Covent Garden is set to be reimagined as a breathtaking Show Garden at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, bringing a much-loved part of London to the world-renowned event for the first time.
‘500 Years of Covent Garden’ will be designed by award-winning garden designer Lee Bestall to showcase the area’s rich horticultural heritage. The garden celebrates Covent Garden’s early roots as a fruit orchard until the 16th century and later as a flower market, as well as the iconic architecture it is known for today, including the Market Building.
The Show Garden is sponsored by Capco, the landowner and steward of Covent Garden, in partnership with the Sir Simon Milton Foundation, the Westminster based charity which champions opportunities for young and old. In celebration of the close long-standing relationship between the partners, the subject matter for the garden was chosen to provide a unique space reflective of the neighbourhood, past and present.
The central feature will include a mature, 60 year-old apple tree, harking back not only to the early beginnings of ‘Convent Garden’ as an orchard, belonging to and supplying the monk’s table at Westminster Abbey, but also to the 300 year-old provenance of the neighbourhood as a fruit and flower market. Flowering herbaceous plants will reflect the colours of apple blossom and large steel structures will reflect the distinctive arches of Covent Garden’s Grade II listed Market Building.
Reclaimed cobble pathways will guide visitors into the centre of the garden, just as the surrounding streets do into Covent Garden’s Piazza. A central seating area, paved with reclaimed York stone, provides a place to sit and relax, inspired by the social and modern dining environment of the Piazza which, as London’s first public square, was designed to bring people together.
Commenting on the announcement, Lee Bestall, garden designer, said; “I’m incredibly excited about bringing retired orchard trees to Chelsea to help tell the fascinating backstory of Covent Garden through a beautiful, relaxing space designed for people to share a special moment in together – just like the Covent Garden we know and love today”.
Beverley Churchill, Creative Director, Capco, said; “We are thrilled to be celebrating the rich heritage of Covent Garden, with a garden that we are proud to sponsor on behalf of the Sir Simon Milton Foundation, at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show. Lee’s design for the garden is remarkable and demonstrates our ongoing passion and commitment to creating high quality green open space for the public to enjoy at both of our London estates”.
Cllr Robert Davis MBE DL, Founder and Trustee of the Sir Simon Milton Foundation and Deputy Leader of Westminster City Council, said: “We’re delighted to be back at Chelsea Flower Show and working closely with Covent Garden who share our vision of offering more opportunities, spaces and activities for those living in the capital. We strive to continue Simon’s vision of a society in which communities care, the young aspire and older people thrive and I look forward to seeing the many visitors at Chelsea enjoying the garden”.
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