Unusual garden Allison Wilson, who became one of the winners of the floral show in Chelsea (Chelsea Flower Show)

Passing the gallery

Text: Maria Kriger

Materials: - (c) Fotobank/HOMES and GARDENS

Magazine: N6 (62) 2002

The crystal sphere lies on the "mirror" surface, symbolizing the magic power of beauty, whose name is nature itself. Allison Wilson, who lives in the distant English county of Sussex, is hardly familiar with the Russian expression about courage, which takes the city. However, the silver medal she won at one of the most prestigious British floristic shows in Chelsea is a clear confirmation of the truth of this statement. It all started with the fact that the English housewife decided to equip a small area adjacent to the house, and create there a quiet, shady garden for a pleasant leisure. "The image of the garden arose spontaneously, perhaps it is an echo of those childhood fantasies in which each of us once lived," says Allison. Indeed, it is easy to “read” echoes of ancient Celtic legends and ballads inhabited by warlike knights, wise druids and, of course, beautiful princesses. A glass ball immersed in a sparkling waterfall, mirrored obelisks shrouded in spicy aromas of flowers give it mystery, reminiscent of ancient legends ... While working on the garden, Miss Wilson had to become for a while a florist and designer in one person: Park architecture brought to life by its own drawings hostess. The layout is very simple: a perfectly flat rectangular lawn, bordered on four sides by a monochrome floral border. The main theme here is the noble white color, or rather, dozens of the most diverse shades of it: from pinkish “village” rhododendrons to cool cold royal lilies. The mood of the landscape varies depending on the time of day and even reacts to changing weather. This is a real “enchanted room” from a fairy tale: a ray of the morning sun, reflected in the mirrored faces, gives rise to hundreds of sunbeams, and a terrible “gothic” ghost grows out of a thundercloud. To take part in the show Allison Wilson convinced florist Peter Rogers, who accidentally saw plans for the improvement of "home gardens". The beginning was undoubtedly adventurous: the overwhelming majority of entries for Chelsea are the years and years of hard work of experienced florists and, not least, not one hundred thousand pounds sterling invested in the project. Allison's creation took about nine months to become one of the winners. “During the preparation for the show, I often heard that my idea was too simple to qualify for such a serious event,” recalls Allison. “However, from the very beginning I was sure that this simplicity would be the key to success.” .