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James May puts his creativity in gear with Chelsea Plasticine Vegetable Garden

Posted on 19. May, 2009 by Tracey in News

It was bound to cause some controversy at the prestigious 87th RHS Chelsea Flower Show that of a garden entry with no ‘real’ flowers or vegetables and its designer, ‘Captain Slow’ of Top Gear fame, by his own admission has no affinity to gardening and has only ever ‘dug holes’ in his garden.

The Paradise in Plasticine garden is a true artistic sculpture which consists of a walled area with a low branching tree in the centre, a well kept circular lawn and white gravel path sweeping round towards the colourful tulip and daffodil borders and the striking line of tiny yellow sunflower heads in terracotta pots. There’s even a vegetable patch with bright orange pumpkins and beans growing up supports on the walls.

If you look very closely though every petal, blade of grass, leaf, tree branch, tulip and even the picnic blanket and cake spread on the lawn have been intricately made out of Plasticine, a modeling material that was invented by William Harbutt in the late 19th Century.

The modeling was completed by all ages and generations with children creating the daffodils, Chelsea pensioners forming the poppies and the experts Chris Collins, Jane McAdam Freud and Julian Fullalove.

The garden was constructed with 2.5 tons of plasticine in 24 different colours. The tree and flowers were kept upright with the help of hidden wires and polystyrene blocks. Unfortunately as the garden did not contain any live flowers it was not in the running for a gold medal but the organizers did think it deserved a special plasticine gold award instead.

This garden with a difference has captured the hearts of children through to adults and reminds them of their childhood, playing with Playdoh, trying to make something vaguely recognizable out of it and trying not to get it stuck on the carpet.

I absolutely loved the unique garden particularly the plasticine vegetable garden and tulips, it looked fantastic, its lovely to see some fun and a sense of humor injected into the flower show but what do you think?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this intriguing garden, please leave your comments below.

Interviews and Photos of the Plasticine in Paradise garden:

• Jane Perrone’s Interview with James May
• Photos of the Garden courtesy of Telegraph.co.uk
• RHS Chelsea Flower Show – Paradise in Plasticine Garden.
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