Breath-taking florals, award-winning cacti and swarms of our favourite celebrities. The RHS Chelsea Flower Show has it all, but there was one unexpected star this year that had everybody buzzing.
Every year, we visit the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and come away with our very own best in show gardens. And while we were certainly turning our heads celebrity spotting and viewing the magnificent show gardens, there was one addition this year that particularly captured our attention. And not just us, it was hard to miss the buzz this unexpected star created amongst all the attendees at this year's Press Day.
Nestled into the surrounding plants in The Campaign to Protect Rural England Garden: 'On the Edge' was a sleeping Mother Nature. And while the garden itself is seriously impressive, hence why it was awarded the 'RHS Chelsea Garden of the Year', the lesser-known details surrounding the sculpture will blow you away.
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Designed by Sarah Eberle, an internationally renowned landscape designer, the garden marks CPRE’s centenary (Campaign to Protect Rural England), and shines a light on the threatened countryside that fringes towns and cities. These areas are often overlooked, forgotten and fragile, but they are vital in connecting the public to nature in their everyday lives.
Under the constant threat of development and neglect, it’s important to prioritise these pockets of countryside, and that’s exactly what the ‘Edgelands’ garden is calling for.
And what better statement than a larger-than-life, breathtaking sculpture of Mother Nature herself. One look at this slumbering piece of art and it's clear why it quickly became the star of the show, creating an immediate buzz for everyone who had the pleasure of visiting her.
The sculpture wasn't just magnificent to look at; its creation and the surrounding garden are just as interesting.
Just the head of Mother Nature weighs two tonnes, with the rest of the torso weighing in at a further three tonnes, and her arm alone being one and a half tonnes. It also measures at a whopping 7 metres by 3 metres.
A heavy piece that symbolises a heavy issue, it truly took your breath away to see the sheer size of the piece so peacefully nestled at the beginning of the show garden avenue.
Made from redwood and other timbers, all the materials were sourced from trees grown and felled in the UK for unrelated purposes. One being a hospital construction project, so even the wood it's created from has been given a new life.
To add to the impressiveness, the head and torso were crafted by competitive chainsaw artist Chris Wood. The flowing hair was woven by renowned willow artist Tom Hare, and the dry-stone 'body' was created by award-winning wallers Lydia and Bert Noble. It is truly a product of master craftsmanship.
Although it might not be the new garden trend for summer, it's no surprise this mammoth sculpture caught the attention of every attendee. It certainly succeeded at starting a conversation around protecting our edgelands and the importance of encouraging native plants, landscapes and wildlife.
The garden, which the sculpture gently wraps around, is equally mesmerising and features nearly 3,000 perennials, shrubs and trees, all supplied by the UK's leading specialist nurseries. If you're looking for a reason to switch to perennials, then look no further.
The woman&home team and I weren't the only ones in awe of the garden; many celebrities and gardening experts naturally flocked to the garden to see what all the fuss was about.
From King Charles to Judi Dench, Mother Nature was visited by every kind of royalty at Press Day, with I'm sure thousands more people awaiting their turn in the following days of the show.
Get your garden RHS ready
If you're heading to Chelsea this week, we've got some insider tips to ensure you make the most out of your visit and stay comfortable all day long.
