Interviews by Zia Allaway

GARDEN 3 – site number RHS45

Rachel de Thame's first garden for Chelsea, pictured, is a fusion of rich, sumptuous flowers and chic contemporary design. Here, she talks about her inspirations, and how the design evolved.

Designer Profile
After training as a ballet dancer, illness forced Rachel de Thame to change direction and pursue a career in modelling. However, she had always harboured a love of gardening, inspired by her father's infectious enthusiasm when she was a child, and in 1998 Rachel enrolled at the English Gardening School to study horticulture and plantsmanship. She then found fame as a presenter on BBC Gardeners' World, and has also had her own TV series, Small Town Gardens and Gardening with the Experts.

The Brief
“To create a haven, an escape from city life, that would also reflect my interest in art and fashion, and the latest designs from the sponsor, LK Bennett.

“As a Londoner, I wanted to design a garden that celebrates the excitement of urban living, while offering the peace and tranquillity we all crave in a bustling city. I also love the planting in traditional English country gardens and have tried to emulate this in my urban plot. For inspiration I looked at print design, illustration and films of the 1950s and early 1960s, and the mood boards for LK Bennett's summer collections. The rounded sweep of the final design echoes the fabulous hat worn by Audrey Hepburn in the Ascot scene in [itals]My Fair Lady[rom], and the big, blowsy rosy prints evident in this year's fashions can be seen in the garden's curvaceous landscaping and sumptuous, feminine planting. The colour palette of soft pink, rich burgundy and maroon combines roses, peonies, and aquilegias – flowers that evoke the essence of a country garden.

“As a horticulturist, my strength is putting together planting schemes, but with this design I was very drawn to the architectural form of the garden. The steel structure in the foreground is inspired primarily by Barbara Hepworth's amazing sculptures. My design echoes Hepworth's use of 'stringing', where cord is strung across a metal frame like a cats'cradle. The structure forms a translucent veil around the seating area, creating a sense of enclosure but also allowing light into the garden. The open design of the sculpture also creates more planting opportunities along its base, and it appears to float above a still pool of water that will reflect the steel rods, plants and sky.”

Rachel's hot tips
• Designing tiny spaces
“Where space is limited you have to use every inch, and here I have designed raised beds to created tiers of planting that will form cascades of flowers and foliage. Planting on a vertical plane like this creates the illusion of a larger garden. I have also used the 'air' space with the sculptural structure and small tree (Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy'), both of which make visitors look up to the sky rather than focusing on the garden's boundaries.”

• Key plants for an English country garden
“My planting design addresses the conundrum of living in the city, but yearning for a country garden. Roses are the essence of this style, and one I hope to use is 'Munstead Wood' which is a gorgeous saturated rich dark red. Aquilegias are essential cottage garden plants, too, and my favourites include the double-flowered 'Nora Barlow' and 'Black Barlow'. I'm also using tulips for late spring seasonal colour, together with peonies and bearded iris.”

• Using sculpture in the garden
“Whether commissioning or buying sculpture for your garden, keep the design simple and avoid anything too elaborate – the simplest forms are often the most effective and have the greatest dramatic impact. I also think that sculpture works best where it has a function – here, my structure is designed as a decorative screen, but sculpture also works well as a focal point at the end of a path or to draw the eye to a planting scheme.”

In Rachel's showgarden, you will see:
Plants
Rosa 'Munstead Wood'
Peonies
Bearded iris
Aquilegia vulgaris 'Nora Barlow'
Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy'

Where to buy
Clifton Nurseries
Tel: 020 7289 6851; www.clifton.co.uk
For a wide range of trees, shrubs, and perennials

Claire Austin
Tel: 01939 251173; www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk
Supplier of unusual perennials, including peonies, aquilegias, and iris

David Austin Roses
Tel: 01902 376300; www.davidaustinroses.com
Rose specialist offering a wide choice, including 'Munstead Wood'

Woottens of Wenhaston
Tel: 01502 478258; www.woottensplants.co.uk
Specialist iris and perennial nursery

Landscape Materials
Slate tiles are used for the flooring, with small offcuts of slate used to face the curved terraced raised beds. The steel sculpture is made by Outdoordesign Ltd, and the cantilevered oak bench is made by Solid Soul.

Where to buy
Outdoordesign Ltd
Tel: 01903 716960; www.outdoordesign.co.uk
For garden structures and planters

Solid Soul
Tel: 01524 251 500; www.solid-soul.co.uk
Garden Furniture designers

Vitruvius Limited
Tel: 020 7627 8034; www.vitruviusltd.co.uk
Supplier of slate, marble, limestone and granite

Contact details
See Rachel's garden at Stand No RHW45
Rachel de Thame; c/o Arlington Enterprises; 020 7437 3339
LK Bennett; tel: 0844 581 5881; www.lkbennett.com
The LK Bennett Garden designed by Rachel de Thame & sponsored by SG Hambros and constructed Clifton Nurseries in association with Red Magazine.

Read more about the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2008.