Sonya's Travels - Chelsea Flower Show 2021
"At last Chelsea 2021! Last year it was cancelled - this year delayed by several months, so you can imagine how excited I was to finally get there! My daughters Em and Rachael came along with me. I’m secretly hoping they follow in my green footsteps one day. The first ever autumn Chelsea Flower Show featured the brand new Houseplant Studios, so this is where we headed to first to investigate."
(For those of you who don’t know - Sonya is our Poplar Houseplants manager and has a particular passion for these beautiful indoor plants. Sonya regularly travels to shows and gardens of interest all over the country and features in our Poplar blogs)
The Green Room. Designer Ian Drummon of Indoor Garden Design
Sponsored by: @malverngardenbuildings
Awarded Gold Medal
Visitors could escape the hustle and bustle of the show into this plant-filled retreat. There they could find themselves gently swinging in a suspended seat surrounded by the trailing root systems of orchids, air plants and macramé plant hangers with a carpet of mosses underfoot. A potting bench was illuminated by a grow light, which can be used to boost light levels for prize specimens during the darker months.
"Bling, bling and more bling! This garden room was full of colour and sparkle, from it’s disco balls to it’s neon lights. Not surprisingly this one was the girls favourite. The building looked to be suspended by a giant pink macrame hanger - hilarious and imaginative.
Look out in store for some Chelsea inspired macrame plant hangers from Chloe @thecoppercacti."
Celebrate Autumn With Houseplants. Designer N1 Garden Centre, @paulholt
Awarded Gold Medal and Best Houseplant Studio
Intended to inspire a plant-styling refresh in people’s homes, this autumn themed studio was created using a palette of the season’s colours to evoke comfort and warmth. Natural, sustainable materials were mixed with lush, soft foliage as well as vibrant and variegated plants.
"This garden room had some absolutely stunning houseplants with an autumnal theme running throughout. It brought in a wonderful mix of textures and natural materials, some you might already have around your home and items like the seasonal squash and pine cones you could forage or even grow. The overall effect was warm and cosy with lots of lovely green from the plants."
Click the link below to view the Celebrate Autumn With Houseplants video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B4VdJ8NU30
Pharmacy Of Houseplants. Designer The Edible Bus Stop
Sponsored by: @patchplants
Awarded Silver Gilt Medal
This immersive studio suggested a contemporary interpretation of a traditional pharmacy with interior plants set out as healing products on display cabinets.
"The pharmacy sparkled with clean clear glass, reflecting the surroundings through mirrors making the Studio feel much bigger than it actually was. Beautifully presented without a leaf out of place! The plants were very neat and uniform, in matching white pots with white gravel, from succulents to palms.
On the back wall there were many different glass receptacles with plants of various stages of rooting. This was fascinating seeing how all sorts of houseplants can be propagated at home."