Chelsea Flower Show and Garden Sculptures

Nothing for me, quite heralds the beginning of the summer months than the Chelsea Flower Show! While I have never been (I can’t stand big crowds!) I do watch it every year on the TV and say to myself ‘Next year I will go!’ And who knows, maybe next year I will pluck up the courage and just do it!

This year it is on from the 24th of May to the 28th of May. If you haven’t seen it before, I thoroughly recommend it.

I love looking at all the different garden displays. The way the designers capture an essence of a garden be that a Mediterranean hideaway or a wild country retreat, and how they encapsulate and distil their vision like a finely honed whiskey or gin, is truly breath-taking to me. The flowers and foliage all chosen to show off their own uniqueness and harmony with the other pants, and how the theme is all tied in together, really does fill me with peace.

It is also the perfect place to start teaching children and babies all about plants, both the edible and non-edible kind and our part in helping to conserve and treat the planet with respect and kindness. It really does start from the cradle. There are always edible displays on at Chelsea and increasingly, micro-gardens have become very important, as more and more of us find that we only have a balcony or small back yard to call our own. I particularly love the idea of a ‘living wall’. How wonderful to wake every morning and see a wall of green and vibrant plants greeting you.

Something that always captures my eye and my imagination, are the feature sculptures used in the gardens. From corten – that wonderful metal that rusts over time creating beautiful rustic features – to bronze statues, I always start thinking about what I could life-cast to use as a bespoke sculpture for the garden. I could have two arms reaching out from a dark pond like mini versions of the hand statues that popped up in Venice by artist Lorenzo Quinn a few years back. Perhaps I could use mine and my partner’s hands or maybe you and your partner or kids might want your hands or feet cast and placed somewhere in the garden, to surprise visitors with!

We don’t just cast people, we can cast pets and objects too. Perhaps a pair of favourite worn out shoes, or a special book that meant something to you or a loved one.

There are endless possibilities with life-casting and as you have just read, they are not just for indoors, either. If you have a specific idea in mind or just want to have a chat about what might be possible to create for you and your family, please contact Image Casting and we would be happy to help.