Garden Tour: Wild Exmoor Evoked in a Garden of Memories - This beautiful golden-winning garden was designed by Chelsea regular, Cleve West. It reflects his experience of life on Exmoor as a teenager. " When I was 14 in 1972, the whole family moved to Thames Ditton Porlock Exmoor run a hotel," he said. "It was a culture shock, but we had a beautiful countryside to wander in and escape. I used to tail high in the hills, the sea, it was just perfect. "The garden is particularly inspired by an area of old growth forests, but the West wanted to evoke that special place, rather than trying to reproduce it faithfully." The atmosphere of this place was really powerful and that stayed with me for so long, "he said. "I'm trying to evoke a memory."
Chris Snook
garden at a glance
Display RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2016
garden designer Cleve West
Built by Swatton Landscape
Sponsored by M & G Investments []
Prizes awarded gold Medal 19459002
West wanted to create a space which recognized his memories of life on Exmoor as a teenager. "We all ingredients: oak trees, stone, water and planting of wood, "he said. "The trick was to make a modern and contemporary garden that evokes Exmoor Exmoor without looking like."
Display RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2016
garden designer Cleve West
Built by Swatton Landscape
Sponsored by M & G Investments []
Prizes awarded gold Medal 19459002
West wanted to create a space which recognized his memories of life on Exmoor as a teenager. "We all ingredients: oak trees, stone, water and planting of wood, "he said. "The trick was to make a modern and contemporary garden that evokes Exmoor Exmoor without looking like."
Chris Snook
"the amazing thing about Exmoor is diversity," West said. "There are rocks, sea views, heathland, valleys, valleys, fields." The garden contains a wealth of planting, stone and wood, in tribute to the abundant and varied natural landscape.
Chris Snook
a stone and gravel path through the woods edge planting takes visitors beyond the oak trees and rocks stunted in a smooth path, and an area with a terrace and the pool below. A limit oak frames the garden.
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"oak trees are the key to the garden," said West. "I also use things like blueberries, but just as a token. I will not try to recreate in a timber space of 22m x 10 "
Ferns, grasses, hostas, saxifraga, irises, foxgloves, honeysuckle and many types of geranium all functionality, too.
Ferns, grasses, hostas, saxifraga, irises, foxgloves, honeysuckle and many types of geranium all functionality, too.
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plays Peter largely in the garden and West used a mixture of stone roughly hewn and sawn stone for paths, retaining walls and benches. "It gives a very contemporary edge to the whole thing," he said.
Chris Snook
the contrast of smooth sawing stone, making some of the tracks, and the rough stone slabs feels exciting and original.
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the front garden has a path rocky divides, "so it is slightly uncertain," said West
planting lush garden includes a combination of ferns, including Asplenium Polystichum scolopendriumand setiferum. grasses such as
Briza media Deschampsia flexuosa and Melica altissima 'Alba'; bulbs such as Muscari armeniacum and Allium cowanii and perennials, including Euphorbia amygdaloides 'Purpurea' Lunaria rediviva and Euphorbia 'Whistleberry Garnet' (not all of them are visible in this plan).
planting lush garden includes a combination of ferns, including Asplenium Polystichum scolopendriumand setiferum. grasses such as
Briza media Deschampsia flexuosa and Melica altissima 'Alba'; bulbs such as Muscari armeniacum and Allium cowanii and perennials, including Euphorbia amygdaloides 'Purpurea' Lunaria rediviva and Euphorbia 'Whistleberry Garnet' (not all of them are visible in this plan).
Chris Snook
of the rough, stony path, then you get to a part of paved garden of smooth stone. "It is much more accurate; much more finely tuned, "says West. "This is my career and when I became more sure of how it was all going to work. It's a bit cheesy metaphor for my journey through life!"
Chris Snook
"the garden is a celebration of time as a teenager on Exmoor, when I became enchanted by the landscape, "says West.
Chris Snook
Weathered wood forms the border fence, and an aged rustic quality. It is made from oak, to use the scrub oak planted here
Explore over Chelsea in 2016 :. A Scandi-style garden with cottage garden planting
Explore over Chelsea in 2016 :. A Scandi-style garden with cottage garden planting
Chris Snook
the plantation is not composed exclusively of native species, even if the garden was inspired by Exmoor. "I did not want to recreate Exmoor," said West. "I could not improve it!"
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small depressions were cut in a part of the rough stone, to create birdbaths
Discover more Chesea 2016 :. A garden to celebrate the heritage and landscape
Yorkshire Discover more Chesea 2016 :. A garden to celebrate the heritage and landscape
Chris Snook
West does not have a favorite part of the garden. "It works as a whole. I can not identify a thing, "he said." You have the oaks, rock and these baths beautiful birds robins and blackbirds were coming to drink. "
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thalictroides 'black stockings '(purple flower vaporous) Cirsium atropurpureum ' Blue Wonder Trevor '(thistle-like) and the beautifully-yellow butter Trollius x cultorum ' Cheddar 'prosper in this pocket of the planting.
Chris Snook
Purples and yellows feature among the lush green of the wooded area of inspiration.
Chris Snook
West feels this is one of the most beautiful gardens, it has never created to Chelsea. " All these memories were infused in that garden in a way, it has a level of emotion, which I think is a beautiful garden," he said.
Tell us ...
What inspires you on this beautiful garden? Let us know in the comments below.
Tell us ...
What inspires you on this beautiful garden? Let us know in the comments below.