Spring celebrated at RHS Cardiff
The 2019 RHS Cardiff Flower Show, supported by Brewin Dolphin, got Spring off to a flying start, celebrating in style, with the first major outdoor event of the year.
First-time designer Digeo Carrillo who teamed up with Smartscape Cardiff to design and build ‘Nature’s Takeover‘ (Silver-Gilt) was awarded the top title of Best Show and Best Regeneration Garden as well as Best Garden Construction, while Andy’s Air Plants (Gold) won the Best Exhibit in the Floral Marquee. The featured RHS Master Grower was R&A Scamp Quality Daffodils.
‘Nature’s Takeover’, (pictured above with designer) illustrated the simple beauty of nature. Planted elements were left to grow untamed and appear as if they may reclaim the garden space, while a reduced palette of new and recycled materials defined the backdrop allowing the plant shapes and textures to stand out.
Heronsbridge School: ‘A Reading Room for a Rebel Girl‘, (Silver) designed by Anthea Guthrie was inspired by Bedtime Stories for a Rebel Girl and featured prehistoric ferns and mosses to set the tone for this garden depicting the open minds of rebel girls and the importance of reading widely.
‘The Perennial Garden‘, (pictured above) designed by Peter Donegan (Silver) marked the 180th anniversary of Perennial, with a garden designed to look beyond the polished exterior and imagine what challenges its owner or creator in a world dominated by social media. The garden was a first for Perennial at RHS Cardiff and for Peter, the first Irish designer to have a show garden there. This garden is significant in that a wide section of the horticultural industry came together to support it.
Peter said it had been an honour to design the garden to celebrate the 180th anniversary and to have been accepted by the RHS to see the garden come to life: “When you consider that the planting team included Cherry Carmen and Andrew Fisher Tomlin and then remember who was constructing that picture, you do really have to pinch yourself,” he said. Constructed by Ed Burnham of Burnham Landscaping with support from CED Natural Stone and Oxford Planters and plants from Hortus Loci, Peter’s garden will hopefully live on as it is being donated to Veterans’ Growth. (pictured above, Peter on the garden with Ed Burnham)
Bronze went to Brent Purtell: ‘The Xardin Urban Gallery‘ recreated a small urban park in the heart of a city. In the Plant Village, Best Exhibit went to Harts Nursery: Lilies, spring and summer flowering bulbs (5 flower award). The Wheelbarrow competition was won by Christ the King Catholic Primary.
Thousands of visitors turned out to the Welsh capital’s Bute Park for a fantastic weekend of spring gardening making 2019 one of the best RHS Cardiff Flower Shows ever.
Photographs strictly ©Tim Howell. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimHowellX
