An insider's view into designing and building a garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Chronicling Chelsea

Here’s an idea

Why not come up with a design for a garden, for something you’ve never tried out before and therefore you don’t know if it is even completely possible, using plants that may not even flower? Then commit to building it in 19 days, and at the end of all of this, showing it to the public? Oh, and not forgetting to put yourself and your design skills at the mercy of judges who will decide, in their wisdom, whether your garden merits a medal of any colour? Does any of the above sound like a good idea to you?

I was reminded of this no-brainer of a question as I walked round the Malvern Spring Festival early one morning last week, as designers with queasy expressions fled from us, the judges, as we approached each garden.

Possibly one of the worst parts of making one of these show gardens is the realisation that you’ve now handed over for public scrutiny that precise thing which has a.consumed your thoughts for a whole year and b.consumed your energies totally for the last month. Surviving on adrenaline with only a few hours’ sleep each night, your mission is to bring to life that one great idea that you truly hope is still original, exciting and capable of transporting the garden visitor - whether they’re seeing it in real life, or via the television or though a photo - into your mind, into your vision.

I’ll be telling you more about the judging process later on in this series; for now, let me take you to the showground of The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, where I was building a show garden for Wedgwood: