Capsule controversy

A naked woman with a watering can was the talk of last year’s Chelsea Flower Show. She formed part of an award-winning show garden created by Cancer Research UK. Her presence was designed to draw attention to the risk of skin cancer. The garden also featured a striking capsule-shaped pavilion. As you'd expect, this exhibit caused quite a controversy. However, it was the capsule and not the woman that created the most headlines.

Andy Sturgeon, the landscape designer responsible for the show garden, was sued by Diarmuid Gavin, a popular television gardener. Diarmuid claimed Andy had implemented a pavilion design he’d created four year earlier. Andy naturally counter-sued for libel and a lengthly court battle began unfolding. Both cases were finally settled outside Dublin’s High Court earlier this month.

Recent news story claim that the feud has been revived at this year’s show. Diarmuid’s latest show garden, the Westland garden, contains a red cedar clad pavilion built with a curving roof line reminiscent of last year’s controversial capsule. Today, Garry and I took my parents to see the pavilion for ourselves. The pavilion is spectacular, as is the garden surrounding it.

The Chelsea Flower Show has been staged in the ground of Royal Hospital Chelsea since 1913. Every year it attracts a sell-out crowd, limited to 157,000 people over five days. The crowd was certainly out in force today, despite a rather chilly, overcast day. The show was impressive, featuring more than 600 exhibitors, 50 temporary gardens and more than 100 floral exhibitors.


The centre piece of the showground is The Great Pavilion, an enormous marquee covering 12,000 sq m. It sits in the middle of the site, housing some of the most incredible floral displays you’ll ever see. Inside we wandered through gardens of fragrant climbing roses, past stunning life-size wire models of African wildlife and displays of flowers featuring every colour of the rainbow. The most memorable exhibit for me was one featuring dozens and dozens of flowering cacti. I've never see so many flowering succulents in my life.


However, it was a £6000 BBQ island that captured Garry’s attention. The price seemed outrageous for an outdoor cooking unit. I’m sure we’ll spend less renovating the kitchen in our Sydney apartment.

For me, the day held a more simple highlight. I finally got to see several Chelsea Pensioners in person. I still recall a childhood picture book about London describing these men and their bright red uniforms. For a fleeting moment my childhood came to life.