Proudly Canadian: Royal Bank Of Canada Garden

 Today we are celebrating Canada Day across the nation. To celebrate Canada Day on the blog, here is one of the award winning gardens presented at the Chelsea Flower Show in London last May through the Royal Bank of Canada Garden. This garden was designed by British garden designer, Matthew Wilson who is the managing director and principal designer at Clifton Nurseries. This garden was designed by Matthew to also show RBC's Blue Water Project which is a 10 year global programme for water conservation and cleaning. The garden was designed to be easy to live with and demonstrated that home gardens can be sustainable and easily managed. The flowers and plants in this garden were so pretty and well blended together including the gigantic bonsai plant in the middle which turned out to be 150 years old! The RBC Garden was one of my favourite gardens during the Chelsea Flower Show. I heard some really positive reactions from the spectators around me and we even hoped that it will win the People's Choice Award. Unfortunately, the People's Choice Award was won by Prince Harry's Sentebale - Hope In Vulnerability Garden. This RBC Garden was awarded the Gold Gilt (Medal) during the show. This garden has been a truly proudly Canadian garden during the Chelsea Flower Show as it not only represented the goals of the RBC Blue Water Project but has also shown Canada's active participation in preserving nature and in our national trait of always helping others. 

 

  The garden was divided into three sections: a zero irrigation dry garden, a central water and harvesting and storage zone and an edible garden. 

 

 

After the Chelsea Flower Show, the Royal Bank of Canada Garden will be relocated to the Earl Mountbatten Hospice on the Isle of Wight, with the help of  UK charity Greenfingers. 

Happy Canada Day!

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Harrods Pop-Up Windows

 A trip to London will not be complete without a visit to Harrods in Knightsbridge. Harrods is one of my favourite department stores in the World. One of the best in the world is their Harrods Windows. To celebrate the Chelsea Flower Show, Harrods displayed on their windows  pop-up flowers representing the several luxury perfumes. As my friend Paul and I walked passed by each window, he pointed out to me that there were perfume scents coming out from the windows. Yes, it was so fragrant as you walked by but it was not a strong scent but a subtle fragrant smell from each of the perfumes. It was truly clever for Harrods to do that. Only they know how they did that effect. I also shared some of their side store windows here which are all so floral and elegant. Everything in Harrods is truly special and extravagant. Enjoy here their spectacular window displays. 

 My favourite Prada Iris perfume was represented here at Harrods.

 

 

 

 

 Their side windows showed extravagant and elegant floral displays.

 

 

 

Harrods Pop-up Flowers at the Chelsea Flower Show.

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Enchanting Chelsea Flower Show

 I was so delighted to finally realise my dream to attend the RHS Chelsea Flower Show held in Chelsea, London. The whole show is the world's best gardening show featuring various gardening and landscaping designs from the UK. Of course, the UK is well known for their English gardens with their mix of lush and colourful flora and fauna. Most of these gardens were designed with a certain theme depending on their corporate sponsors. The nice thing about the Show was these gardens will be relocated on to their various charities around the UK. The judges also chose the Flower of Year and handed out the Gold and Silver medals to these gardens. Every garden wins. It is just a matter of getting the Gold or the Silver medal. There is also the People's Choice Award which was announced on the last day of the Show. The day I visited was full of people! You got to be patient to see the gardens up close and take your best shot. But what I will remember the most is seeing all these beautiful flowers, the colours and most of all the various smells of these gardens. It was just so fragrant everywhere! There was so much beauty around. The Chelsea Flower Show was truly a celebration of flowers and gardens. Here are my favourite gardens from the show. 

 

 

 Morgan Stanley Healthy Cities Garden which will be relocated to a community project in Poplar, East London. The garden is an artistic interpretation of a community garden designed by Chris Beardshaw. I love the irises and mix of various flowers and green on this garden. 

 A Perfumer's Garden in Grasse, sponsored by L'Occitane en Provence.

 This garden celebrates the declining perfume industry in Grasse. It shows a peaceful oasis of olive trees mixed with water and various lavender which the Provencal region is famous for. 

The Hidden Beauty of Kranji , sponsored by Esmond Landscape and Uniseal. The garden featured the national flower of Singapore, the Papilionanthe Miss Joaquim. 

 

 This garden showed various exotic orchids, waterfalls, a tropical environment of various plants and flowers found in Kranji, a suburb of Singapore. 

 Time in Between, sponsored by Husqvarna and Gardena. 

According to the Guide, Charlie Albone has designed this garden as a space to tell his late father about his life since the elder man's passing. It is a space to reflect, contemplate, celebrate and enjoy life.

The circular water fountain actually fill with water to represent his late father full of life then suddenly the water recedes to represent the loss of life. 

 Such an exotic flower. 

 The Beauty of Islam, sponsored by Al Barari from the United Arab Emirates.

 This garden was planted with olives, rosemary, citrus and cardamon. It is simple but very elegant, made with marble and mother of pearl and so peaceful. 

 The Brewin Dolphin Garden sponsored by Brewin Dolphin. This garden featured these hand-cut slate that form the surface. It is very modern but natural.

 The Laurent-Perrier Chatsworth Garden featured the rock formation gardens  inspired by the gardens of the Chatsworth Estate. 

I liked this bath tub in the green house. It was so fragrant inside and chic! 

 

  Some fashion style from the Chelsea Flower Show.

There were lots of Champagne and Pimm's drinking all around.

 The People's Choice Award was given to the Sentebale - Hope in Vulnerability Garden.

Sentebale was the Charity founded by Prince Harry to help the vulnerable children of Lesotho in Africa. The architecture and garden presented here showcased the landscape of Lesotho in South Africa. 

 

Enchanting and breathtaking, Chelsea Flower Show!

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