Aussies Best in Show at Chelsea

The Trailfinders Australian Garden by Flemings Nurseries has won the top honour at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show.

After nine years of presenting show gardens at the Royal Horticultural Society’s world-famous Chelsea Flower Show in London, the Australian contingent has made history, being presented with a Best in Show medal at the awards ceremony – a feat never before achieved by an Australian team.

Designed by sustainable landscaper, Phillip Johnson of Phillip Johnson landscapes, the Best in Show medal at what is regarded as the Olympics of the horticulture world, represents something of a career zenith for the already highly-awarded landscape firm.

“Being involved in Chelsea was a dream come true for myself and my team," says Johnson. “Winning an award amongst contemporaries of this calibre is absolutely mind-blowing. We couldn’t be more proud of what we have achieved, it’s been an incredible experience.

“We came here with a very ambitious vision – to showcase Australia, our horticultural industry and to educate the world on the possibilities of sustainable landscape design. This presented challenges from the other side of the world, but we knew we only had one chance to make the impact necessary to educate, and that’s what we have done,” he says.

The garden is a sustainable habitat complete with a monolithic stone gorge, running waterfalls, a studio structure and billabong.

Phillip Johnson is well known for his sustainable landscape approach. This design is maintained by an integrated water management system independent from mains water, reducing the impact on the storm water infrastructure by retaining and recycling storm water run-off.

A 3m3 studio designed by Melbourne-based architecture firm, Studio 505, was a key feature in the garden’s design and had been crafted specifically for the Queen’s height.

The finished design took a total of 17 days and over 2500 person-hours to build using a team of 18 volunteers, and 38 tonnes of tools, equipment, materials and plants sourced both locally and abroad.

Click below to see a montage video of the build.

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