Furzey Gardens
Chris Beardshaw returns to Chelsea in 2012 with a design to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Furzey Gardens in Hampshire and the achievements of its learning disability team.
Chris Beardshaw: episode 1
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2:46
Chris Beardshaw talks about the natural inspiration behind his re-creation of Furzey Gardens.
3:19
Chris Beardshaw takes us on a journey around the near-constructed garden.
2:50
Rhododendrons flourish
Chris’ woodland design incorporates acid-loving species including rhododendrons, azaleas and primulas. Ericaceous plants and shrubs have fallen out of favour with designers at Chelsea in recent years, but Chris is using them to spectacular effect in this design.
Furzey Gardens Charitable Trust operates in conjunction with its sister charity, the Minstead Training Project, to provide a wide range of services for students with learning disabilities. The students are helping to grow plants for the show garden and assisting Chris in the garden build. This is the first time students with learning difficulties have been involved directly with a Chelsea garden.
See how the garden is built in our'start-to-finish' photo gallery