Joe Swift created a Chelsea garden where wood and wood tones take center stage. The structures are beautifully finished modern arches of layered cedar wood. I would love to know how well they would weather in a real garden.
The stonework is interesting as well. The garden features large boulders that have been horizontally sliced to enhance their natural texture and increase their interest. (I might have to give this a try sometime as this is a really interesting feature if you ask me)
Verbascum petra
Centaurea phoenix hybrids Red
Bergenia Overture
Pittosporum tobira nanum
A diagonal layout helps to make the long narrow space that chelsea gardens tend to occupy seem bigger while also changing the sightlines through the garden and breaking up the space into separate areas.
Joe Swift’s Chelsea Garden Plant List
Trees
Cornus mas multi-stemmed
Arbutus
London Plane tree
Prunus Amber Queen
Shrubs
Pittosporum tobira nanum
Grevillea
Dodonaea viscosa purpurea
Myrtus communis
Myrtus tarantina
Westringia fruticosa
Westringia longifolia
Hedging
Yew
Roses
Rose Tuscany Superb
Bulbs
Allium nigrum
Allium obliquum
Nectaroscordum siculum
Perennials
Geum Werner Arends
Euphorbia dixter
Euphorbia pasteurii Roundway Titan
Euphorbia polychroma purpurea
Euphorbia mellifera
Iris Langport Wren
Bergenia Overture
Libertia grandiflora
Libertia perigrinans
Phlomis russeliana
Tellima grandiflora
Alchemilla erythropoda
Centaurea phoenix hybrids red
Verbascum petra
Foeniculum vulgare purpureum
Eremurus bungei
Acaena Copper Carpet
Sisyrinchium Quaint and Queer
Potentilla tongueii
Silene fimbriata
Asphodeline liburnica
Deschampsia cespitosa
Dianthus cruentis
Knautia macedonica
The plants here are meant to be suitable for a dry garden and in shades of orange yellow and burgundy….my personal favorite is the Verbascum ‘Petra’.
But the most interesting thing about this project is the overwhelmingly fast build. Check out this link to see how the construction went in just 4 days!
