We were delighted to be given the opportunity to support not one, but two gardens at the famous Chelsea Flower Show! Our Communications Officer, Cat, headed over to the show to see the gardens in person, and experience the world’s biggest flower show first hand!
It’s been a year in the making, but we were finally going to get to see the Chelsea Flower Show Gardens in person! Being my first time ever at Chelsea, I was blown away when I walked in and went through the Great Pavilion in the heart of the showground. It was filled with so much colour, floral art and exhibits with never before seen plants! That was just the beginning, as I wandered past some of the most innovative gardens in the world and headed towards the two I was really there to see…
Seeing the gardens for the first time, it was easy to see why BOTH gardens not only won gold medals but also best gardens in their respective categories!
The Blue Mind Garden, in the balcony and container category, was a calming oasis! Ripple-effect metal cladding mimicked the flow of water, reflecting light in wave-like forms. A water feature created soothing sounds beside a reflective pool, and the plants were all coastal flora in muted blue and green tones. It was great to watch people experience the garden, hearing how they felt a genuine sense of calm as they stood taking it all in! It really did emulate the calming effects that the Ocean, and water, has on humans and our wellbeing.
Heading over to the Seawilding Garden, in the All About Plants category, it was clear that people had flocked to see this award winning garden! A viewing window at the front gave a glimpse into the underwater world that our team had built. For the first time ever, Chelsea Flower Show was featuring seagrass, and people were excited by it, so it was difficult to get a look in because of the crowds! But, I was one of the lucky ones able to enter the garden, head up the sandstone step path and relax in the rocky seating area, a delightful reprieve from the hustle and bustle of Chelsea!
It was great to spend the day having enriching conversations, about the importance of habitats like seagrass, and the importance of the Ocean for human’s wellbeing and the planet! Here’s hoping the Ocean is included in more world famous events like this, so we can continue to share our vision of a healthy, thriving Ocean far and wide!