Interviews with the stars
Ian Dexter, designer of the Marshalls show garden
For Ian Dexter it’s really in at the deep end. This is his first ever show garden, but he is calm, composed and still creative.
The garden is the culmination of research about children and gardening. “We went to schools all around the country to run workshops and let the kids design and draw to their hearts content. There were many reoccurring themes and common ideas and we chose some of these elements for the garden. It was all about acceptable levels of risk and creating a challenging garden that engages them. It’s so important to get them outside and away from their computers and game consoles and communicating with them on their level.
"They love fantastical creatures, caves, forts and adventure elements, so it was a case of getting bold foliage, some of it a bit edgy such as the gunneras, Pseudopanax crassifolium, fatsias and bamboos, and an elevated area that allows you up in the canopy emphasising the sensory aspect of it.”
“Chelsea is the pinnacle of any garden designer's career, it’s a huge privilege, a learning curve and an emotionally-charged rollercoaster, but ultimately it’s a fantastic experience. There's quite a diverse spread of design styles, but this garden sets its own style.”
“In terms of garden design I think there will be a lot more exotic foliage with a change in climate and a groundswell of interest for biodiversity is quite prevalent and it's a trend that is going to continue with the greening of urban landscapes with sedum roofs.”
Interview by Jean Vernon