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Crocus at the Chelsea Flower Show 2024

The National Garden Scheme Garden, designed by Tom Stuart-Smith, sponsored by Project Giving Back and brought to life by Crocus

Helen Derrin

Written by: Crocus Plant Doctor, Helen

Last updated: May 2024

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Awarded Gold at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024

This year marks our 11th collaboration with Tom Stuart-Smith at the Chelsea Flower Show. An innovative designer and a true plantsman, Tom loves to find rare and unusual plants to feature in his gardens - and it’s something that he'll be doing once again this year.

The ruins of a Victorian town house lie at the heart of the garden. The ruins of a Victorian town house lie at the heart of the garden.
A once thriving silver birch lies toppled but still supporting an incredibly biodiverse habitat. A once thriving silver birch lies toppled but still supporting an incredibly biodiverse habitat.
The shattered remains of the house is now being enveloped with a different kind of life. The shattered remains of the house is now being enveloped with a different kind of life.
Cleve has chosen a rich and diverse blend of planting, that mixes both native and ornamental species. Cleve has chosen a rich and diverse blend of planting, that mixes both native and ornamental species.
120,000 dots make up the painting surrounding the garden, reflecting the number of young homeless people in the UK today. 120,000 dots make up the painting surrounding the garden, reflecting the number of young homeless people in the UK today.
The garden encapsulates elements of both ruin and rejuvenation. The garden encapsulates elements of both ruin and rejuvenation.
The garden encapsulates elements of both ruin and rejuvenation. The garden encapsulates elements of both ruin and rejuvenation.
The garden encapsulates elements of both ruin and rejuvenation. The garden encapsulates elements of both ruin and rejuvenation.
The Muscular Dystrophy UK
The Muscular Dystrophy UK

We're looking forward to seeing how plant form and textures are celebrated in what will be a quiet, woodland garden, and anticipate the feeling of immersion he'll create under the canopy of five large coppiced hazels.

Cocooned on two sides by a screen of native hedging, Tom’s garden will become a hub for birds and other wildlife, while dry-laid pathways will gently wind through drifts of calming, understory planting, before leading onto a secluded seating area and large ‘shed’.

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Plants from far and wide

Finding the plants for the garden this year has been a real team effort, with twelve NGS open garden owners across the country dipping into their own private collections to donate a plant. Now having been potted up and grown on in our Windlesham nursery for the last few months, they're all set to make their Chelsea debut.

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Making just a short pit stop at Chelsea (just enough time really to give us all a masterclass in shady woodland planting), the show garden was designed very much with its final destination in mind: Maggie’s at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. Forming the foundation of a brand new (and much larger) garden there, Tom's aim was to create a calm, restorative, sanctuary garden with a strong sense of place, where both staff and visitors can take time out.

Being a garden for the NGS (and having opened his own garden for them for over 30 years), Tom will be celebrating how gardens can bring people together - so we’re hugely looking forward to seeing Mary Berry hosting visitors in the ‘shed’ with what is bound to be a delicious slice of cake.

The Plant List

GET THE LOOK

Plants we love from Tom's garden

<i>Convallaria majalis</i>
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Convallaria majalis

£9.99

<i>Hosta</i> 'Devon Green'
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Hosta 'Devon Green'

£19.99

<i>Digitalis purpurea</i> f. <i>albiflora</i>
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Digitalis purpurea f. albiflora

£7.99

<i>Astrantia major</i> subsp. <i>involucrata</i> 'Shaggy'
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Astrantia major subsp. involucrata 'Shaggy'

£19.99

<i>Iris</i> 'Tropic Night'
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Iris 'Tropic Night'

£22.99

<I>Epimedium</i> × <i>versicolor</i> 'Sulphureum'
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Epimedium × versicolor 'Sulphureum'

£29.97 £24.00

<i>Blechnum spicant</i>
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Blechnum spicant

£18.99

<i>Cyrtomium fortunei</i>
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Cyrtomium fortunei

£18.99

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