by Sarah Goodall
photos by Hannibal Reitano
The Were eight Show Gardens, five fresh gardens and nine Artisan Gardens, with more than a hundred floral displays, this was the 2017 RHS Flower Show at it best, once more sponcer by M7G investments.
Show Garden Gold Winners included the M&G Garden by James Basson, the Darwin Property Investment Management: Breaking Ground Garden by Andrew Wilson and Gavin McWilliam, the Royal Bank of Canada Garden by Charlotte Harris and the Linklaters Garden for Maggie’s by Daren Hawkes.
Most coveted was the award for Best Show Garden which very deservedly this year went to James Basson for his M&G garden, themed on a Maltese quarry, based on the healing qualities of nature and that of the gardener to combat the affect of excavation.
The best in Artisan Garden category went to Graham Bodle with Walker’s Wharf, a creation that depicted the great British backwater.
Graham Bodle took the Best Artisan Garden award for Walker's Wharf, a sensitively detailed industrial relic evocative of many a British backwater. Bodle transformed the space into a calm green oasis using evergreens and naturalistic planting with the lightest of touches.
The Gold Award in the Artisan Garden category went to Gosho No Niwa No Wall, No War by Kazuyuki Ishihara, the IBTC Lowestoft: Broadland Boatbuilder's Garden by Gary Breeze.the Seedlip Garden by Dr Catherine MacDonald, the Viking Cruises Garden of Inspiration by Sarah Eberle and the World Horse Welfare Garden by Adam Woolcott and Jonathan Smith
The best Fresh Garden was won by Kate Gould for a brilliant city garden on three levels, crammed with everything an urban garden could wish for.. And Gold in this category was won by Mind Trap sponsored by idverde designed by Ian Price
There were plenty of green ecological aspects to this year’s show which included Professor Nigel Dunnett’s greening Britain garden set in the theme of high rise apartment blocks and a sensory discover your senses garden in the Great Pavilion.
Celebrities visited throughout the day and included Dame Joan Collins, Dame Judy Dench, Mary Berry, Kelly Brook, Hugh Bonneville
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| Chelsea Flower Show 2017 Daytime VIP Private View |
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| The Silk Road Chengdu Garden |
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| Rolls Royce Phantom II, The Poshest Ice Van I had ever seen |
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| You Know you are in the right neighbourhood when this ice cream van arrive |
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| Stefan Barlett and Philip Treacy |
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| Brendan Cole and Zoe Hoobs |
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| Samantha Bond |
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| Lulu Evans and Hugh Bonneville |
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| Natalie Coyle and Zafar Rushdie |
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| Sophie Raworth |
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| Mary McCartney |
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| H.R.H The Duchess of Cambridge and Sir Nicholas Bacon |
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| H.R.H The Duchess of Cambridge |
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| H.M Queen Elizabeth II |
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| H.M Queen Elizabeth II and Mary Berry |
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| Mary Berry and Kelly Brook |
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| Hannibal Reitano and Kelly Brook |
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| Ewan Venters |
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| Sir Tim Rice |
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| Ros Brown and Ron Dennis |
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| Percy Gibson, Dame Joan Collins and Hannibal Reitano |
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| Dame Judi Dench and Hannibal Reitano |
