Art in the garden
One of my highlights at this year's show has been the 'Art in the Garden'. As you wander around the showground you come across a variety of work from fibreglass cows to steel, pine and charcoal sculptures, as well as more traditional artwork, using willow and oak.
Not to be outdone however, many garden designers have used art in their show gardens. The Moorcroft Natural Woman Garden incorporates a handcrafted Moorcroft tile featuring the garden's plants, bees and butterflies. There's even more artwork from designers who are showcasing their work here. 
One of my favourites is by an artist who has created leaping hares from twisted, plastic-coated wire - he's really managed to inject movement into his pieces. I'd love to take one home but I can't afford the price tag.
Not to be outdone however, many garden designers have used art in their show gardens. The Moorcroft Natural Woman Garden incorporates a handcrafted Moorcroft tile featuring the garden's plants, bees and butterflies. There's even more artwork from designers who are showcasing their work here. One of my favourites is by an artist who has created leaping hares from twisted, plastic-coated wire - he's really managed to inject movement into his pieces. I'd love to take one home but I can't afford the price tag.
Comment number 1.
At 21:35 30th Jul 2008, seekerofdreams wrote:Thank you for you kind words about my scribbly wire hare sculptures. I sketch the hares in the fields around my home and aim to capture their essence and movement.
Just for the record I am a 'she' not a 'he'!
Glad you enjoyed them.
Julieann Worrall Hood
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Comment number 2.
At 14:12 4th Aug 2008, gardenornamentalist wrote:And as a postscript to Julieann's message, if you should know of anyone to whom the hare price tag is not a deterrent - or if your own fortunes should happily change! - do please direct them to our website at www.landscapeornament.com where details of Julieann's work and all the other unusual ornaments we offer are on display.
Kind regards
Emma Corbett
The Landscape Ornament Company
www.landscapeornament.com
01380 840533
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Comment number 3.
At 21:12 18th May 2009, mspaulap wrote:I was appalled by Alan Titchmarsh's sneering report on the plasticine garden - much of which was created by children. If the BBC couldn't find someone who could be more impartial, then it would be better not to report it all. The garden celebrates flowers, vegetables, colour and creativity. Is he really pretending that most of the show gardens are not mere artifice? Would those gardens really survive in their beautiful perfection for more than a week? The flowers that have been preened, kept under artificial light and heat for weeks to produce blooms out of season are no less artificial than the plasticine cauliflowers or roses.
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Comment number 4.
At 15:49 19th May 2009, grimwade1 wrote:I think using plasticine is stupid, this is supposed to be a "flower show" with "real" plants and flowers not models and anyway I am surprised that the RHS accepted the design.
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Comment number 5.
At 17:48 21st May 2009, mikeappletree wrote:I,m sorry but I think many of the gardens at Chelsea are now more art than anything else and
there seems to be little in the way of a real GARDEN in them. Every year we seem to be
getting more and more bizarre arty farty ideas and exhibitors and judges are losing sight of
what Chelsea is all about. A LITTLE art in a garden -i.e. a sculpture placed at a focal point
is fine , but when the crazy art takes over the whole garden its too much ! The garden with
all those wooden "ripples " in it would be completely impractical in real life. So much space
is wasted by the stupid wooden things behind the deck and imagine trying to weed these
things !? As for the plastacene garden, that has absolutely NO place in Chelsea and should
have been thrown out! It,s an insult to the exhibitors who work hard to show REAL plants !
Put this in the Tate Gallery but NOT in Chelsea, unless it is excluded from the exhibits and
is just for decoration. Thank God there are still SOME real gardens left in the show but every
year there is more and more art and you wonder where it is all going. The main element in
a garden should be PLANTS and everything else should take second place !
I,m sure I,m not the only person who has got sick of the excessive emphasis on art in
Chelsea?
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Comment number 6.
At 09:58 23rd May 2009, sanuk9 wrote:At least in the Plasticine garden you would not be scared of walking around and could relax and enjoy a picnic, in the "Best in show" garden you wouldn't even dare to breathe for fear of moving leaf.
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Comment number 7.
At 10:25 23rd May 2009, sanuk9 wrote:Keep up the art in the gardens, I love it. I particularly loved the "Monster" table in the bikers garden. When the plants are changing season or battered by the english weather the art stands tall and proud and provides us with something to look at. The redwood "waves" in Tony Hoblyn's garden were fantastic and it was easily the "best in show" for me, the yellow pitcher pants against that wood and the black water were amazing when the sun was out and the whole garden was so tranquil, simple but so very very effective.
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