Meet the DesignersGet inside the minds of Chelsea's top designers and find out where you can enjoy their design work outside the show. |  |
Andy SturgeonShow garden 2007: Cancer Research UK Garden Chelsea track record: Three show gardens, three medals: silver-gilt in 2001, and gold in 2005 and 2006  Design trademarks: Striking architectural features dominate Andy's elegant, modernist designs - he'll happily use white terrazzo cubes, black-painted geometric pools and sculptural garden seats to stunning effect. He softens hard lines with textural planting in rich colours and exotic, architectural shapes, and isn't afraid to try something different. He's a pioneer in using dramatic plants which are spectacularly beautiful but can be difficult to place in a garden: his 2006 Chelsea design used the massive Scotch thistle, Onopordon acanthium, and several near-black plants including Paeonia 'Black Panther' and Iris 'Superstition'. Where to see his work: Witan Street (a series of demonstration show gardens), RHS Wisley, Surrey In his own words: "Chelsea is the only time the words 'adrenaline' and 'gardening' can be used in the same sentence! Chelsea means not seeing my family for three weeks, sleepless nights, nervousness, excitement, exhaustion and chatting, lots of chatting." Website: For more information visit www.andysturgeon.com Trevor ToothShow garden 2007: Lloyds TSB Show Garden Chelsea track record: First time at Chelsea, though he won a silver-gilt at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show in 2006
 Design trademarks: Trevor Tooth isn't afraid to push the boundaries of garden design with vibrantly-coloured flights of imagination. He doesn't hesitate to tackle the big themes, either: his extraordinary show garden at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show last year was a thought-provoking and highly symbolic representation of the journey of life, from birth to death. It included vivid pink paths and a massive steel sphere. It was also remarkable for some really imaginative planting, including gnarled, ancient olive trees and moody red rivers of Japanese blood grass, Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra'. Where to see his work: The Flying Horse Inn, Wye, Kent (where Trevor helped 2005 Chelsea Flower Show winner Julian Dowle recreate his Chelsea Pensioners Garden). The White Horse Pub, Boughton In his own words: "My designs are eclectic and I try to push boundaries as long as it is in good taste. My influences are broad - Frank Lloyd Wright and Thomas Church as well as modern designers such as John Brookes, Tom Stuart-Smith and Andy Sturgeon." Website: For more information visit www.trevortooth.com Michael Vout and Chris JonesShow garden 2007: The Thomas Telford Tollhouse Garden Chelsea track record: First time at Chelsea
 Design trademarks: Michael Vout and Chris Jones might be council officers at Telford, but they don't often get to sit behind a desk. They are qualified landscape architects and regular exhibitors at the Malvern Flower Shows, where they've developed a reputation for coming up with something different - in one garden, they replicated a burnt-out spacecraft and planted it with barley and oats. Michael Vout says his most successful designs have been those which have been about 'seeing beauty in the things around us', while Chris enjoys the meticulous research involved. Neither, however, think in straight lines - so expect the unexpected. Where to see their work: Roundabouts, herbaceous borders and natural meadows throughout Telford; also Telford Town Park
In their own words: "Chelsea is a different ball game. It's not just about creating another garden - it's about creating a show garden, and obviously that has different demands upon it." Geoffrey WhitenShow garden 2007: The Brett Landscaping Garden Chelsea track record: Geoff is the Chelsea Flower Show's longest-serving exhibitor, and has had a show garden there every year for over 30 years. He's won a medal every time - including six golds.
 Design trademarks: Geoff Whiten's experience creating show gardens for Chelsea is second to none. But he hasn't let it go to his head; his gardens are supremely practical, and he aims to produce a look ordinary people could use in their own gardens. He likes to create set pieces and his gardens are often quite theatrical, with a strong sense of atmosphere. The natural environment is a major source of inspiration, and he likes to use textures found in nature, working with bark and stone to create earthy, organic effects which look as if they've been there forever. Where to see his work: Lambeth Palace, London In his own words: "I feel it's always been a success when the visitors come to the show and you hear one or two say, 'Oh, we could do that at home - we could recreate that at home." | 
