Three finalists: a small urban garden which the owners designed themselves, chose all the plants and planted it themselves, and who maintain it themselves. They transformed it into a gorgeous haven of different green foliage, running water and obliterating the housing estate it sat in. Next finalist: a wildlife natural garden bursting with unusual planting and wild spaces leaving Mother Nature to do what she does best. Third finalists: paid a top garden designer a fortune to come up with a money-no-object mini Versailles in Cheshire - where money talks. Then hired a top garden landscaper plus an army of gardeners to plant it all out and maintain it on a daily basis. There's probably only half a dozen people in this country with acres and acres of flat land, and who could afford to pay others to provide them with such an expensive and manicured estate - somewhere to sit and quaff vintage champagne rather than ever kneel down and do some weeding. Not at all inspiring to the majority of the country who have limited space and budgets, and a slap in the face to the other gardeners who passionately did it all themselves. Zoe and Lachlan - you should have argued for the urban small garden. You know it.
2 Reviews
Totally agree with the review above!
dianampowell26 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
What a lost opportunity! I totally agree with the review above. There seemed to be no criteria set for how to select a winner.
How to compare such different gardens? From gardens made entirely by the home owner, to those made by designers and maintained by professional gardeners. Some gardens covering many acres, others tiny urban oases. Surely it would have made sense to have categories and narrow down only to the best in each?
Several really excellent examples of beautiful, wildlife friendly natural gardening where quickly eliminated in favour of a huge conventional garden.
I feel the program missed an opportunity to celebrate a new kind of aproach to gardening.
How to compare such different gardens? From gardens made entirely by the home owner, to those made by designers and maintained by professional gardeners. Some gardens covering many acres, others tiny urban oases. Surely it would have made sense to have categories and narrow down only to the best in each?
Several really excellent examples of beautiful, wildlife friendly natural gardening where quickly eliminated in favour of a huge conventional garden.
I feel the program missed an opportunity to celebrate a new kind of aproach to gardening.
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