legacy

Setting off for the Chelsea Flower Show


This year’s Chelsea Flower Show will run from Tuesday 24th May until Saturday 28th, returning to its traditional format following last years autumn show. The show brings together world-renowned garden designers and specialist nurseries and florists.

Garden designers have been encouraged to ‘bring nature back’ and ‘embrace the wild’, so expect to see naturalistic, wildlife friendly gardens bursting with native species.

In 1977, Beth began exhibiting at The Chelsea Flower Show, going on to win 10 consecutive gold medals, significantly increasing public interest in her nursery ‘Unusual Plants’ and her ecological approach to gardening. Beth’s show gardens were unlike anything else at Chelsea at the time, showcasing many species plants presented in their natural habitats. Beth’s use of native species, at a time when bedding plants and highly-bred flowers were the norm, raised a few eyebrows. One judge even wanted Beth disqualified, claiming all the plants were weeds!



The Chelsea Flower Show and Beth's Legacy

Beth in 1979 with her third Gold medal


Here's an extract, taken from the Garden Notebook, where Beth writes about preparations for the Chelsea Flower Show in 1988.

‘Around us the marquee was filling as more and more exhibitors were arriving and quietly unpacking; everyone was totally absorbed in the final stages of this most important gardening event of the year. Whether hauling full-grown trees and shrubs or exotic orchids, there was the same degree of caring, concern, consultation and relief as the teams worked together and the designs took shape; everyone doing their damnedest out of love for their plants.’

                                     Beth Chatto- Garden Notebook



The Chelsea Flower Show and Beth's Legacy

Beth and her team creating a show garden at Chelsea in 1986


The Chelsea Flower Show and Beth's Legacy

A garden created by Beth showcasing damp-loving plants

 

The Chelsea Flower Show is a great platform for showcasing leading garden design, new plants and more importantly, the perfect opportunity to discuss pressing subjects such as climate change, and how the horticultural world can help mitigate these effects through sustainable planting and water conservation, for example. Beth’s time at Chelsea helped to influence people’s plant choices with her ethos of ‘right plant right place’.

Beth decided to stop doing Chelsea when she was at her peak - so that she could spend more time concentrating on her own Garden here in Essex. She went on to create both the woodland and iconic Gravel Garden where her skill as a plantswoman and artistic vision is clearly demonstrated.

 

The Chelsea Flower Show and Beth's Legacy

Beth's iconic Gravel Garden in May

 

Garden designer Dan Pearson writes about his memories of Beth at Chelsea and the influence she had on him and others. To read the full article, click here.

If you study Chelsea today, it is easy to overlook the influence she had on the industry of nurserymen and designers. The ‘unusual plants’ that were her palette are no longer so, and the way in which they were combined naturalistically on her stands has become the status quo. Rare now are the perfect bolts of upright lupins and highly-bred, colourful perennials, not so the mingled informality of plants that are closely allied to the native species, many of which had their origins at her nursery.

                                                      Dan Pearson- Garden Designer.


Written by Leanne Crozier

The Chelsea Flower Show and Beth's Legacy

The Chelsea Flower Show and Beth's Legacy

Comments

* required field
Related Articles
Manoj Malde-talk and book signing
Manoj Malde-talk and book signing

We were delighted to welcome garden designer, writer and presenter Manoj Malde to the garden for a talk and book signing.

READ ARTICLE
3rd June 2024 IN News
Colchester Meanwhile Garden
Colchester Meanwhile Garden

Find out about the first stage of an exciting project taking shape in Colchester city centre.

READ ARTICLE
3rd January 2024 IN News
A year in the garden- 2023
A year in the garden- 2023

A round up of the year by the garden team.

 
READ ARTICLE
12th December 2023 IN News
 
COMPARISON BASKET COMPARE

You are now leaving Beth Chatto's Plants & Gardens to access the Beth Chatto Education Trust website.

Stay on current site
Continue to Education Trust site