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Driest County: Floral Bounty
RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2008
Silver-Gilt Lindley Winner
 

Driest County: Floral Bounty

Chelsea2008 team
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Writtle College in association with Essex County Council is creating a corner of a traditional Essex flower garden as the basis of our interpretation of the brief provided by the RHS, which is 'Climate change and its effects on gardens and gardeners'.

With the use of traditional materials, such as black feather edged timber, rustic red brick and local flint, we are hoping to give the impression of a timeless cottage style flower garden.

The garden will have a central water feature with a retractable cover to illustrate how the harvesting, storage and re-use of water can be integrated in to a decorative setting.

The planting will be the most important indicator of climate change, and rather than go for a dry garden or xeriscape approach we want to reflect a more floriferous and lush feel that is synonymous to a traditional cottage garden.

Historically significant plants such as the red common field poppy and blue cornflower will be planted alongside tender and semi tender perennials and shrubs such as ornamental Salvia spp.

This will show how gardens and gardeners may be required to adjust their cultivation and soil management techniques to adapt to the warmer winters, drier summers and unpredictable rainfall.

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Download the 2008 leaflet
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