Garden shorts
There can be no prouder boast amongst the garden-minded rich than “we got Tom Stuart-Smith to design our garden before he was famous”. Of course, when exactly he became famous can be a handily elastic concept but, for those not in the market for his services, it must surely be 1998, when he won his first Gold at Chelsea Flower Show. He has won seven altogether, and three Best in Shows. He is the most original – and admired garden and landscape designer of his generation. At a symposium on garden plans at the Museum of Garden History, recently, he showed the audience the most marvellous and extraordinarily detailed birdseye-view of the estate where he lives, drawn entirely from memory.
At Chelsea this year, however, I heard a batsqueak of discontent. I was standing looking at his show garden which, save for white peonies, depended for its plant impact and appeal entirely on the variety of green foliage, when I heard a voice behind me say “If that’s Tom StuartSmith’s, I suppose it’ll get Best in Show”. I turned and, seeing that this remark was aimed at no one in particular, replied, “Yes, it did. It’s considered extremely tasteful.” ‘B*gger taste’ she said, and strode off.
Ursula Buchan
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