My mid January blues were blown aside when an exciting invitation popped into my inbox: to do planting design and installation work for RHS Chelsea 2018.

I’ll be working in partnership with Kevin Bownes who graduated at the same time as me from London College of Garden Design. He and I worked together last summer on a show garden submission and it seems our work helped open the door for this Chelsea opportunity.

So last Tuesday at Chelsea Barracks we met the Event Manager Katherine Potsides to take stock of her requirements for the show.

In a nutshell, the work comprises those areas of the Show that are the responsibility of the RHS itself (as opposed to sponsors or exhibitors). So it starts with the two show entrances. One of these is the VIP / taxi drop-off on Embankment. It feels like a rather bare and unloved roundabout at the moment, but it’s large, prominent and in a sunny position. The other is the 15m long planting bed just inside the pedestrian entrance for visitors arriving from Sloane Square.

In addition, we are to bring extra colour and vitality to the woodland areas of the Artisan Gardens.

Click here for latest pictures.