Chelsea Live 2012 - Duel and the Crown

Here it is - the Hillier Exhibit 2012, we hope you enjoy this as much as we all have in creating it.

PRESS AND MEDIA; Please credit Hillier Nurseries and Garden Centres 2012 if you use any of our images in any publications - click each image for a high res version; these are 4-5Mb.

Want to see more:

  here's a downloadable  'pdf. document of this page, and our Flikr photostream is here

 The Organicstone Cabochon pathway to the monument leads through soft and sharp planting surrounding Harlequin paved terraces displaying permanent planting for pots. The roses in shades of warm and delicate pink include ‘England’s Rose’ and ‘Ballerina’ These contrast in form and texture with astelias, phormiums and cordylines.  Gun metal grey silhoutttes of fencers in action frame the picture. The exquisite bronze maquette ‘Fencing’ by Sue Freeborough is the focal point.

The laser cut silhouettes of fencers made especially for “Duel and the Crown” were developed with the help of sculptor Tom Stogdon, responsible for “Ammonite” a work in slate at the other end of the exhibit. The silhouettes carry the theme when there is no live fencing action on the piste. They leap from vibrant planting including Rhododendron ‘ Albert Schweitzer’ Rhododendron ‘Kabarett’ and Cordyline ‘Southern Splendour’.

The pots set on harlequin paving are from the RHS range by ‘Apta’. Planted with a selection of dwarf shrubs and perennials they demonstrate the colour and interest you can achieve in gardens of any size by using permanently planted subjects.  Grouping pots together is effective and helps to reduce the need for watering. 

A lovely new herbaceous perennial for a dry, sunny, situation, Verbascum ‘Blue Lagoon’ shines against the fragrant lilac flowers of Syringa ‘Red Pixie’. The soft blue flowers with violet eyes are a new colour break in verbascums and are sure to be a show stealer at Chelsea 2012.

A rust coloured urn planted with Phormium ‘Tricolor’ is a strong focal point amidst pretty, mixed planting which includes the clotted cream blooms of Rhododendron ‘Canon’s Double’. The salmon pink partly open flowers of Rosa ‘Princess Alexandra of Kent’ are shown to advantage against the rusty hues of Acer palmatum ‘Jerre Schwartz’. Pale blue Iris ‘Jane Phillips’ and Digitalis ‘Sutton’s Apricot’ give vertical height in the foreground

Choisya ‘Aztec Gold’ bred by Alan Postill and launched at Chelsea 2012 shines beneath a tunnel of arches of Hedera colchica ‘Sulphur Heart.  The golden fragrant flowers of Genista ‘Porlock’ intensify the colour while the finely cut foliage of Acer ‘Emerald Lace’ veils and softens the underplanting. Shots of sapphire blue Ceanothus ‘Concha’ are a pleasing contrast and help lead the eye to the monument – sometimes hidden but this year a real feature of the Hillier exhibit.

A forest pool surrounded by green and white planting of Amelanchier canadensis, Cornus controversa ‘Variegata’, Cornus alternifolia ‘Argentea and white barked birches is the setting for “Ammonite” a striking sculpture in slate. The underplanting includes moisture loving perennials such as Gunnera manicata, iris, hostas and primulas

and the team that made it all possible:

 Thanks to Nigel Roman - a key member of our staging team for this Time Lapse series of images of one of the pools