It took a whopping 8 tonnes of Scarborough sand, 11 tonnes of Yorkshire chalkstone, 9 tonnes of sandstone, and 2 tonnes of Flamborough pebbles to create the most ambitious RHS Chelsea garden yet.
The amazing Welcome to Yorkshire garden at RHS Chelsea was awarded a Silver medal by RHS Chelsea judges, the garden was designed by Leeds-based garden designer Tracy Foster. It featured a cliff, a real beach with a gently lapping sea, a spectacular abbey ruin, and more than 3000 coastal trees and plants thriving in the heart of the capital.
Tracy Foster had taken inspiration from Yorkshire’s stunning coastline for the beach scenery, adding the county’s iconic drystone walls and historic ruins to complete the vision.
With the help of local schoolchildren, Tracy borrowed* pebbles from Flamborough South Landing to create a real Yorkshire beach complete with a fishing boat and lobster pots.
At 36 square metres, the sea took up around a third of the 20.5×10 metre garden and was powered by a bespoke movement creating machine.
The 11 tonnes of chalkstone for the beach cliffs was genuine Flamborough rock, sourced from a quarry in Huggate near Beverley that’s part of a geological seam which breaks out at Flamborough Head.
A trompe l’oeil mural by Knaresborough-based artist Julie Cope decorated the ruined abbey, its 3D effect depicted a rural scene through the stone archway and highlighted the county’s passionate food heritage.
Garden designer Tracy Foster said: “The Welcome to Yorkshire garden has been a joy to create, our county has a wealth of inspirational natural beauty, history and industry.
“The plants, buildings and landscape of Yorkshire were at the heart of the garden, and I was delighted to be showcasing them on a world stage at RHS Chelsea.”
The Welcome to Yorkshire garden was kindly supported by East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Jewson, Marshalls, Bradshaws Direct, Grahams Quarries, Fenstone Quarry, Biffa, Gayle Mill, Outhwaite Ropemakers, Scarborough Council, Brownridge Transport, Tong Garden Centre, Rolawn.
*All pebbles were returned to the same site in Flamborough on conclusion of the RHS Chelsea show. Permission was sought from Natural England, East Riding Council, The Crown Estate, and the Marine Management Organisation. They were very grateful for the advice provided by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and the RNLI.
