By Sarah Cosgrove
Tuesday, 11 March 2014

Ousted RHS Chelsea Flower Show TV presenter Alan Titchmarsh will be at Chelsea this year – as a show garden designer.

The garden, which will not be put under the RHS’s rigorous judging regime, will be a highly personal design reflecting Titchmarsh’s horticultural journey from his childhood home on the edge of Ilkley Moor to his current family life on the Isle of Wight.

Working with RHS Chelsea gold medal-winner Kate Gould, with plants supplied by Kelways and built by Landform Consultants, the garden, entitled From the Moors to the Sea – a celebration of RHS Britain in Bloom will celebrate Titchmarsh’s 50 years in horticulture and also the 50^th Anniversary of RHS Britain in Bloom.

He said: “I can think of no better way of celebrating 50 years as a professional gardener and 50 years of RHS Britain in Bloom, than by creating a garden for the RHS at the Chelsea Flower Show. From the Moors to the Sea is a joyous celebration of our floral heritage and the people who do their bit to conserve our islands’ plants and flowers and realise the importance of beautifying our surroundings whether in village, town or city.”

Titchmarsh fronted the BBC’s coverage of Chelsea Flower show for 30 years but in November it emerged he would be replaced by Monty Don and Sophie Raworth at this year’s show.

He was invited to stay on in a less prominent role but decided to quit, saying he was concerned he would not be able to present BBC2’s “in depth coverage of horticulture – my chosen profession and area of expertise”.

Horticulture industry figures reacted with concern to the news last year.

 

Speaking of the decision to give Titchmarsh a feature garden at this year’s show, RHS director general, Sue Biggs, said: “Alan is one of the most powerful forces in horticulture, reaching out to and promoting gardening to millions of people. He has also been one of the biggest supporters of the RHS and, as this garden demonstrates, continues to generously support and promote horticultural campaigns that transform lives and reinforce our great position as a nation of gardeners.”

The last time Titchmarsh designed a garden at Chelsea was in 1985, when he won an RHS Gold Medal for his Country Kitchen garden.

 

The Marion Baysinger Memorial Library in Groveland in partnership with B.B. Brown’s Gardens in Clermont, will present “Gardens for Lake County,” an interactive program.

The free workshop requires participants to attend all three sessions from 11 a.m. to noon Thursday, March 20 and 27 at the library, 756 W. Broad St.

Thursday’s program will include graphic presentation of bird and butterfly garden plants along with steps needed to begin a habitat garden.

• Topics
• 
  
  Libraries
  
• 
  
  Clermont
  
• 
  
  Raymond James Financial Incorporated
  
• See more topics »

March 20 will be about site analysis, inventory and designing your garden.

March 27, participants will learn how to properly plant, water and care for their new garden.

The program will culminate in the certification of the garden by the National Wildlife Federation.

To reserve a space, call 352-429-5566 or email info@bbbrowns.com by Wednesday .

Sports fest, jam postponed

The Umatilla Chamber of Commerce inaugural sports festival and jam scheduled for March 28 through 30 at North Lake Community Park in Umatilla has been postponed. The event will be rescheduled for a later date. For updates, visit umatillachamber.org or call 352-669-3511.

Meetings

• The GFWC Umatilla Woman’s Club will meet at 12:45 p.m. March 18 at the Umatilla Public Library, 412 Hatfield Drive. The program will be about the Lake County Humane Society. There also will be a visit from a therapy dog. The public is welcome. Participants are encouraged to bring a can of dog or cat food, which will be donated to the humane society.

• The Sandspurs Circle of the Clermont Garden Club will meet at 10 a.m. March 18 at the Garden Club Center, 849 West Ave., Clermont. Joy Dickinson, who writes the Florida Flashback column for the Orlando Sentinel, will be the speaker. She will speak about the history of Mead Garden, Harry P. Leu Gardens and Nehrling Gardens. The public is welcome, but seating is limited. Reservations are required by emailing Marilyn Paone at marilynp123@cfl.rr.com.

Unused meds, hazardous waste

Lake County Solid Waste Division along with the Mount Dora Police Department will host a drive-through household hazardous waste and unused, unwanted or expired over-the-counter medication collection from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday in the parking lot of Mount Dora Walmart, 17030 U.S. Highway 441.

A household hazardous-waste mobile unit will be on site for people who want to drop off small amounts of unwanted household hazardous waste items such as lawn and gardening materials; photos and swimming-pool chemicals; paint, thinners and strippers; cleaning solutions; batteries; antifreeze, waste gas and used motor oil; fluorescent lamps and light bulbs; and small propane tanks. Not accepted are solvents, infectious, chemical laboratory and radioactive waste.

Details: 352-343-3776.

Beer and wine tasting

A pre-St. Patrick’s Day beer and wine tasting is 7 p.m. Thursday in the office of Brian Kraus of the Clermont Raymond James Financial Services at the Clermont Financial Center, 1795 E. State Road 50, Suite A. Participants are encouraged to wear something green. Space is limited for the free event. To make a reservation, call 352-242-2232.

Free tax assistance

The AARP in Lake County, in cooperation with the Internal Revenue Service, is sponsoring free tax assistance for low- and moderate-income residents, especially those 60 and older, but all taxpayers regardless of age will be assisted at no charge. The service is not limited to AARP members.

AARP Tax-Aide certified counselors will help prepare 2013 income-tax returns. Individuals seeking assistance should bring pertinent tax documents such as a copy of 2012 income-tax return; forms showing income earned, pensions and Social Security; 1099 forms showing interest and dividends earned; photo ID; and Social Security cards for all those listed on their return. All tax-related information is needed to do the work.

Appointments are available at various sites but must be made at the site or by phone during operating hours. Free electronic filing is offered at all sites. Locations and dates are:

Hawthorne Marina, 100 Hawthorne Blvd., off South U.S. Highway 27, Leesburg, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Wednesday. Appointments: 352-360-6219.

Leesburg Public Library, 100 E. Main St., 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Appointments: 352-272-9658.

W.T. Bland Public Library, 1995 N. Donnelly St., Mount Dora, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday, Wednesday and Thursday; and 1 to 5:45 p.m. Tuesday. Appointments: 352-735-5936.

•Highlander Building, 330 Third St., Clermont, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Wednesday. Walk in only.

To find sites nationwide, go to aarp.org/taxaide or call 1-888-227-7669.

dmanis@tribune.com.

Gareth Butler and Diarmuid Gavin

Mullingar man Gareth Butler from Ballinderry has won the Kilsaran Student Garden Competition.

The landscape design student was chosen by celebrity gardener Diarmuid Gavin as the winner, and Gareth’s design will now be put on display at Kilsaran Home in Dunboyne, from May.

As part of the prize, organised by Kilsaran to mark the Meath company’s 50th anniversay celebrations this year, Gareth was awarded €3,000 bursary to commence his design career.

Over 100 garden design students entered the competition. 

Mr Titchmarsh, 64, who is an RHS vice president, said: “I can think of no
better way of celebrating 50 years as a professional gardener, and 50 years
of RHS Britain in Bloom, than by creating a garden for the RHS at the
Chelsea Flower Show.

“‘From the Moors to the Sea’ is a joyous celebration of our floral heritage
and the people who do their bit to conserve our islands’ plants and flowers
and realise the importance of beautifying our surroundings whether in
village, town or city.”

Mr Titchmarsh shocked gardening fans last year when he announced he would no
longer host the BBC’s programming on Chelsea, a role he performed for 30
years.

In a statement, he attributed his departure to being asked to perform a
smaller, “limited” role that did not offer him “the chance to
present the breadth of coverage that I had previously undertaken”.

Mr Titchmarsh last designed a garden for Chelsea in 1985, for which he was
awarded a gold medal

Reigate garden designer to make Chelsea Flower Show debut

4:02pm Monday 10th March 2014 in News

Reigate garden designer Matthew Childs is celebrating making his debut at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show.

Matthew’s design talent will be on show as city fund management firm Brewin Dolphin’s Main Avenue garden in the show, due to take place in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea from May 20 to 24.

Brewin Dolphin, which has an office in Reigate, will be making its third consecutive appearance in the Main Avenue.

Since graduating in 2009, Matthew has risen in the industry to win a Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) gold and ‘best in category’ at the 2012 RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, followed by ‘best in show’ in 2013 for his Ecover Garden.

This summer he will be competing with the crème de la crème of landscape architects and garden designers at Chelsea.

Drawing on nature as his inspiration for the Brewin Dolphin garden, Matthew’s design follows a classical, symmetrical layout, but is also contemporary and forward-thinking, with water used to capture a sense of calm, and two monumental copper arches and a wide zig-zag path dividing the garden into distinct areas, with the apertures in the arches acting as frames for focal points.

Matthew’s planting concept is spring-like in its colour palate, with greens, whites and zingy yellows offset by drifts of crimson and purple.

Matthew has chosen to work with the award-winning teams from Bowles and Wyer and Hortus Loci to respectively, build, source and grow plants for the garden.

Showbiz news

• Singer Sophie enjoys weightlessness

• John: Concert film is glam and OTT

• Lopez not heading down aisle soon

• ‘Frustrated’ chef Roux quitting BBC

• O’Grady races to awards ceremony

Nearly 100 garden design students from all over the country entered the competition – the first of its kind in Ireland and judged by celebrity gardener Diarmuid Gavin.

Originally from Mullingar, Co Westmeath, Butler is studying garden design at the Garden Design Academy of Ireland.

He beat five other finalists to win the overall prize which included a €3,000 bursary to help kick-start his design career. 

His garden will be built and on view to potential customers at Kilsaran’s show gardens at its headquarters in Co Meath just in time for summer. 

Butler used strong vibrant colours, a creative mix of planting along with a clever use of Kilsaran’s paving products to create a unique garden that’s easy to build and makes the best use of space. 

 

We may have another cold snap in our future, but for now early spring is in the air. For acclaimed garden designer John Newman that means Cornus, Hamamelis, and Thymelaeaceae. They’re better known as dazzling dogwoods, wonderful witch-hazel, and exciting edgeworthia, and in just a few weeks you’ll be able to see the fruits of John’s labors at the height of their spring season glory throughout Winston-Salem. John Newman Garden Design focuses primarily on residential garden design, but some  high-visibility projects include the Central YMCA and Augsburg Luthern Church. John and his team of eight co-creators share a fascination with architecture, Japanese gardens and design. For the past 20 years they’ve been artfully bringing together all of these elements in their water features, pathways, and beautiful stone mosaics.

David Ford talked with garden designer John Newman. He and his team of eight co-creators at John Newman Garden Design take inspiration from the beautiful natural scenery of western North Carolina and create contemporary landscapes with plants, stones and water. Their distinctive work in private gardens and public spaces is sprinkled throughout Winston-Salem including the Central YMCA, and Augsburg Lutheran Church. 

Reigate garden designer to make Chelsea Flower Show debut

4:02pm Monday 10th March 2014 in News

Reigate garden designer Matthew Childs is celebrating making his debut at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show.

Matthew’s design talent will be on show as city fund management firm Brewin Dolphin’s Main Avenue garden in the show, due to take place in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea from May 20 to 24.

Brewin Dolphin, which has an office in Reigate, will be making its third consecutive appearance in the Main Avenue.

Since graduating in 2009, Matthew has risen in the industry to win a Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) gold and ‘best in category’ at the 2012 RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, followed by ‘best in show’ in 2013 for his Ecover Garden.

This summer he will be competing with the crème de la crème of landscape architects and garden designers at Chelsea.

Drawing on nature as his inspiration for the Brewin Dolphin garden, Matthew’s design follows a classical, symmetrical layout, but is also contemporary and forward-thinking, with water used to capture a sense of calm, and two monumental copper arches and a wide zig-zag path dividing the garden into distinct areas, with the apertures in the arches acting as frames for focal points.

Matthew’s planting concept is spring-like in its colour palate, with greens, whites and zingy yellows offset by drifts of crimson and purple.

Matthew has chosen to work with the award-winning teams from Bowles and Wyer and Hortus Loci to respectively, build, source and grow plants for the garden.

Showbiz news

• Beckham’s nerves over Only Fools

• Lloyd Pack comedy role to be aired

• Aniston: I’d like Gisele’s body

• Will.i.am: I can’t flirt and work

• Shakira’s man ban in music videos

• 300 sequel rules at the box office

Earlier this month, viewers enjoyed manicured lawns, multicolored garden spaces and internationally sourced antiques inside Music City Center at the Antiques and Garden Show of Nashville.

Now, for the first time in the show’s 24-year history, the Antiques and Garden Show of Nashville has presented several designers with the Garden Awards.

The awards honor the local designers who created the gardens at this year’s show: Anne Daigh, Phillipe Chadwick, Todd Breyer, Josiah Lockard and design teams from Poise Ivy and Cheekwood Botanical Gardens.

From contemporary designs with clean lines and modern pieces to fanciful outdoor rooms with glass table waterfalls and twinkling lights, the designers offered various perspectives on interior design and landscape architecture during the three-day event.

Kathi Gilleland and Brian Gilleland of Poise Ivy took home the Outdoor Living Award as well as the People’s Choice Award with their garden, which had a garden-to-table theme. The pair combined three distinct rooms: a growing room, a cooking area and a space to entertain and eat, staged with bottles of wine and centerpieces.

Kathi Gilleland described her take on gardening and design, saying, “A garden is the purest form of joy, nourishing the soul and body, and inspiring one to live simply, live healthy … live well.”

Landscape architect Anne Daigh earned the Bryant Fleming Award for Best of Show with slick design elements, blending horticulture and ingenuity.

“We created The Modern Scalene. In this garden, the juxtaposition of modern, streamlined shapes and forms against soft, weathered and whimsical elements work together to create an alluring destination of peace, harmony and balance,” Daigh said.

Cheekwood is a beneficiary of the show, so its garden was for exhibition only and was not eligible for awards.

Since its founding, the Antiques and Garden Show of Nashville has raised $5.5 million for Cheekwood, as well as many Nashville charities supported by the Economic Club of Nashville, such as Big Brothers of Nashville, Fannie Mae Battle Home for Children, Martha O’Bryan Center, the W.O. Smith Music School and the YWCA of Nashville.

By Sarah Cosgrove
Friday, 07 March 2014

The BBC and the RHS are again teaming up to encourage amateur gardeners to get designing at RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.

Britain’s Great Garden Festival will be part of the show, which runs from July 8 to the 13, and is a competition which tasks gardeners to design a 12m by 12m garden, which celebrates where they live. The winner will get the opportunity to work with top designer Adam Frost.

Entrants will need to think of ways to reflect their community’s heritage, buildings, foods, people or plants or other aspects of their local life. Judges will be looking for originality and good use of plants.

The closing date for entries is midday on March 24. Judges will select the three most promising amateur designers, who will then compete against each other for the grand prize – an opportunity to work with professional mentors to create their garden in time for the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show in July.

The two mentors, The One Show gardener Christine Walkden and RHS Chelsea Flower Show Gold medal-winning designer Adam Frost, will teach them more about plants, garden design and landscaping, and then will help them create The One Show Garden at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.

RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show manager Dave Green said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for someone passionate about gardening and design to learn from one of the UK’s top garden designers and best loved plantswomen. The winner’s journey to bring the garden to life at one of Britain’s most popular gardening shows will be challenging, inspirational and rewarding.”

Last year attracted hundreds of designs, according to The One Show’s deputy editor Michael Armit.

He added: “The garden has also more than doubled in size so the stakes are even higher. The judges are going to be looking for something very special to create impact and make the best use of the larger space.”