Bures firm hoping for top prize at Chelsea flower

Bures-based Stewart Landscape Construction say they have had less than seven months to prepare for the upcoming RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

At the show, they will have just 17 days to build a forensically perfect garden from scratch in central London.

Company director and founder Mark Richardson said: “Usually, we have 11 months to turn a green field site with tricky access and little room to manoeuvre into a show stopping garden.

“Last year, for the first time ever Chelsea was held in September because of the pandemic. So, planning for the next show started much later for everyone.

"That’s less time to have ready every single detail from pre-cut stone paths to a bespoke water feature and hundreds of plants, shrubs and trees.”

The garden is being built for a charity, Perennial, which supports people in horticulture through difficult times.

It has been designed by Richard Miers, and Mark is working closely with him to turn it into a garden the public and the RHS judges love.

“We arrive on site on Tuesday May 3," said Mark.

“The first task will be to move mountains of earth, to plant the mature trees that create the main garden structure. It’s a carefully choreographed operation ensuring every garden can finish on time and look its best by May 20.

“The weather can make things tricky if we have to contend with torrential downpours or a heatwave."

Stewart Landscape Construction, a multi-award winning firm, has been based in Bures since 2009 and employs 25 people.

As well as private landscape projects, Mark has been constructing RHS gardens around the country since 1999.

Mark says a highlight last year was to receive the RHS’s Best Construction Award (for a Show Garden) at Chelsea. And he hopes The Perennial Garden With Love by Mr Miers will be a crowd pleaser at this year’s show.

A virtual walk around the garden can be found at perennial.org.uk/home/gardens/the-perennial-garden-rhs-chelsea-2022.