Award-Winning Chelsea Flower Show Garden
We were appointed to construct The Extending Space for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2014, working alongside designers Nicole Fischer and Daniel Auderset of Auderset Fischer Design.
Built on Main Avenue, the garden was awarded an RHS Silver-Gilt medal. It was an exciting opportunity for our team to deliver a detailed show garden using timberwork, paving, metalwork and planting within Chelsea’s famously tight construction schedule.
Every part of the build needed to be carefully coordinated so that the garden felt complete and established when the show opened. This required close attention to the relationship between the main structural elements, the changes in level and the softer planting throughout the space.
Inspired by the Swiss landscape
The garden was inspired by the Pfyn Forest in the Swiss Valais, an area characterised by pine woodland, open meadow landscapes and a distinctive mountain setting.
The design explored how a compact 10m by 10m garden could feel connected to a much larger landscape. Strong lines, framed views and changes in scale helped draw the eye beyond the garden’s physical boundaries.
The contrast between the sheltered woodland and the lighter meadow planting was central to the concept. It recreated the feeling of moving through a forest before looking out towards a wider and more open landscape.
You can read more about the original design concept in Auderset Fischer’s Chelsea show garden leaflet.
Bringing the design to life
A substantial timber structure formed the main architectural feature, with repeated beams framing views through the garden. Swiss granite paving and copper detailing added to the contemporary design.
These harder materials were softened by woodland and meadow-inspired planting, creating contrast, movement and a strong sense of place.
Our role was to bring these different materials together as one cohesive garden. The precision of the timberwork and paving needed to sit naturally alongside the more relaxed planting so that the finished result felt considered rather than overly constructed.
Our team translated Auderset Fischer’s detailed design into a finished Main Avenue garden ready for judging and the opening of the show.
Every element had to be carefully coordinated so the garden appeared settled, balanced and established within a very short build period. The finished space demonstrated the level of planning and craftsmanship required to deliver a garden at RHS Chelsea.
We were proud to see The Extending Space receive an RHS Silver-Gilt medal. The project showed how thoughtful landscaping, repeated materials and carefully framed views can make even a relatively compact outdoor space feel more generous and connected.
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