22-05-2025
Celebrities flock to beach-inspired Arbroath garden at Chelsea Flower Show
Arbroath's Hospitalfield Arts has welcomed a string of celebrities to its 'garden in the dunes' on a medal-winning debut at the world-famous Chelsea Flower Show.
Presenter Zoe Ball, Dame Floella Benjamin and Scottish businessman and Sewing Bee judge Patrick Grant visited the Hospitalfield garden as the show opened.
They joined in a colourful protest to support the arts in schools.
It features the work of leading contemporary artist Bob and Roberta Smith.
The Angus garden was designed by RHS Gold-medal winner Nigel Dunnett.
He also designed the walled garden at Hospitalfield.
At the garden's centre is an arts 'bothy' studio, which Bob and Roberta Smith has taken over for the Chelsea week.
The garden and its evocative planting were inspired by the dunes on the Angus coast.
Designer Nigel said: 'Chelsea is a place for new ideas, for experimentation, and to take risks.
'That is certainly the spirit in which we have developed our garden.
'Working with Hospitalfield Arts, and their exciting and important work with contemporary art and young people, has inspired me to take a very abstract and highly sculptural approach to creating a representation of the landscape of the Angus coast.
'Creating that dramatic dunescape has been a real challenge. We've designed striking structures that hold the sand in 'wind-blown' shapes.'
The garden impressed RHS judges, who awarded it a silver-gilt medal.
Hospitalfield director Lucy Byatt said: 'For nearly 200 years, Hospitalfield has
been an artist's house, supporting artists in their working lives and at all stages of their
careers.
'The incredible garden that Nigel has designed for RHS Chelsea offers us the platform to highlight the urgent need to nurture creativity…especially for young people.'
And after being enjoyed by around 160,000 London visitors, the garden will come back to Arbroath.
It will return to Ladyloan Primary School to be used as an outdoor creative space.
The Hospitalfield garden is sponsored by Project Giving Back.
