The M&G Garden
designed by James Basson
We were thrilled to work with James Basson on the Best in Show garden this year; this marked the 9th time in 12 years we have won the prize for Best in Show. It was also a real honour to win the award for the best constructor this year - the first time the Best in Show, best constructor and gold medal were awarded to the same garden.
James Basson has always made gardens which celebrate plants in their wild state and this year his focus fell on Malta.
Malta's geographic position between Southern Europe and Africa has led to unique and fascinating flora. Sadly the natural landscape is under the usual pressure from human intervention and many plants are severely endangered. However, there are areas where man's intervention has lead to interesting natural adaptations - and one of these is the quarries of Malta.
James recreated one of these quarries to showcase not just the remarkable flora of Malta but to demonstrate how, even in the most inhospitable places - nature can prosper. Urban planners, please take note!
Malta is without permanent rivers or lakes so fresh water is scarce. This has inevitably affected the evolution of the region’s flora, resulting in myriad rare species.
We used 172 varieties of plants, most of which had never been seen at Chelsea before. The colours were the predominant shades of Maltese springtime: green, chartreuse and yellow with sparkles of pink and blue.
The stone we needed filled three articulated lorries.
The Duchess of Cambridge enjoys the Garden.
Crocus Co-Founder, Mark Fane escorts the Duchess around the Show Ground.
Centranthus ruber coccineus, Tragopogon porrifolius, Papaver dubium ssp. lecoqii var. albiflorum.
Papaver dubium ssp. lecoqii var. albiflorum among the ferny foliage of Ridolfia segetum.
Tetraclinis articulata, the national tree of Malta.
Matthiola incana ssp. melitensis, one of the seven rare endemic species from Malta.
The plunge pool and the dining area. Ferula communis was used throughout the garden.
The dining area.
