Touring London's best gardens

Gardening Life’s Leah Weber toured the famous Chelsea Flower Show and Kew Gardens and discovered some wonderful surprises along the way

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EXCLUSIVE ONLINE DIARY

Leah's diary will help you to discover the best in design and flower trends from London, along with news and views on top gardening research and tips from overseas. Read on for garden news and design and flower trends from the gardening Mecca, along with Leah’s insider views, anecdotes and insights.

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## CHELSEA Part 2: THE GARDEN EXHIBITS ## EVEN MORE FAVOURITE THINGS ABOUT CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW! It’s another sunny and warm day in London. It’s the 4th day of the Chelsea Flower show and like yesterday, thousands of people line the aisle-ways which are so worn that they are no longer grass but dirt. Because of the crowds, it takes patience maneuvering to get a good look at the display gardens, let alone a good picture angle! There are five main display garden categories. “Show Gardens” are the largest and can be viewed from three sides, their designs are more conceptual. “Chic Gardens” are smaller and their designs could be for a backyard. “City Gardens” are the same size but designed for a public space. “Courtyard Gardens” and “Roof Gardens” are even smaller with designs contingent on their respective space elements. A great deal of time, money and materials go into these displays (most credit a designer, sponsor and contractor) and an award is given to the best garden from each class. It’d be a tough job to judge these displays, as they are all spectacular. A common theme was the idea of the futuristic or space-age garden. 600 Days with Bradstone represented the personal space of an astronaut living on Mars for 600 days – (it could have been the a set for Star Wars!) Chetwoods Garden showed a huge metal sculpture powered by solar and wind powers and which was meant to represent flower petals but looked more like a spaceship! The Cardiff County Council’s display was a wartime garden juxtaposed with an ultra-modern garden and a telephone booth shared between the two to represent a connection between the two different eras. The notion of an eco-friendly garden (sounds like bit of an oxymoron) or sustainable garden was also touched upon by many exhibitors. The show’s main sponsor, Marshalls, (a landscape manufacturing corporation), displayed a sustainable garden complete with solar panels enclosed by tall crystal-like sculptures, a water recycling system, grass roof and vegetable garden. The Fetzer Winery (organic wine-makers) garden also showed water and soil conservation techniques while the Hamsmead Sand & Ice Garden used water efficient plants and trees to address the impact global warming has had on gardening. I found that a lot of the Chic, Rooftop, and Courtyard gardens used circular boarders to create a space ideal for seating or dining. I liked the Zen-like simplicity of Studio Lasso’s Garden of Transience and Un Tei's garden. Also, almost all gardens had water features in some way, shape, or form. Especially fun was the Children Society’s garden which featured a large jet of water sprayed against a wall. The inspiration was Iggy Pop’s song “Lust for Life”! Surrounding the exhibit plots are hundreds of vendors selling all sorts of products – not just pots and tools. From lawnmowers and fountains to garden ornaments and greenhouses to wheelbarrels and rubber boots – if it’s for the garden, it’s available at the Chelsea Flower Show. ## 5 of My Favourite Things from the Display Gardens and Vendors: The Cancer Research UK Garden– its 30-metre long, twisted sculpture made from oak is impressive as it runs the length of the entire garden. Sarah Price’s Bejewelled Garden for QVC – jewel toned irises mix with ornamental grasses and mirrors are cleverly used to reflect the water and plants. The Sun Chariot Rooftop Garden by DHL– its turning platform allows one to follow the rotation of the sun. Ecospace’s “ecocu3e” garden structure - an alternative to the covered porch for urban gardens that is preconstructed and portable. People walking around enjoying ice cream and PIMMS!! ## KEW GARDENS Part 2: A CANADIAN AT KEW! ## SEEING THE GARDEN FOR ITS TREES Before heading off to the Chelsea Flower show this afternoon, I’ve returned to Kew Gardens to see some of the areas I didn’t have time to visit yesterday. (The gardens close at 6:30 p.m., and last night as I scrambled to take one last picture at 6:24 p.m., a kindly security guard asked me to make my way out!) Walking through Kew’s Arboretum I found myself surrounded by older trees — some that date as far back as the 18th century — as well as newly planted rare specimens that are part of Kew’s conservation program. Along with varieties from Japan, Australia, the Middle East and South America, I was happy to find a red Sequoia tree from British Columbia! To illustrate how big this rainforest tree can grow, a 30-foot diametre circle surrounds the tree. It’s huge! Walking through to the hardwoods, I found myself in what appeared to be a maple tree grove. My national pride in the maple is great — the laneway of my family’s home is lined with dozens of maples. As well, I brought Canadian maple syrup to give to my U.K. friends while I’m here — so part of my search involved looking for a sugar maple from Canada. After examining several name plates and finding varieties from Norway, Japan and Malaysia, I decided to move on, surprised to find so many versions of Canada’s national tree. Kew does give a fairly significant nod to Canada in the form of a nearly 300-foot flagpole. It was hewn from a single Douglas fir trunk, which came all the way from Copper Canyon, B.C. (This picture shows the pole without its flag — the Union Jack is flown only for special occasions or when royalty visit). Unfortunately, woodpeckers and rot have taken their toll on this massive pole, so it’s actually in the process of being removed. According to the gatekeeper, Ben Wood (fitting name!), the extraction of such a tall flag pole is causing some logistical problems because the Kew workers don’t want to harm all the precious plants and trees surrounding it. Will Her Majesty be placing another order for an extra tall B.C. Douglas fir to replace this one? Let’s hope so! After visiting Temperate House and the Princess of Wales Conservatory, I left the gardens and walked through the neighborhood of Kew, with its cafes, classy shops and beautiful (expensive!) homes, to see the Kew Library and Archives. After seeing Kew Gardens, the plainness of this building leaves a lot to be desired. That said, it contains an enormous collection of information and research, so perhaps its appearance isn’t that important! With over a half a million items, the library and archives at Kew house one of the largest botanical collections in the world. Research done here supports the IPNI (International Plant Names Index) database — an international authority on botanical nomenclature. No doubt there’d be references to Canada’s indigenous varieties here! With all my pictures taken, I’m now off to the Chelsea Flower Show! ## CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW ## THE JOYS OF THE GREAT PAVILION AND MY 5 FAVOURITE EXHIBITS! Before I left to see the world-renowned Chelsea Flower Show, I consulted some friends who had attended it in previous years. I was warned that the show was “absolutely incredibly amazing…” and that no doubt I’d be overwhelmed with all there is to see. Setting out on a beautiful day and wearing my comfortable walking shoes, today was my first day at the flower show and—for a lack of words to describe it—it has been an incredibly amazing day! I was prepared to wait in line to enter, but luckily at 1 p.m., when I arrived, there wasn’t a queue, only a slow moving throng of people (slow because all bags had to be checked). From the entrance, looking down the main boulevard, all I could see was a sea of heads. An unbelieveable17,000 people attend the Chelsea show each year! To get down to business (and to get away from the amblers), I headed to the Great Pavilion first, where I spent the majority of my time. Covering seven acres, according to The Guinness Book of Records, Chelsea’s Great Pavilion is Britain’s largest tent! The 120 displays include booths dedicated to roof-top gardening, garden education and horticultural societies from all over the world. This area is also where specialty nurseries across the U.K. exhibit their finest plants and where they launch new varieties. What would be a flower show without roses? There were three main rose venders, all showcasing their latest products. Amongst walls of roses and tall arches covered by roses, the Peter Beales (“World Leaders in Classic Roses”) displayed a new shrub rose, a yellow rose and a fuchsia rose. Unfortunately, due to the legalities of shipping foreign vegetations, the Peter Beales roses are unavailable in Canada—perhaps not so worldly after all! However, I did get some good news for gardeners on the lookout for a new rose. The Harkness Roses are potentially sold in Canada (I’m to inquire with their office as to their Canadian availability, their sales rep wasn’t sure). Their tidy exhibit of rose bouquets showcased the Parky rose—a soft pearl rose “containing a scoop of petal in the loosely cupped form”, the Cherie rose—a vibrant red rose for Cherie Blair, the Carris rose—a scarlet coloured flower with the ability to re-bloom, and the Henrietta Barnett rose—a golden amber rose which gives off the scent of myrrh. I also found some others. The David Austin roses are most definitely sold in Canada. Specializing in older English varieties as well as modern varieties, their new roses are the Princess Alexandra of Kent—a pink, full-petal cupped rose (could almost pass for a peony!), the Clair Austin—a creamy white “concentric-cupped” rose, and the Munstead Wood—a large, dark crimson rose. Also sold in Canada are Raymond Evison Clematis. They are available at Sheridan Nurseries and Loblaws. Their new varieties include the Angelique, Parisienne, Picardy, and Cezanne, and all of which have been bred to be repeat flowering, ideal for growing in a container, and 120 feet after five years. Many of the nurseries at Chelsea sell seeds, so to get around “the no importing plants rule,” I purchased a few packets as souvenirs and gifts for friends. Besides, seeds are a lot easier to travel with! Generally, four packets cost £5. The salesman at “Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants” was a little taken back as I asked him to recommend seeds that were suitable for a cold (Canadian) climate! I ended up choosing Perennial Mix, Nigella, and Aquilegia. Without further ado, here are 5 of my favourite things from the Great Pavilion: 1. Exhibits of the many varieties of one flower, particularly the delphiniums, begonias, daffodils and lilies 2. The smell of hundreds and hundreds of flowers all together 3. The David Austin booth 4. Tall displays of strawberry varieties – my favourite fruit! 5. Displays featuring rare (bizarre-looking!) orchids and succulents I’ll return to the Chelsea Flower Show for one more day to explore the rest of the garden exhibits and product vendors! **Check out a panoramic view of the best of the show's gardens ** ## KEW GARDENS: BEAUTIFUL AND CUTTING EDGE I’ve arrived! Exhausted but excited to see the gardens in their spring glory, I decide to make my way to Kew Gardens in the southwest part of London, just a few hours after stepping off the plane. An ex-Londoner once described Kew as "sort of like Hamilton’s Royal Botanical Gardens, but the size of Toronto’s High Park [399 acres] with more buildings, more history…" — a good assessment but one that overlooks the fact it’s an internationally respected centre for education and botanical research and the public gardens also serve as test beds. In order to get a good sense of the grounds, I took a guided tour where I could hop on and hop off the motorized "train" at various locations throughout the site’s 300 acres. There are fascinating facts behind every one of Kew’s attractions — many of which were built for, or are dedicated to, members of the Royal Family who once lived on the property. Most notable are: the Temperate House, the largest surviving Victorian glass structure housing plants from subtropical and warm temperate regions of the world; the Palm House , another impressive glass house containing rainforest species; the Princess of Wales Conservatory featuring plants and trees from 10 different climatic zones; the Pagoda, a 10-story tower built in the style of a Japanese temple; and lastly, the Kew Palace, former home of King George III. With various ponds, several grand garden structures, restaurant and cafes, activities for children and art galleries, it comes as no surprise that there is also, (in the words of the tour guide) "Britain’s largest compost heap" at Kew. Complete with a viewing deck, the "Heap" is where the manure from the Royal stables ("Royal manure" if you will) is processed into fertilizer for the garden. One of Kew’s mandates is to preserve and protect vegetation. So I found it ironic that the carbon dioxide emissions from neighboring Heathrow’s air traffic, combined with other city pollutants, have had damaging effects on the garden’s species, particularly the Wallaby Pine tree, which is an already endangered variety. To get around the pollution problem, Kew has established two out-station gardens — one in Sussex and one in Kent. But after spending the day at Kew, I realize the airport’s noise pollution is possibly an even bigger problem. Almost each minute that I’m in the gardens, a jet drowns out the song birds (I know that sounds like an exaggeration, but it’s not) and I’m reminded that though the birds are surrounded by acres of natural paradise, the hectic city is not far beyond. In 2003, Kew Gardens was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list. Two years from now, in 2009, the Gardens will celebrate its 250th anniversary. For this event, plans for refurbishing the grounds and restoring some structures have been undertaken. Let’s hope that they can also get a handle on some of the pollution problems they face. Admission to the garden £12, guided tour £3. Be sure to check out our June web exclusives!

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