Queen Elizabeth II Garden on Gardeners’ World

I suppose the problem is that garden makeover programmes and the gardens shown at The Chelsea flower show, give the impression that new gardens are “instant”, that there will be no gaps and everything will look full and lush immediately.

Reality, of course, is quite different. To do a garden properly takes time, and will take years to fully mature, particularly gardens on the scale of the one shown this week on GW.

I’ve no doubt that in years to come, it will look absolutely stunning. In the meantime, it needs time to grow and evolve.

MiniMoon

As Mr. Brown would have said, it has great capabilities for improvement.
I thought it looked lovely and it will only get better with time.
The way they decided to use the old concrete for the Mediterranean planting was interesting. I'd love to go up to London to see it, but travelling from the North East means staying in London which I'd prefer not to do.

I used to travel down on from Glasgow to london on the overnight sleeper train; straight to Chelsea flower show for a whole day, theatre in the evening then back home that night on the sleeper train .

Redcar

Just watched a lady showing Carol Klein how they take cuttings of a plant!!

she was showing CK how they propagate the enormous number of plants required; those cuttings were inserted into a very tiny rooting sleeve. New to me.

Such mass-propagation methods on a huge scale are unlike the home-gardener methods often demontrated on Gardeners Wprld by CK and others.

aggie

I was wondering what would take over from the spring bulbs ?
I have those little tulips in my border , they are a lovely spring flower , nice alone but I have Alliums and other things already taking over ,
I do agree it’s better than throwing the entire flora at it , but it is a bit bare

The whole point of the garden was that it should be sustainable in climate change , wildlife friendly, and the planting will thrive in hotter drier conditions London is already experiencing.

The original site was full of concrete which has been ground up to a gravelly aggregate and mixed with the heavy clay beneath it to make a fertile but freedraining medium. The plants are chosen to suit that environment; the perennials ( being propagated and raised onsite) will be suited to the local conditions, typically mediterranean plants; I spotted rosemary ( already in ) and Carol Klein mentioned salvias; plus euphorbias . The species tulips will thrive and self seed along with many other bulbs. All those plants will support bees butterflies and other insects, and wildlife that feed on insects ( birds, bats,)

The choice of bulbs will provide a succession of flowers over many months, from spring to summer bulbs.

All the above information was provided in the program.

I thought I was the only one who disliked Carol Klein? It’s also the way she throws her hands around in theatrical gestures. I do wonder, however, if she is told to do it. I did see one programme where she had the whole show, talking about plants in her garden I believe, and she was almost normal.

I wish they’d pension Carol Klein off.
Her irritating voice and simpering over everything & everyone ruins any gardening program she’s in.

Can’t wait to visit the new garden in Regents Park though - the Queen would have loved it I’m sure.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was amazed at the soil until it was explained. I would like to see a month by month photo shot as the garden begins to grow and establish.

I thought the spring display absolutely beautiful and can picture in my minds eye how the garden may look season by season. Salvias are such a good mainstay in every garden, and I guess given climate change and London’s heat retention, it will dictate what they can grow successfully.

If I’m still around in 10 years time it will be in its full glory and a lovely place to visit I’m sure.

Cressy

I remember visiting the newly established RHS Bridgewater a few years ago. It was in its infancy. Now it is really starting to mature and looks amazing. I imagine it will continue to improve. I think the same will happen to the Queen Elizabeth garden.

I also visited Bridgewater about 5 years ago, it was rather bare. Your post reminded me that I must go back and see the difference.
I enjoyed the GW episode on the Queen Elizabeth garden and look forward to following the developments when I’m in London. Such a lovely idea, especially as it’s made use of the old nursery site and greenhouse structures.

It is a new garden and as someone said not a show garden like Chelsea. There were thousands of perennials being planted but if you are going to grow them in poor soil that will be free draining the plants have to be grown hard so no use putting big lush plants in as they would not survive. In Beth Chatto’s dry garden in Essex, the plants have to be robust and look after themselves and be able to put down long roots to get through periods of drought. Young plants are proven to be the best bet and these used in the Queen’s Garden were being propagated to grow well in the fairly harsh environment, not like the pampered ones you get at garden centres. .

Yes it will look wonderful once the plants are established but for gardeners the programme was very interesting as we are all have to change the way we garden in future years. I have a very free draining soil and, as I cannot afford to water all summer. I have had to give up growing lots of the old favouites.

Looked a bit bare but it is very early days

midgey

It’s in London’s Regent Park.

I love Regent's Park! Maybe I'll see it one day...

As Mr. Brown would have said, it has great capabilities for improvement.
I thought it looked lovely and it will only get better with time.
The way they decided to use the old concrete for the Mediterranean planting was interesting. I'd love to go up to London to see it, but travelling from the North East means staying in London which I'd prefer not to do.

They are glorious, Georgesgran, and the swings in the orchard are fun.

It was like they had planted lots of bulbs on a beach.

It might look better in the summer.

Just another ‘plug’ for up here in the NE.
Alnwick gardens now has the biggest collection of cherry blossom trees in the World!

It’s in London’s Regent Park.

Where is it?

I think the head garden said that alliums would follow and presumably other herbaceous plants will soon make an appearance.

Photo

These tulips are great for spreading

I was wondering what would take over from the spring bulbs ?
I have those little tulips in my border , they are a lovely spring flower , nice alone but I have Alliums and other things already taking over ,
I do agree it’s better than throwing the entire flora at it , but it is a bit bare

I assumed it would have looked better to someone in front of it rather than on camera. They obvs wanted the publicity ahead of opening. I liked the mass planting of pre-scattered bulbs. Had no idea Regents Park was so large.

We visited Alnwick Castle Gardensat different times of the year in 2021 and again in 2022. It is fabulous. All new horticultural projects take their time to get going. We have a country park near us that was a former open cast coal mine. In its infancy it was nothing to look at. Now it is a truly beautiful, diverse environment. Nature doesn’t stand still.

I remember visiting the newly established RHS Bridgewater a few years ago. It was in its infancy. Now it is really starting to mature and looks amazing. I imagine it will continue to improve. I think the same will happen to the Queen Elizabeth garden.

I quite enjoyed it in bits. That lovely man who sang to his cuttings in the huge greenhouse. Also sadly advice on hotter drier weather planting.