The Still Garden at The Chelsea Flower Show
Posted on 14th June 2022
At the Isle Mill we believe passionately in collaboration, craftsmanship and creativity, so we were delighted to become involved with an exciting project involving The Chelsea Flower Show.
This RHS gold medal-winning garden also won the trophy for Best Show Garden in its category.
‘The Still Garden’ was designed by accomplished garden designer Jane Porter and was inspired by her background in Scotland, bringing a glimpse of Scotland to The Chelsea Flower Show.
The garden was the first Scottish garden to feature at the show in 17 years and sent a clear message, encouraging reuse, repurposing and creativity. This tranquil space focused on plants that thrive in the Scottish climate. The dry stone walling and the clever use of upcycled whisky casks and copper distillery vessels displayed traditional crafts, bringing to life the character of this award-winning garden.
It was wonderful to hear Scottish soprano Lee Bisset performing Robert Burns songs on press day, bringing a sense of authenticity and Scottish charm.
The garden also featured upcycled textiles by talented Scottish textile designer Andrea Chappell.
Andrea is passionate about sustainability, hand-making and locally sourced materials. Combining these elements, along with her heritage skills of kiltmaking and printmaking, Andrea promotes a more sustainable means of making, using deadstock, repurposed and vintage textiles.
The Isle Mill collaborated with Andrea on fabric for a stunning hand-made kilt outfit for the garden designer Jane to wear at the show, which features end-of-line fabric from our archives. The fabric was then hand-printed and embroidered to reflect the plants of the garden.
It was a pleasure to be involved in this inspiring project.
Main Featured Image – The two ladies pictured in the garden image are Andrea Chappell (left) & Jane Porter (right), the two designers we talk about in the blog.
Photo Credit: Emma Wilkinson & Andrea Chappell