British-based Arabella Lennox-Boyd was born and raised in Italy, and fortunately, her designs pay tribute to those Mediterranean roots. Her Chelsea garden from the year 2000 is no exception. “A Garden for All Time” was Lennox-Boyd’s fifth garden for the show, and it won her a fifth gold medal. She would go on to win a sixth gold in 2008. A perfect score!
At the time this was supposed to be Arabella’s final Chelsea garden, so you’d expect her to want to go out with a bang. I think her creation delivers. This millennial garden has a very formal, geometric design on paper, which I like a lot. It is also strictly symmetrical, possibly a nod to Italian Renaissance gardens, with an impressive focal point: “Clearwater Cube”, a giant stainless steel frame and cube installation by water sculptor William Pye.
It’s the planting that drew me in more than the statement sculpture though. The planting shows an unmistakable Italian flavour. Tall slender cypresses along with six huge, ancient gnarled olive trees instantly conjure the atmosphere in a contrasting formal setting. The olive trees are set on square islands in a water feature surrounding the central lawn. I can picture myself hopping across the water to sit on the grass, taking in the calm land- and soundscape around me. Richly planted perennial borders, using Mediterranean style plants, but planted densely in a very English style, are matched with quieter plantings at the rear of the garden. Traditional and modern, English and Italian, are seamlessly integrated.
This garden touched me at a time when me and my husband were discovering our love for Italy and looking for a place there. We searched up and down the country and eventually found a piece of Italy that had the views, the people and the promise we were looking for. As I am developing my personal style, the mix of English planting exuberance and Mediterranean structure is an inspiring model to take guidance from.
Further reading:
https://www.hortweek.com/arabella-lennox-boyd-garden-designer/parks-and-gardens/article/794056
