The Daily Telegraph sunken garden has won best show garden at the Chelsea Flower Show for 2011. Michael Balston, chair of judges for the Show Garden panel said: ‘It is a very interesting use of space. The garden has great openess but at the same time is contained architecturally by wonderful concrete columns. It is also contained by some beautiful planting, and oversailed by fine Sophora.
‘There are many carefully thought-out and unexpected details such as the canal that is crossed by an unconventional bridge made of rocks. The water flows through the rocks over which one can walk into the next section of the garden.’
* Subscribe to Country Life and save 40%
The Daily Telegraph Garden was also awarded a gold medal, along with B&Q, Fáilte Ireland, Laurent-Perrier, Leeds City Council, the Principality of Monaco, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, and Tourism Malaysia.
Country Life and Cavendish Stone’s stand at Chelsea
Country Life’s stand at Chelsea has also been awarded a commendation this year. Stand RHW18, shared with Cavendish Stone, features a formal garden setting ornamented by a variety of Cavendish Stone’s life-sized animal sculptures. Judges said it was a remarkable achievement to win this commendation given it’s Cavendish Stone’s first year at the show, and Country Life was making its return after a gap of some years.