Chelsea plants

This is a planted panel for the Chelsea Garden, these will be moved vertically in the next week There are five of these panels consisting of about 2000 plants, mostly grasses and a ferns. These have been grown at Aldingbourne Nurseries near Chichester and we had what was probably the last team meeting before the show. Steve McIntyre at the nursery assures us that the small plants will catch up and that the frame work will be invisible. I wish that we had photographed it being planted and been able to track its progress. All of the concrete sections have been cast and so far no accidents or problems. I have not seen them yet so its a little like waiting for Christmas, until the photos are released. After visiting Aldingbourne I was in need of a coffee and leg stretch, its a long way from Lancsashire. The choice at the Fontwell rounderbout, barely a mile away was..a Little Chef or Denmans Garden. I chose the garden, you knew I would. It was delightfully empty and has a great cafe. Even better was that whilst wandering John Brookes himself came past. I nervously introduced myself and he seemed glad of the breather from moving barrow-loads of lopped branches. Its a warm, sheltered site and things there are probably three weeks in advance of us at home. I did wonder what it is like there on Race Days?

Whilst visiting a potential new client earlier this week, I casually asked where they had heard of us...and was presented with a picture of our work in thsi month's House and Garden magazine (may 09). It's not a large item, a photo of a project I designed a few years ago and part of a larger article on pergolas and arches. But it thrilling to be featured and even more thrilling to have had an enquirey from it.

The warm weather continues and we have at last had the courage to open up our glass doors into the garden. The sun sets on the rear of our house and its almost a feeling of transportation to another climate when we can throw open the doors and move between the garden and house freely. As you can see the internal and external floor levels have been made the same. ours is a tiny space but we still manage to have a pair of loungers and I really like the fact that they have to be half in half out of the lounge itself. (forgive the black hose coming out of the wall - the water feature should have arrived by now.. but its taking a bit longer to manufacture than expected, I'll show a picture when its installed)

I was advised today hat the internal forms for the concrete sections in the show garden have been built at the University if East London. The forms themselves will be cast this week. so here's hoping that they work first time! Hope to have some pictures later in the week.
It must be the seasonal air, Chelsea on the horizon or just the seemingly perpetual sun (well almost)..but we have started to get a decent even steady flow of new enquiries. Whilst it has been quiet of late, it has actually been useful in getting some old work tidied up, files archived and a bit more experienced on some software. We are now almost confident on Sketchup, photoshop, vectorworks, piranesi. artlantis and Pro engineer, for those of you who might be curious. It is difficult tp become very proficient on all as some are really useful only some of the time. The drawing board is getting to be a little dusty. I love standing at it and creating plans, evolving patterns and interlacing lines, but it doesn't get the absue it should, but its still to emotive to surrende entirely to the computer.

There are less weeks than I care to count to the Chelsea Flower Show.
Our contractor (Scoatscape ltd) seems remarkabley sanguine about the task ahead and I trust him implicitly. I heard today that the internal frame work for the concrete wall/ floor sections have just about been finished at Edinburgh University and are due to be delivered to the University of East London on Monday, where thay will be cast into the concrete sections over te next week or so. I hope to have some pictures.
The plants are being supplied by Aldingbourne Nurseries in Chichester, and so far all sounds well there. We are meeting to inspect/ poke/ prod and otherwise tut over them next friday. It doesnt feel like I'm doing my job unless I have something to worry about.
We are struggling to find some suitable furniture to use on the garden. We did find one or two new suppliers today but the classic suppliers of chaise lounge(s) have all so far failed to respond.

the website has been updated to include a copy of the Show Garden Leaflet and it will remain there for about a month after the show. I have also added a link from the website to this blog.

Thanks for stopping by. This is our first blog site, and it has started as an addition to the new website. (paulhensey.com). My own name has started to become a little better known than that of the company's (Elysium) and so it was decided to rebrand the website under my own name. The name Elysium has also started to cause some fun. Whilst we have registered the name Elysium Design Ltd, it hasn't stopped others from trading as Elysium and suspiciously there have suddenly appeared a few Chinese companies with a desire to trade under the name, with what, we'll have to see.