Chelsea Flower Show
Following the creation of a test flower border in the vegetable garden at Great Dixter, Luciano Giubbilei and I collaborated on the planting of his third Chelsea Flower Show main avenue garden, in 2014. His geometric design allocated space for two large rectangular flower tapestries. Inspired by a story told to Luciano by fashion designer Paul Smith, about a squeeze of lemon, we took on the challenge of creating a plant palette with plentiful yellows. A memorable scheme which was complimented and cooled by creams, pale lilacs and the greys within the garden’s stonework.
The strength of Luciano’s garden required to be balanced by a heft in the planting, and so muscular and architectural foliage plants such as rodgersia and lupins were laid out in bold groups, together with clean lines of Siberian iris foliage and masses of texture; the inclusion of Bowles’ golden grass cast a gossamer haze through the composition.
JH ~February 2024
Photography by Andrew Montgomery