At the 2024 RHS Chelsea flower show, a new award of RHS Children's Choice was judged by primary school children from nine London schools. 72 children visited eight show gardens to assess each one on three criteria:
- Is the garden a good place to play?
- Is the garden attractive to wildlife?
- How does the garden make you feel?
The junior judges were chosen for their passion for growing plants in garden clubs at their schools, including growing their own food and encouraging wildlife into gardens.
The Octavia Hill Garden by Blue Diamond with the National Trust, designed by Ann-Marie Powell was awarded the Children's Choice award this morning (May 21st). Octavia Hill was a founder of the National Trust, Blue Diamond garden centres and the National Trust sponsored the garden. The garden was also awarded a Silver Gilt in the general RHS awards for show gardens.
Ann-Marie Powell joined the HPS in February this year after meeting our team at the Garden Press Event in London.
- You can read more about the award-winning garden here: https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show/Gardens/2024/octavia-hill-garden
- You can find out more about Anne-Marie here: https://www.ann-mariepowell.com
- The announcement from the Chelsea show is here https://www.ann-mariepowell.com/news-rhs-chelsea-2024/
This gallery shows three concept images Ann-Marie produced before building the garden; the rest are from her Instagram feed of the real thing. These images are shown by permission of her team.
Plant List
Ann-Marie's plant list is below and linked to the plants in the HPS plant library where possible.
Trees and Hedging
Carpinus coreana
Celtis sinensis
Lagerstroemia ‘Natchez'
Maackia amurensis
Platanus acerifolia
Zanthoxylum simulans
ZONE 1 – BRIGHT & EXUBERANT
Bupleurum longifolium ‘Bronze Beauty'
Calendula officinalis ‘Sunset Buff'
Centaurea cyanus ‘Black Ball'
Dipsacus fullonum
Papaver somniferum ‘Dark Plum'
Reseda luteola
Smyrnium perfoliatum
Allium ‘Forelock' 3/pot
Allium atropurpureum
Allium scorodoprasum ‘Art'
Iris germanica ‘Drama Queen'
Iris x hollandica ‘Picasso'
Athyrium filix-femina ‘Lady in Red'
Bouteloua grac. ‘Bad River'/Blonde Ambition
Briza media
Achillea millefolium ‘Credo'
Aquilegia viridiflora ‘Chocolate Soldier'
Aruncus ‘Horatio'
Asphodeline lutea
Baptisia ‘Burgundy Blast'
Euphorbia ceratocarpa
Geranium phaeum ‘Samobor'
Iris ‘Rajah'
Phlomis russeliana
Scabiosa ochroleuca
Uvularia grandiflora
Verbascum ‘Cotwold Beauty'
Rosa x odorata ‘Mutabilis'
Lonicera ‘Purple Storm'
ZONE 2 – BRIGHT & EXUBERANT
Daucus ‘Dara'
Papaver somniferum ‘Laurens Grape'
Allium ‘Yellow Fantasy'
Dryopteris affinis
Osmunda regalis
Hakonechloa macra ‘Nicolas'
Imperata cylindrica ‘Rubra'
Melica altissima ‘Alba'
Alchemilla erythropoda
Astrantia ‘Burgundy Manor'
Centaurea scabiosa
Cephalaria gigantea
Digiplexis ‘Illumination Raspberry'
Euphorbia palustris
Geranium ‘Catherine Deneuve'
Geum ‘Scarlet Tempest'
Geum ‘Totally Tangerine'
Iris ‘Holden Clough'
Paeonia ‘Buckeye Belle'
Paeonia ‘Kopper Kettle'
Paeonia ‘Orange Victory'
Salvia ‘La Mancha'
Trifolium incarnatum
Zizia aurea
ZONE 3 – COLOURFUL WOODLAND EDGE
Lunaria annua ‘Chedglow'
Allium triquetrum
Asplenium scolopendrium
Polystichum ‘Herrenhausen'
Hakonechloa macra ‘Nicolas'
Melica altissima ‘Alba'
Anthriscus sylvestris
Anthriscus sylvestris ‘Ravenswing'
Digitalis lanata ‘CafÈ CrËme'
Disporum longistylum ‘Night Heron'
Euphorbia cornigera
Geranium ‘Catherine Deneuve'
Geum ‘Scarlet Tempest'
Geum ‘Totally Tangerine'
Gillenia trifoliata
Hosta ‘Devon Green'
Tellima grandiflora
Thalictrum ‘Elin'
Thalictrum kiusianum
Uvularia grandiflora
Valeriana officinalis
Buddleja ‘Sophie'
Buddleja davidii ‘Flower Power'
Colutea ‘Copper Beauty'
Parrotiopsis jacquemontiana
Sambucus nigra f. laciniata
Viburnum ‘Sweet Talker'
Hedera helix
ZONE 4 – BRIGHT & EXUBERANT
Anethum graveolens ‘Mariska'
Allium ‘Summer Drummer'
Allium ‘Toabago'
Iris ‘Dutch Chocolate'/Kent Pride
Polystichum ‘Herrenhausen'
Deschampsia cespitosa ‘Goldschlier'
Achillea millefolium ‘Safran'
Aquilegia atrata
Centaurea scabiosa
Geranium phaeum ‘Joseph Green'
Scabiosa ochroleuca
Tellima grandiflora
Verbascum ‘Petra'
Cornus kousa ‘Cappuccino'
Crataegus monogyna
Hedera helix
ZONE 5 – SHADE
Asperula orientalis
Allium triquetrum
Anemone coronaria (De Caen Group) ‘Mr Fokker'
Camassia quamash
Iris sibirica ‘Persimmon'
Clematis vitalba (3 in a pot)
Lonicera periclymenum
Adiantum capillus-veneris
Asplenium scolopendrium
Asplenium trichomanes
Dryopteris affinis
Dryopteris filix-mas
Hakonechloa macra ‘Nicolas'
Luzula nivea
Anemonopsis macrophylla
Angelica gigas
Anthriscus sylvestris
Asarum europaeum
Astrantia ‘Roma'
Cenolophium denudatum
Cypripedium ‘Emil'
Euphorbia cornigera
Heracleum sphondyllium ‘Pink Cloud'
Hosta ‘Devon Green'
Phyteuma scheuchzeri
Rheum palmatum ‘Tanguticum'
Rodgersia pinnata ‘Bronze Peacock'
Uvularia grandiflora
Calycanthus x raulstonii ‘Aphrodite'
Corylus avellana
Cotoneaster hillieri
Cotoneaster ignescens
Sambucus nigra f. laciniata
Viburnum ‘Sweet Talker'
ZONE 6 – AQUATICS & BOG PLANTS
Ceratophyllum demersum
Hippuris vulgaris
Myriophyllum spicatum
Nymphaea ‘Comanche'
Nymphaea ‘Tina'
Orontium aquaticum
Acorus calamus
Carex muskingumensis
Gunnera manicata
Hydrocotyle Sibthorpioides Variegata
Iris ‘Holden Clough'
Iris louisiana ‘Ann Chowning'
Iris pseudacorus var. bastardii
Iris x louisiana ‘Black Gamecock'
Lysimachia ‘Sunburst'
Marsilea quadrifolia
Mentha aquatica
Mentha pulgeum
Nasturtium officinale
Pontederia cordata lanceolata
Potentilla palustris
Primula ‘Harlow Carr'
Ranunculus flammula
Ranunculus lingua ‘Grandiflorus'
Scrophularia auriculata
Trollius x culturn ‘Etna'
Typha minima
