Wednesday 21 May 2014 Chelsea Flower & Show: the Homes highlights

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London’s best property search website: homesandproperty.co.uk 18 WEDNESDAY 21 MAY 2014 EVENING STANDARD

Homes & Property Design homesandproperty.co.uk with

ANDY STURGEON GARDEN DESIGNER

NDY STURGEON, daily commentator on the Chelsea Flower Show for ABBC TV this week, is a leading garden designer and has won Gold at the show six times, as well as Best in Show. Renowned for dynamic, architectural spaces that fuse traditional materials with contemporary styling, he has been commissioned to create three vast roof gardens on top of . Projects for his Brighton-based company range from town terraces to large country estates, and he works in Russia, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and throughout the UK. He regularly presents TV gardening programmes for the BBC.

MY LATEST PROJECT Bright lights: the neon wonderland, We are working on a public park above, of shop God’s Own Junkyard which will replace the exhibition centre as part of the Earls Court Contemporary: garden furniture, left, redevelopment. But perhaps our at Barbed, Barnes High Street most exciting current project are the three “Gardens of the Elements”, Double deal: lunch, right, to match private and communal gardens of the views at the Aqua Shard, level 31 two and half acres sitting on Battersea Power Station. Inspired by fire, water and air, they reference the

history of the site and materials will POOLE STEVE incorporate recycled brick and steel from the original power station. By Pattie Barron MOST COVETED DESIGN OBJECT I am obsessed with architecture. is probably not the best city for contemporary buildings but there My design London are some real jewels. One is the copper Leaf House in Mayfair by sculpture and things you just didn’t extremely varied exhibitions in the the and the Aquarium and service are all pretty good, but Squire and Partners. Inspired by a expect. The internet is all very well — past including Anish Kapoor and the and usually start with the Leake the views are awe-inspiring. I get a nearby Virginia creeper, the detailing but you shouldn’t buy a chair without recent architectural Sensing Spaces. I Street graffiti tunnel near Waterloo, kick out of how green London looks is exquisite, the building is beautiful sitting in it. can’t wait for next month’s Dennis and then whatever off-the-wall show from up there. and it sits so comfortably in its Hopper photography exhibition. is on at The Vaults gallery there. Then historic surroundings. WHERE I SEEK DESIGN it’s buskers, food markets and maybe BEST PLACE FOR PLANTS INSPIRATION WHERE I LIKE TO ESCAPE a performance at the Festival Hall. New is open to the GREAT FOR GARDEN BUYS I’m a member of the Royal Academy Wandering around London aimlessly public and it is worth an early start to Barbed in Barnes High Street is and I’m a constant visitor. I tend to get is one of my favourite pastimes and BEST RESTAURANT see just how colossal the gardening probably the best place to find much of my inspiration from art and with my three young boys in tow, the Lunch at Aqua Shard on level 31 is business is in all its many facets, as contemporary garden furniture, they have had some incredible and South Bank is unbeatable. We ignore unexpectedly great. The food, wine swarms of florists graze the endless EVENING STANDARD WEDNESDAY 21 MAY 2014 1

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shop is open from Friday to Sunday only, but he now has an outlet in as well. His incredible neon creations definitely have a place in the garden or home. FAVOURITE LANDMARK I’ve loved the BT Tower since I was a child, and as a cyclist, it’s an excellent landmark for navigating your way around that part of London. is a close second. Its architect, Richard Seifert, was much maligned in his day but it’s interesting to see how his buildings have actually stood the test of time. At the other end of the scale, I can’t stand the Walkie Talkie building and think it’s a real blot on the London skyline. NEXT GARDEN TREND I don’t think gardens really follow trends as we are a bit slow at adopting the latest thing. I’ve been making modern gardens for Object of desire: decades but people still love the The Leaf House Arts & Crafts and 19th-century in Mayfair, landscapes. I would love us all to above, clad in be a bit more forward thinking copper in the garden.

Magical space: FAVOURITE CHELSEA azaleas in bloom, FLOWER SHOW MOMENT left, at the Possibly seeing a well-known Isabella journalist fall backwards into my Plantation pond clutching a glass of champagne. I don’t think a drop was spilled. That Classic design: was a fun night. Winning Best in the BT Tower, Show in 2010 was also pretty special. right, has become one of BEST OUTDOOR SPACE London’s most has a really special familiar place in my heart with its landmarks — unobstructed views of St Paul’s especially for and the City. I have cycled, run and cyclists dog-walked there, and have very ALAMY fond memories, especially of the magical Isabella Plantation with all its stalls and traders rush plant-laden fence yourself into a box, but aim for larger the pot, the less frequently it should be considered as part of the rhododendrons and azaleas. trollies towards the waiting vans of a sense of privacy with a strategically needs watering. Road and aeroplane design and can contribute gardeners. You can get some real placed tree or large shrub, or noise can be a problem in London. enormously to the overall look. TOP DESTINATIONS bargains but you have to buy perhaps a row of pleached A simple water feature with a Players Bar in Villiers Street, in bulk. hornbeams, like a hedge on sticks, fountain of some kind takes SECRET SHOP Charing Cross, is an unexpectedly that takes up very little space at the edge off, and helps to enforce God’s Own Junkyard. Artist and random, boisterous piano bar TIPS TO TRANSFORM ground level. that oasis quality of a town owner Chris Bracey likens the new over a theatre. It stays open late and A GARDEN Avoid putting too much into your garden. home for his neon-sign wonderland gets quite raucous. I have ended London gardens are frequently garden, as it will look cluttered. A Don’t add furniture as an in Walthamstow to the look of Blade many happy nights out there overlooked so creating privacy can row of three large matching pots is afterthought. It will probably be Runner — and you certainly get during Chelsea Flower Show, though be vital. Don’t be tempted to wall or better than lots of small ones, and the very visible from the house, so transported to another world. The I can’t remember all of them in detail.