Exhibitors
Courtyard gardens
A Touch of France
Le Jardin de Vincent
Designers: Patricia Thirion and Janet Honour
Sponsors: Ruperts Landscapes, Veolia Water UK PLC, Aylett Nurseries, Capel Manor College, Stonemarket, McArthur Fencing
Contractor: Russell Brook, Rupert's Landscapes
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Le Jardin de Vincent is bringing a touch of Provence to Chelsea. The French-themed garden also brings to life fragments of Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings, from the Yellow House to the famous Irises. Other Van Gogh associations include a straw hat, pipe and tobacco and yellow chair.
Between 1888 and 1890, Van Gogh stayed in Provence where, stimulated by the quality of light and the surroundings, he produced some of his most famous paintings. He loved gardens and was fascinated by the shapes and colours of sunflowers, irises and cypresses growing locally. This is a design to inspire the artist in all of us.
A typical Provencal house, with French roof tiles (canal tuiles), a simple wooden door and thick green shutters, forms the backdrop to the garden. This yellow rendered house is evocative of where Vincent stayed and later painted. There is an easel in the centre of the garden, with a half completed painted image of Irises. By the door, which is partially ajar to suggest the artist has stepped away for brief moment into the house, are dried sunflower heads and a pair of old garden boots.
Le Jardin de Vincent is composed of soft gentle greys, greens and blues. These colours bring to life the striking blue of the irises and sunshine orange in the Calendula (marigolds). A fig and oleander lean lazily against the house and three Italian cypresses brood, dark green, in the north west corner by the window. A small olive tree provides welcome shade and is surrounded by lavenders, cotton lavenders, thyme and ox-eye daisies. Calamagrostis leaves mimic the wheat fields so often painted by Van Gogh and a splash of red is provided by geraniums in terracotta pots on the window sill of the house.
The planting is drought resistant, requires minimal watering and is able to survive long, hot and dry summers. Stone chippings, spread throughout the garden, help to conserve water.
This is the first time that Patricia Thirion and Janet Honour are exhibiting at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. They met at Capel Manor, one of the UK’s leading horticultural colleges, and subsequently set up their garden design company - A Touch of France.