The gardens at Chelsea this year were as thought-provoking as they were gorgeous! Amongst the top trends were climate change, encouraging more wildlife, sustainability and gardening for mental and spiritual well-being.
Planting trends saw a peak in naturalistic, informal styles, trees being used for shade and so much structure and texture and a phrase we can get behind - maximalist planting.
If it’s one thing Toms Yard knows , it’s how to get the most out of your pots and here are 3 simple ways to fill your pots full of Chelsea!
Layered Planting
Combine tall, medium, and trailing plants in one pot. What caught your eye in your favourite Chelsea gardens. Maybe bring together
For example, pair a tall foxglove with mid-height Erysimum 'Apricot Twist' and trailing nasturtiums or if you’re feeling inspired by Jo Thompson’s Glasshouse Garden. Try planting a Rose in the centre of your pot, surrounded by Salvia, Geums or Veronica and under planted with Heuchera, Erigeron Karvinikus or our new favourite Nasturtium ‘ladybird rose’.
Color Themes Are Key
Choosing a colour palette is key when getting the most out of your pots. 2 RHS Chelsea Colour palettes that really caught our eye were -
Purple and yellow! (And we’re totally here for it) - Yellow is one of those colours that divides gardening opinion and featured everywhere at this years Chelsea. The Avanade Intelligent Garden by Tom Massey and Je Ahn executed this colour combo beautifully and The Songbird Survival had pretty shades of yellow Trollius sitting with lilac geraniums harmoniously so maybe it’s time to embrace yellow again!
Pastels and soft hues! - It seems this colour trend is going nowhere - cottage core, naturalistic, soft hues are really here to stay and we’re happy as they lend themselves so well to terracotta planting.
Texture Variety
Mixing plants with different leaf shapes and flower forms to add depth is a great way to create a serene and immersive environment, as seen in Jo Thompson’s Glasshouse Garden with the use of lush greens and varied textures.
To emulate this textural planting in your own space you could great a feature using a variety of pots. Plant something like the Betula nigra in a large terracotta pot to serve as a focal point. Surround the central tree with medium-sized pots containing Osmunda regalis, positioning them to take advantage of any natural shade provided by the tree. Then for ground-level texture, place smaller pots filled with Stipa tenuissima around the base, allowing the grasses to cascade and interweave, adding movement and a soft, feathery texture at ground level.
Clustering the pots in natural-looking groups will help you to replicate the garden’s layered planting whilst create different levels and enhancing the sense of depth.
We hope you enjoyed our quick canter through the top trends at Chelsea and how to bring them home to your pots.
Happy planting!
