Today we meet Leanne Gillies, the lovely lady who each year coordinates all the behind the scenes tasks for Fleming’s Chelsea Garden – imagine how HUGE that job is?! Today is the last chance to leave a comment and go into the draw to win one of 5 copies of Fleming’s Fruit and Ornamental Tree Guide – comment before 10pm tonight, the winners will be announced tomorrow in the Grand Reveal of Fleming’s 2012 Garden! – Jenny x

Fleming’s 2007 Chelsea Flower Show Entry – during Leanne’s 18 years with Flemings, they sure have done some big projects!

Leanne Gillies grew up in Gembrook, in the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges, and always had an interest in plants – from work experience at the horticultural research institute at Knoxfield, to school holiday jobs picking berries and packing proteas and waratahs.  She completed a Science degree at Monash Uni, majoring in botany and then went to Burnley (Melbourne Uni) to do a graduate diploma in horticulture. From there she joined Fleming’s Nurseries and has had many roles, including looking after the displays at the Melbourne Flower and Garden Show, and for the last seven years the show gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show. She has been the glue of the Chelsea Project since its early days. Leanne is very much a ‘behind the scenes’ person, but her dedication to the project has been key to its success, year in year out. -Wes

As chief coordinator for Fleming’s Chelsea Flower Show, what does your role involve?

I have had the incredible privilege of being part of the last seven Australian gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show. It’s pretty amazing to think that I work in a nursery in a little town outside of Melbourne, and as part of my job I travel to the other side of the world to take part in what we like to refer to as the ‘Horticultural Olympics’!

For me there are a couple of steps to each year’s entry that very few people get to see. The first part of the process is to apply to exhibit at Chelsea with the Royal Horticulture Society (RHS).  At this stage we work quite closely with the selected designer to develop the concept of the garden and to compile all of the documentation that is required. This generally happens in June the year before the show.

Leanne amongst the building chaos – overseeing the packing and shipping of 38 tonnes of tools and materials from Australia, and the co-ordination of plants from all over Europe.

Once the design has been accepted, in about October, we need to source all of the tools, materials and plants that are required to construct the garden. This step is quite different each year and is very much dependent on the specific requirements of the design. This year we visited nurseries in England, Rome and Barcelona in order to find the plants for Jason’s design.

Our gardens are quite unique to Chelsea in that we bring all of the tools and materials with us from Australia. In late February we load shipping containers with absolutely everything that we think we will need to build the garden. This includes screws, paint and paint brushes, hammers, wheelbarrows, shovels, bricks, pavers, cement, timber and any other items that are required. This year’s garden has required over 38 tonnes of ‘stuff’, not including plants.

Photos of Leanne onsite are quite rare as she usually behind the camera and always ready to catch some memorable moments amongst the team

What is it that you love about the Chelsea experiance?

The part of the process that I enjoy the most is that each year we have a completely new team – new designer, new construction crew and new sponsors. Over the time that Fleming’s have been involved at Chelsea we have had more than 115 individual Australians travel to London to work on the garden and about 130 companies involved in one way or another.

It really is a great experience to see a group of people, often strangers, come together to form a close-knit team all completely dedicated to building the garden to the highest possible standard. Our ‘Australian Gardens’ have been responsible for many friendships that will last a lifetime.

One of the things that has surprised me over the years has been how well received the Australian teams have been with the organisers and other exhibitors at the show.  The staff who work on the show and the other exhibitors really go out of their way to make us feel welcome.

It’s also really nice to have visitors to the show talk about previous Australian Gardens and how much they appreciate seeing a sneak peek of Australian horticulture and lifestyle.

Check in tomorrow for the grand reveal of our 2012 Chelsea Flower Show garden!

- Leanne

Today we’re going to have some fun with Scott Wynd, the official ‘problem solver’ of the Fleming’s 2012 Chelsea Team! This is Scott’s 6th year at Chelsea and he’s got a whole lot of great experience under his belt and some stories to tell- I’m dying to know what he said to make the Queen laugh like that (see below!) – Jenny x

Flemings 2005 Gold Medal winning Chelsea Flower Show entry ‘Float’

Scott Wynd is one of Australia’s premier landscape design and construction specialists. He was the lead construction manager for the build of the first Fleming’s Chelsea entry in 2005, designed by Jack Merlo, which received a gold medal.  He was also the designer in his own right in 2010 and again won a gold medal. Renowned for their iconic pools, lush, functional garden spaces, and great outdoor entertaining areas, Scott’s company Total Landscapes and Constructions and TLC Pools, is in hot demand in Melbourne! Scott has been a steady member of the team since 2005 and is the captain of the construction team in 2012. – Wes

More of the 2005 ‘Float’ entry and Scott posing with some of the Chelsea Flower Girls after the big win!

Are you excited to be back at Chelsea for 2012? What do you love about the Chelsea Flower Show?

It’s great to be back at Chelsea I have to say – this is a project that gets in your blood. I first came to Chelsea in 2005 when my crew built Jack Merlo’s ‘Float’ design for Fleming’s. It was a beautiful, sleek design, very iconic and very much the signature of Jack Merlo, so it was a pleasure to build and thoroughly deserved it’s Gold medal.

Chelsea is a completely different environment to building a home garden. Show Gardens are completely different to build… they have greater challenges, they have a time frame, they have to look perfect and work to be showcased to a crowd all within 17 days – and then they are demolished in a matter of days.

In the years that I have been involved with Chelsea it has become more and more clear to me how important this event is to the Australian landscape industry. The project is Wes Fleming’s baby, and his vision was to ensure the experience is shared among the people in the horticulture industry – from apprentices, nurserymen and women, landscape contractors, builders, and pool construction people – just as much as it about sharing ideas amongst different landscape designers.

Scott saying something hilarious to the Queen (!!!) and working hard on site at Chelsea

What has working at the Chelsea Flower Show taught you?

One of the loveliest things I found throughout these past years working with Fleming’s is that landscaping is a blend of gardens and construction, without one the other is lost, and Chelsea has taught me that in England, the soft side of the business takes priority where in Australia we tend to rely on our hard elements for impact – a pool, a deck, a entertaining space etc.

The English designers create postcard perfection with mass plantings of perennials and pleached trees, avenues and delicate seating areas for quiet contemplation, their designs are in stark contrast to the bold structures found in the Australian Garden. Their use of plant material has certainly made an impact on me – although I don’t share their love of pretty perfect and laden flower beds, I can appreciate their use of the plant material to great effect – to soften the hard edges of the built material, to lend elegance and balance to built spaces.

I have also noticed how many of the Australian gardens have lent influence to the European and English designers also – small elements of change are appearing as they notice the role hard landscape plays in our gardens.

English designers have made the comment to me more than once that they are envious of our ability to be bold at Chelsea – it’s perceived as bold to them, as the use of hard landscape materials is so foreign here they feel it will affect their chances of success if they dare to be different. But that is slowly changing, and more use of constructed elements melding with the traditional use of plants is emerging, and it’s a pleasure to see.

Having an opportunity to build at Chelsea is special. But the news it brings home is probably more valuable than you can imagine. The landscape and horticulture industries represent a wide range of occupations from gardeners to marketers, arborists to designers and architects – and they all share in the good news story of our success at the Chelsea Flower Show. The industry also needs to excite people in their own backyards – we hope this project inspires others to spend time creating their home environments and discover a love of horticulture/design in their own way.

See you in the pool!

- Scott

Today we meet Jason Hodges, the designer of the 2012 Fleming’s Chelsea Flower Show entry. You might recognise Jason from his role on Better Homes and Gardens, and it’s great to find out more about this garden guru today. As part of this week’s Chelsea Experience, Fleming’s have offered to give away 5 copies of their Fleming’s Fruit and Ornamental Tree Guide – simply leave a comment before 10pm on Thursday, the winners will be drawn at random and announced on Friday. – Jenny x

Flemings Chelsea Flower Show entry from last year- this years designer Jason Hodges has a lot to live up to!

Jason Hodges grew up in Willoughby, Sydney and always had a passion for gardening, landscaping and the great outdoors in general. He completed Landscape Horticulture and Construction at Ryde Tafe, NSW, which he enjoyed so much, he later taught the course at the very same TAFE. He is best known today as the resident landscaper and garden guy on Better Homes and Gardens. He has attended the Chelsea Flower Show a few years running as part of the BHG team and interviewed the winning Aussies each year. He has had a number of Gold Medals at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show and is a talented garden designer in his own right. Jason is Fleming’s eighth designer to present at the Chelsea Flower Show. - Wes

Happy snaps of Jason Hodges and Wes Flemming sourcing plants for their Chelsea Flower Show garden from February this year- can you tell Jason LOVES his job?!

What sparked your interested in horticulture and how has that influenced your work?

I have been working with gardens my entire life thanks to my dad Monty. Dad was a builder and I looked up to him very much, he was a down to earth bloke and I have a huge respect for him as a person and mentor – he has inspired me throughout my life.

My design values stem from the things my dad taught me growing up – the principles of building and a practical approach, combined with my love of gardens and plants that I inherited from my mum Della – the things all gardens need to have. What a lot of people don’t know about me is that I do have a career and life outside of Better Homes and Gardens. Don’t get me wrong, I know I am very lucky to have the role on BHG – and it has been an amazing ride with media since I started with Auction Squad, but I also love my business ‘Green Art Gardens‘.

I was born and raised in Sydney and I have to say most of my inspiration comes from this city, the places I grew up around Willoughby. and of course the Aussie way of life.   I have tried to incorporate as much of that as possible into this design – especially because I reckon this is one of the best chances I will ever have to showcase my belief that Aussies have it so good in our gardens!

Could you tell us a bit about this years 2012 Flemings 2012 Chelsea Flower Show entry?

It has everything you need in an Aussie Garden… and then some!  We love to live in our outdoor spaces, so it had to have entertaining spaces, somewhere to eat, somewhere for the kids to play, somewhere to cook a BBQ, or bake a pizza, somewhere to shower off after a dip in the plunge pool, and somewhere to read a book and unwind. It also has to have lots of green. Plants and lush greenery are soothing and calming – and this garden will have plants in spades. As well as my favourite trees – palms.

We sourced these palms in Spain and Italy and its been very nerve wracking waiting for them to arrive – but they have, and despite a few issue with some of the fronds they’re in amazing shape – phew!

Top – a rendering of the 2012 Flemings Chelsea Flower Show design by Jason, bottom – the arrival and planting of the palms just a few days ago!

I find palms reflective of so many of my favourite places in Australia – whether its St Kilda and the Esplanade in Melbourne, around the Harbour in Sydney and all across Queensland’s coastal areas – they just make me feel happy.

As I grow and develop as a designer it’s becoming extremely important to me to make gardening cost effective and accessible – so I reuse lots of materials that can be found almost anywhere.  My MIFGS garden this year was all about that, and although this garden isn’t as strong on reused materials, I have used the corrugated iron from my own place – so it’s possible to demonstrate that slick, attractive design can come from materials we often think are waste.

Hope you enjoy the final design on Friday, and that there are some elements that you might be able to use in your own garden, no matter how big or small.

- Jason