Andy Sturgeon Returns to RHS Chelsea
Andy is returning to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2027 with a show garden designed for Child Bereavement UK and Project Giving Back.
Dominated by three monolithic mud walls, this garden is unashamedly low tech without being rustic. Counterbalanced by an 18m pool framed by crisp rammed concrete walls there are steps and layers within the garden which define a series of seating spaces and paths. Linearity is banished with the articulation of the built form bringing a dynamism and sense of movement to the garden. Gentle cascades tipping into the water animate the space and there are views and vignettes in all directions. Sittable walls and seats make for a variety of sociable space and places to be alone. The textural planting is hugely reliant on a variety of textures and colours in the foliage which range from fresh vibrant green to darker dark greens, greys and blues. Punctuated by flowers erupting through the mounds and spiky Yucca bring an air of the exotic.
ANDY SAYS:
This garden for child bereavement uk will be my 11th garden at Chelsea and I wanted to work with this amazing charity as they have supported My own family in the past.
The Cancer Research Garden RHS Chelsea 2010 Best in Show and Gold Medal
In a way this garden completes a set. I first did a drought tolerant garden at Chelsea in 2010 using mediterranean shrubs and in 2016 I really focused on climate change by using plants of the future which I thought one day might tolerate drought, heat and winter wet. But that day has come in only 10 years so my 2027 garden is in some way a recognition of where we have arrived: extreme winter wet and extreme summer dought.
Planting for Andy Sturgeon Chelsea Flower Show 2016 _ The Telegraph Garden _ Best in Show and Gold Medal
I’ve been experimenting with this resilient plant palette for over 3 years at our farm in East Sussex, planting into sand and gravel and even into clay to learn what can cope with environmental extremes. And now, I’m taking this learning to Chelsea with exciting plants from the Americas including yuccas from Mexico, plants from California and Chile, the Medierranean basin and even Australia.
Check back here for more news on the garden as we build up to the show.
