episode 33 | show notes & advice
episode description
With the highly anticipated, and slightly belated, Chelsea Flower Show 2021 just a week away, this week’s episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ offers us a perfect chance to talk with one of the show’s most prolific and accomplished garden designers - the wonderful Ann-Marie Powell.
Missing just a single year of the show since 1997 (understandably for the birth of her now-12-year-old), Ann-Marie shares the tales from her formative years and TV career that fuelled her botanical passion, her visionary approach to designing a captivating garden, and what we can expect from a Chelsea show which promises to bring some seasonal surprises.
in this episode, discover...
• Ann-Marie’s inspiring experiences with gardening through her formative years
• The passion behind Ann-Marie’s exciting designs and delightful presence on social media
• Which show stopping flowers will be stealing the spotlight at RHS Chelsea this year
• How Ann-Marie and the team are creating their gorgeous exhibition with such a tight turnaround time
links and references
Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Episode 33 advice sheet
In this episode Arthur talks to his friend Ann-Marie Powell, the acclaimed and ever cheerful multi-award-winning garden designer, garden judge, television presenter and writer. Most recently Ann-Marie began a hugely successful Instagram profile @myrealgarden where she guided many new and old gardeners alike through lockdowns by tutoring and talking to them daily from her own garden in an incredibly personal, informative and friendly manner. This quickly saw her become a huge presence within garden social media due to her dedication of teaching gardening to her avid followers who tune into her live tours and chats each week.
Ann-Marie divides her time between designing innovative gardens for private clients, companies, and charities, and still finds time to garden at home. Arthur talks chats about her journey from childhood to the present day, looking back at her time of being a garden presenter and how being a garden designer works for high end clients, how to manage expectations and how the garden design works from planning to planting.
Her motto is plants; people; place.
They both talk about what they hope to see at Chelsea flower show this September, particularly with the unique date in autumn, and how the pandemic has impacted the show garden industry, mentioning professional growers such as Hortus Loci who are supplying some of the plants for Ann-Marie’s Gaze Burvill garden furniture stand (positioned on main avenue). Whilst it’s not being judged as a show garden, the display will still be being judged by the RHS as a trade stand.
Arthur is taking dahlias from Perch Hill and will be showcasing a new collection from the Spring 2022 range to arrange and display to complement Ann-Marie’s design and the garden furniture. He will also be styling the Gaze Burvill stand with an array of Sarah Raven vases, candlesticks, lights, napkins plus more - so excitement is very much in the air.
