RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival

Early in 2021 I was contacted by Amanda Edmonds who invited me to make some art work for a project she was working on. Amanda was facilitating a volunteer team from Ealing’s Ascott Allotments to create a Community Garden for RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival that year. This was the first year the RHS showcased community allotments.

Flattered, and as a regular visitor to all the RHS Garden Shows, I had no hesitation in accepting. There was also an interesting link because Alan and I had previously rented a plot at Ascott Allotments.

My brief was to mosaic three log seats. I also made some glass bunting and a mosaic spider web, donating all my time and materials for free. I was very keen not just to be an ‘artist for hire’ but take a more active part in the whole project.

Detailed plans and drawings that the volunteers team collaboratively developed were submitted to RHS and accepted, so we were on our way. It became a huge community project as all allotment holders were asked to grow and contribute plants and vegetables for the show garden and several people volunteered to help with driving, the build, administration, manning the plot – so there was a very eager and willing team.

With the mosaics made, plants grown and carefully transported we were ready for the build. Whilst the main show gardens get four weeks to construct, we had just four days to build our plot. Fortunately Nicola Blick, a local professional gardener and Ascott plotholder, was on our team and oversaw bringing the planting design to life once on site. It was incredibly hard work but great fun and the enthusiasm and adrenaline ensured we got our plot ready in plenty of time. I loved being behind the scenes and seeing how all these wonderful shows are put together. We knew we were successful when bees and butterflies arrived on our flowers!

Alan and I manned the plot on show days and it was great chatting to all the visitors, answering their questions (frequently, how do you deal with slugs) and enjoying being part of this fantastic project. I’d like to thank Amanda and Ascott Allotments for giving me a dream project to be involved in and fully accepting me as part of the team.

The icing on the cake was that we won Best Community Allotment.

I was invited again in 2022 so I now have 2 RHS Shows under my belt. It is my ultimate dream to have my work in a show garden at RHS Chelsea so if there are any garden designers out there, looking for some unique art work for their show garden, give me a call – after all I am an RHS Winner!!

See more pictures in the gallery