Table of Contents
Genuine wedge of the Yorkshire Dales on show at Chelsea
The stunning Yorkshire Dales have been confirmed as the inspiration for Welcome to Yorkshire’s 2018 RHS Chelsea show-garden.
The sights, smells and tastes of this world renowned national park will be on display in the capital next May.
The area is famous for its Wensleydale cheese, quintessential buttercup meadows and iconic drystone walls – all of which will be authentically recreated in London to showcase Yorkshire’s beauty to the world.
The walls will be crafted from genuine Yorkshire stone on loan from the Bolton Estate which will be returned there after the show.
A first look at the artist’s impression, unveiled today, also reveals woodland, lush pastures, varied plants and flowers, a cultivated cottage garden, and a tumbling beck with dramatic fast flowing water.
Pride of place in the garden will go to a stone bothy which has been converted into a craftsman’s creamery where genuine artisan cheese production will take place.
Sir Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire said: “We’re delighted to be back at the prestigious Chelsea flower show for the ninth year running, bringing a garden inspired by the stunning Yorkshire Dales to the heart of London for the whole world to see.
“As well as showcasing the scenic beauty of Yorkshire’s many iconic gardens and breathtaking open spaces, this year’s garden will celebrate Yorkshire’s plentiful natural materials, traditional crafts and skilled artisan food production.
We hope it will inspire those who see it, to come and experience first-hand everything our amazing county has to offer.”
This evocative and aromatic garden is the vision of designer, and proud Yorkshireman, Mark Gregory, who marks his 30th consecutive year at the prestigious show next year.
Garden Designer Mark Gregory said: “Marking 30 years at the greatest flower show on earth is a significant moment for me and what better way to celebrate than with a return to designing a garden for the place that shaped me as a person.
Most people who know me, know how proud I am of my roots, so creating the Welcome to Yorkshire Garden is an incredible honour. I want to re-create the magnificence of Yorkshire’s landscape. It deserves to be seen and appreciated by the wider world.”
Our 2017 Silver Medal Winning Garden
‘Welcome to Yorkshire’
This year’s RHS Chelsea garden, named Welcome to Yorkshire, is inspired by the spectacular scenery of the Yorkshire coastline. It showcases the key elements of the county’s beauty with cliffs, a ruined abbey, a pebble beach, and the sea – complete with a fishing boat and lobster pots.
For the second year in a row Welcome to Yorkshire has one of the biggest show gardens at the RHS Chelsea, and every inch of it is authentically Yorkshire. The stone used to build the ruin is sourced from a Yorkshire quarry, and the cliffs are created from material with the same geological composition as Flamborough Head. The plants, flowers and herbs in the garden are native to Yorkshire’s coastal area.
The garden is the creative vision of multi-award winning designer Tracy Foster who was born in Sheffield and now runs a design business from her home in Leeds. For our eighth RHS Chelsea garden, Tracy has taken inspiration from the freshness and wildness of Flamborough and the drama of Yorkshire’s historic castles and abbeys.
The garden’s beautiful shoreline with a fishing boat and lobster pots reflects Yorkshire’s fishing industry heritage, and recognises the rich array of seafood the county supplies to the UK and Europe.
The importance of Yorkshire’s relationship with agriculture, the rural economy and the county’s role as a major food producer is represented by a magnificent trompe l’oeil mural in the stone archway of the ruined abbey. The trompe l’oeil art technique creates a 3D illusion, making the rural scene through the archway seem real.
Two tonnes of coastal pebbles borrowed from South Landing beach in Flamborough* will help recreate Yorkshire’s unique shoreline in Chelsea.
South Landing is one of the locations which has inspired Welcome to Yorkshire’s most ambitious RHS Chelsea garden. Its chalky white pebbles, collected by children from Flamborough Primary School, have distinctive cylindrical holes made by piddocks – molluscs that live on the lower shore and burrow into clay and soft rock.
Experts from the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s Living Seas Centre were on hand during the collection to make sure none of the borrowed stones contained any sea creatures, and to explain more about the area to the pupils.
*All pebbles will be returned to the same site in Flamborough on conclusion of the RHS Chelsea show. Permission has been sought from Natural England, East Riding Council, The Crown Estate, and the Marine Management Organisation. We are very grateful for the advice provided by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and the RNLI.
The Designer
Tracy Foster
Garden designer and RHS Chelsea gold medallist
‘It’s a genuine privilege to bring the beauty of Yorkshire to life at RHS Chelsea, to show visitors from across the UK and the world what a wonderful place our county is. It’s impossible not to be excited and uplifted by the magnificence of our dramatic coastline, and all the wildlife, produce and industry it supports. Authentic materials and native plants bring a true slice of Yorkshire life to the capital, and my aim is to inspire people to come and experience for themselves all that this fabulous county has to offer.’
Garden Time lapse
Explore the Garden
The Welcome to Yorkshire Garden celebrates the stunning Yorkshire coast by bringing a slice of it to the heart of the capital. The garden is inspired by the rugged beauty of Yorkshire’s striking shorelines, the drama of the county’s many historic buildings and Yorkshire’s special relationship with its agricultural heritage. You’ll see a ruined abbey, chalk cliffs, a beach and the sea, with gently rolling waves lapping the shore. The inclusion of a Trompe-l’œil painting within the ruin links this coastal paradise to the farmland beyond. The planting has a wild feeling with plenty of colourful wildflowers, grasses and native trees. Sponsored by Welcome to Yorkshire, the garden’s aim is to highlight the beauty of Yorkshire and inspire people to experience the county for themselves.
Planting
Over 3000 plants suitable for a coastal location can be found in the garden ranging from tiny species of thrift to 5m tall trees. Edible and medicinal plants such as liquorice, fennel, oregano, thyme, salsify and angelica which would have been used in a working Abbey 100’s of years ago have also been included.
Abbey Structure
Built from sandstone, the impressive garden structure celebrates the striking abbeys and castles that can be found across Yorkshire.
Water Feature
Using the principle of moving water by displacement, a buoy is placed in the water attached to a rope and pulley system on a motor creating soft ripples on the shoreline.
Beach
8 tonnes of sand have been collected from Scarborough beach and 2 tonnes of pebbles borrowed from South Landing to help recreate Yorkshire’s dramatic coastline using the unique materials found there.
Chalk Cliffs
Cliffs have been built using chalk from a quarry in East Yorkshire, the same sedimentary strata of which runs all the way to the Yorkshire and coast and the impressive cliffs at Flamborough Head.
Painting
Created by Knaresborough based artist Julie Cope, the inclusion of a trompe l’oeil painting within the ruin links the coastal paradise found within the garden to the farmland beyond. This art technique uses realistic imagery to create the optical illusion that the depicted objects exist in three dimensions and used here, truly captures the beauty of the Yorkshire countryside.
The History of Welcome to Yorkshire at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Welcome to Yorkshire have an established history of taking a slice of our glorious county to London each year for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Here are our previous gardens and the accolades we won!
2010 – Rhubarb Crumble and Custard Garden – Silver Medal
2011 – The Art of Yorkshire Garden – Silver Medal
2012 – The Brontë’s Yorkshire Garden – Gold Medal
2013 – Le Jardin de Yorkshire Garden – Silver Gilt Medal
2014 – Tour de Yorkshire Garden – Silver Medal
2015 – Brewers Yard Garden – Silver Medal
2016 – God’s Own County – A Garden for Yorkshire – Silver Medal
Our gardens have won the prestigious People’s Choice Award six times.
With thanks to our Partners
Landform
Landform is an awarding winning company creating high quality gardens and landscapes. They offer a range of services within the fields of design, construction, planting & maintenance for private, public and commercial spaces. Their experienced team are client focused, proactive & professional, committed to producing & maintaining high calibre schemes. Welcome to Yorkshire are delighted to have worked with them to build this year’s garden.
Richard Clegg
As a specialist in dry stone walling, Richard Clegg has a wealth of experience using new and reclaimed stone, to create dry stone walls, water features and much more with an artistic and craft focussed approach. Richard and his son Lewyn have sourced stone for the garden and built the Abbey, dry stone walls and cliffs.
Marshalls
Marshalls is pleased to be supporting the Welcome to Yorkshire Garden once again at this year’s RHS Chelsea.
Marshalls is proud of its Yorkshire roots having been founded near Halifax in the 1880s, and its headquarters are located near this site today.
The theme of Welcome to Yorkshire’s garden was particularly exciting for Marshalls as the east coast of Yorkshire is one of the most beautiful landscapes in the UK, with a rich vein of history that everyone should visit and admire.
Marshalls is the UK’s leading supplier of hard landscaping materials, providing the products and inspiration to help homeowners across the UK to design and create beautiful and practical, outdoor spaces to enhance their homes.
Jewson
With over 600 branches across the country, Jewson is the UK’s leading supplier of sustainable timber and building materials. The first Jewson branch opened in 1836 – for 180 years we have been supplying building materials and supporting the trade.
Jewson offers the widest range of quality materials and products from everyday core essentials to the latest sustainable innovations – Jewson’s friendly and knowledgeable staff continue to provide the highest levels of customer service. In addition to timber and building materials, Jewson also has specialist landscaping, joinery, insulation, tool hire, brick, kitchen and bathroom centres up and down the country.
Tong Garden Centre
Located in the heart of West Yorkshire, there’s so much more in store for all the family at Tong Garden Centre. Inspiring plant displays, delicious afternoon teas, gorgeous gifts and a fabulous Food Hall, not to mention one of the largest choices for garden furniture plus fantastic outdoor fun for kids at Grass Hoppers! Find out more online at www.tonggardencentre.co.uk
Yorkshire Heart Vineyard
Our award winning wines are produced from grapes grown in our Vineyard at Nun Monkton, York, handpicked by our dedicated team of helpers and processed in our very own modern winery. Winemaker Gillian carefully monitors the wines during the 12 month fermentation/maturation period.
Grahams Quarries
Grahams Quarries at Hillhouse Edge Quarry, is a family business, established in 1918, supplying finished masonry and building stone throughout the UK. They have kindly provided and carved the stone for the Abbey structure in the garden.
Fenstone Quarry
Family business established 1976, with quarries in North and East Yorkshire. Fenstone is a supplier of aggregates to the construction, agricultural, sports grounds and equestrian industries. They have kindly provided the chalk from which the cliffs have been created for the garden.
Bradshaws Direct
Bradshaws Direct is the UK’s favourite water garden supplier. Selling everything for your pond from pumps to pond liners, fish to filters and everything else you might need. Our friendly knowledgeable staff are ready to answer your pond questions on the phone, email or social media and will always help you to choose the right equipment for your pond. We source products from all over the world to bring you great value and excellent performance. Based in the historic City of York we’re proud of our roots and of our service. Bradshaw’s Direct have kindly supplied the underlay and the pond liner for the garden water feature.
Visit us at bradshawsdirect.co.uk
Follow us on Facebook
Tweet us @bradshawsdirect
Biffa
Here at Biffa we operate recycling and waste management services for you in Yorkshire from ten locations across the region. Our specialist services include food waste recycling, single stream or dry mixed recycling, general waste collection and hazardous waste removal.
With years of expertise delivering recycling and waste management in Yorkshire, we‘re here to make your organisation’s waste processes seamless.
Our recycling centre in Bradford offers a complete recycling facility for dry mixed recyclables, such as glass, cardboard, plastics and metals. Our food waste facility across Yorkshire enables an environmentally friendly solution to recycling, with the waste converted into renewable energy at one of our anaerobic digestion plants.
All businesses, whatever their size, have different waste requirements. You can rely on our team of experts to provide you with waste management solutions that best suits your needs and will contribute to your sustainability commitments and help you to maintain a cost effective system.
Contact us today to ask about a free waste audit.
Follow Biffa on Social Media for news and exclusive content
Brownridge Transport
Brownridge Transport is a well-established general haulage company based in Leeds. Operating a modern tail lift fleet of rigid and curtain sided vehicles, they offer complete coverage of the UK and Europe. They have helped transport materials for the garden.
brownridgetransport.co.uk
Tiger Sheds
Tiger Sheds manufacture and supply the highest quality garden sheds and garden buildings to the UK. Made right in the heart of Leeds, West Yorkshire our skilled craftsmanship is put into each shed and log cabin we make. From tool stores to garden sheds or children’s playhouses to log cabins we have a wide variety of buildings to suit all gardens. We also manufacture the world’s first Zombie Fortification Cabin and Spider Proof Shed which have been widely popular across not only the UK but also world.
Outhwaite Ropemakers
Outhwaites Ropemakers of Hawes – also the Yorkshire Dales home of Wensleydale cheese – produce specialist rope and braid products, including barrier ropes, bannister ropes and dog leads. Outhwaites have kindly supplied the rope around the garden.
Gayle Mill
Gayle Mill is a restored 19th century sawmill with Victorian woodworking machinery driven by a water powered turbine. Visit their website to learn more about Mill Tours, Heritage Education, Wood products, Events and Volunteering. Gayle Mill have kindly supplied the posts around the garden.
Rolawn
Rolawn, based just outside York, is Europe’s largest producer of cultivated turf and is also recognised as Britain’s leading supplier of high quality sustainable topsoils, mulches, barks and composts. The Rolawn brand is the recognised benchmark of quality and service, achieved through a commitment to advanced production processes, a company-wide culture of innovation and attention to detail in all areas for over 40 years.
Our renowned Medallion® turf is Britain’s biggest selling and most frequently specified. Our products have been incorporated into over 200 medal winning gardens at RHS horticultural shows. Achieved through our dedicated drive for technically superior products and market leading service levels.
Scarborough Council
Scarborough Council have been kind enough to lend us a boat for the garden as well as some genuine lobster pots and other fishing memorabilia to help highlight the importance of the county’s agricultural and fishing industries.
Visit Hull and East Yorkshire
Nature lovers won’t be disappointed as Hull and East Yorkshire’s heritage coastline has a rugged beauty all of its own. Jagged cliffs, sheltered coves, and windswept headlands, all add up to an amazing place to visit. Nearby Bridlington makes the perfect holiday destination as well as a fun filled day out. Take your time to explore the surrounding area such as the enchanting market town of Beverley, home to Beverley Minster. Or why not explore the beautiful Yorkshire Wolds and follow the Wolds Way across this breathtaking landscape? A visit to Hull provides the perfect opportunity to sample all that Hull 2017 UK City of Culture has to offer.