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Hi Mick
It's very rare for a garden at an RHS show not to get a medal. Thats not to say that it never happens, I remember one Chelsea Garden in 2005 missing out on a medal.
The judging is split into different criteria
Objectives, Overall Impression, Overall Design, Choice of Plants and Construction.
So if you are awarded sufficient points within each of these categories then you will be awarded a medal.
hi Tanya
cheers for that, we did think it was something on those lines
Mick
Having supplied plants to 30+ RHS Show Gardens, mostly Chelsea and Hampton Court over the last 10 years, there is no rule or reason as to why any garden gets judged in any way?!?
a few examples...
In 2005, Andy Sturgeon visted our Nursery with Crocus and bought our plants from us through Crocus for his garden at Chelsea? On the Saturday before the opening his wall fell down, and contacted us directly for "5 big screening plants" to hide the wall. We delivered that day:-)
In 2005 we supplied 80% of the plants for "Milly's Garden" at Hampton Court Flower Show. The garden won Gold and the Tudor Rose for the Best in Show.
In 2008 our customer Philip Nash had a Chelsea garden sponsored by Gavin Jones, The Plantation Nursery. Sadly Philip was disappointed by the quality from Plantation, so we supplied most of the specimen plants for this garden, which Plantation agreed to buy from us!!! Trachycarpus-OURS Agapanthus - OURS and so on.... We supplied Diarmuid Gavin the same year.
Basically, been dong RHS Show Gardens since 1997. Some say, we know the winner before the opening of the Show. Well, depends what you name is.....
RHS judges, are they just dug up every year, and just moved around on wheels?
theses 3 gardens had nothing to do with the plants because if you saw them you would see there was not much planting on any of them and if it was not for the fact as we arrived home on the Friday evening the Tatton flower show was being shown on TV which explained the the idea behinds these gardens otherwise we would of been none the wiser, It still made no difference to our initial thoughts on "What on Earth Is that suppose to be" though
one in particular was designed by the young garden designer of the year winner who in our opinion along with the company who built it should never be let out into the wild, we are all for thinking outside of the box but blimey when your walking round looking at the other well designed and constructed show gardens and then bump into something what resembled it had been drawn on the back of a beer mat and handed to a 6 year old to build it then there must be something wrong
I took video of all of the gardens at the show and was going to do a blog post like I did last year covering the Southport Flower Show but have decided not too otherwise it will look like I am being negative towards these gardens, the designers and the landscapers who have painstakingly built the worse 3 show gardens I have ever seen
I have used the term "WE as I went with my wife and our friends who's house I am actually working on at the moment, they said if I was to of designed and built their garden like any of these 3 show gardens then I would not of been getting paid for my services, that's how bad they looked to us
anyway on a more positive note we did feel that the gold winner and best in show was a worthy winner and the layout and workmanship was superb - well done to everyone
on another note we will never be attending the RHS flower show at Tatton again due to the extortionate price, and I mean "EXTORTIONATE PRICE" for the VIP day out only to find out it was available for a fraction of the cost, I am all for a bit of fine dining every now and then but don't nail my hat on which at that price it was not only nailed on it was super glued too
"I took video of all of the gardens at the show and was going to do a blog post like I did last year covering the Southport Flower Show but have decided not too otherwise it will look like I am being negative towards these gardens, the designers and the landscapers who have painstakingly built the worse 3 show gardens I have ever seen"
It's absolutely imperative you blog about your experience. How on earth can the young landscapers learn their art?
There's no reason you should be nasty Mick, and I know you wouldn't, but constructive criticism is vitally important to us all, both as individuals and as an industry as a whole.
If a designer or landscaper is continually patted on the back by their peers rather than been told of the real air of feeling about their work then they will always continue along their inflated egotistical path.
IMO you'd be doing a greater disservice by not blogging than you would be if you did.
I watched young landscapers compete in Worldskills UK at Saltex in 2008.
I was appalled that young landscapers, some as young as seventeen, were encouraged to create a garden as a time trial. They were guided by their teachers and industry peers who should know better.
In my opinion the quality of workmanship wasn't the kind of advert that did the colleges, their lecturers, the organisations involved nor the industry any good.
"I am a little concerned that participants, who are learning at a college with a view to becoming highly skilled garden installers are subjected to these conditions. It is true that a business will have time constraints and will have to work to a timetable in real life if they are to be successful and profitable. However, when you are learning your trade, you need to be taught patience, attention to detail and accuracy.
"Watching some of the young lads go about their 'fish bowl' of a work area in the gaze of watching media, judges and the public not to mention fellow landscapers, I could not help feeling that they were being rather let down by their college lecturers and event organisers.
"I witnessed very un-organised and messy work areas with tools strewn out where they could become hazards to fellow contestants.
"The emphasis seemed to be on getting the project finished but not on standards which I feel should be the most essential criteria.
"I am getting a little irritated by those who are insisting on absolute professionalism and high standards and then fail to apply those same rigid rules to themselves."
http://www.landscapejuice.com/2008/10/worldskills-uk.html
Just goes to show how things have moved on in four years.
I was really impressed by the four gardens at Tatton that had been built as part of the selection process for the Uk Squad going to WorldSkills in Leipzig 2013.
The build quality, overall design and planting actually put some of the professional designers and landscapers to shame at this years Tatton. This was reflected in the medals awarded by the RHS Two Silver Gilts, One Silver and One Commendation.
So here we have and example of two gardens from RHS Tatton 2012.
Garden number 1 was designed and built by professionals and was awarded a Bronze.
Garden number 2 was the Uk Inspired entrant for World Skills and was awarded a Silver Gilt.
Phil Voice said:
Well Said ! (understand your position Mick, but with the quality of work you produce, you are as entitled as anybody to give your views on design, whether positive or negative)
Phil Voice said:
A creation of an idea or ideas to fulfill a brief taken from a client, evolved after thought and consideration of materials, planting and design principles.
The final result might be admired by many and derided by a few or the reverse, conspired poor by many and admired by a few.
The bottom line is that ' Beauty is in the eye of the beholder''.
A design might be very good but let down by the installer, or the availability of plant material.
Having been to both Chelsea and H. Court this year, I have been very impressed overall. Obviously there were gardens that I personally didn't like but they may well have been designed well for balance, unity, planting etc. but failed to impress my own taste.
Gardens are judged as already stated against a number of criteria, so as to try to avoid the personal taste issue.
Kevin
www.gardencoaching.blogspot.com