Australians takeover Chelsea Flower show with silver medal and show-stopping carpet of poppies

AUSSIES have dominated London’s annual flower show with a stunning design made from 50,000 contributions and a silver medal. See the pics here.

The poppy garden was created with the help of 50,000 volunteers from around the world. Picture: AFP/ADRIAN DENNIS

AUSTRALIANS have dominated the headlines at the Chelsea Flower Show in London, taking out a silver medal and creating a stunning poppy red carpet.

Landscape designer Charlie Albone won a silver medal for his Husqvarna Garden design build for a corporate couple living in Melbourne.

The hand-picked Australian crew created a space to retreat from stressful modern life that was inspired by the geometric shapes of Melbourne’s Federation Square, according to the project team.

Mr Albone said winning was a dream come true for his second showing at Chelsea, which has turned on the works for the Queen in the year of her 90th birthday celebrations.

“I worked with a talented team of Australian gardeners to bring my vision to life, and I can’t thank them enough for the long, difficult hours they put in during the build,” he said of the garden that also featured a sunken lawn, Acacia and an emu bush.

Charlie Albone’s sunken garden is designed as a respite to busy lives and is inspired by the geometric shapes of Federation Square.

The medal comes as the stunning design from Melbourne women Lynn Berry and Margaret Knight stops people in their tracks.

The pair has created a huge red carpet of 30,000 poppies on the grounds of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea which is home to old soldiers.

The stunning display is the result of 50,000 people from Australia and around the world sent knitted, crotched and handcrafted poppies.

Ms Berry and Ms Knight told AAP it grew out of a desire to make 60 poppies for the Melbourne Shrine of Rememberance as a tribute to their fathers who were veterans of World War II.

Once others joined in they decided to join forces with others to “yarn bomb” Melbourne’s Federation Square with 5000 poppies on Anzac Day 2015. But the support was so great that in the end around a quarter of a million poppies went on display.

The pair had teamed up with Australian landscape designer Phillip Johnson for the Melbourne installation and they’ve gone on to bring it to Chelsea, where Mr Johnson won best in show with his garden design in 2013.

Lynn Berry and Margaret Knight in front of their stunning poppy display. Picture: AAP/ Image/Lloyd Jones.

The carpet of poppies covers the grounds of the Royal Chelsea Hospital. Picture: AAP/Lloyd Jones

He put the project to Britain’s Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and the Chelsea Hospital governor and got the go-ahead for the display which was viewed by the Queen on Monday.

The display, sponsored by the Victorian government, covers nearly 2000 sqm and contains about 2.5 tonnes of wool, all of which was flown from Australia by Qantas free of charge, taking up half an Airbus cargo hold.

“I am proud beyond words,” Ms Berry told AAP.

“I still see it as the original project, which is to honour my father.” But she said it was meant as a tribute to all servicemen and women, their families and communities in all countries that have suffered in war over the past 100 years.

Ms Knight said it was an honour to be at Chelsea representing all the poppy contributors from Australia as well as the UK, the US, Canada, China, Turkey, France and elsewhere.

“It’s such a moving tribute because it’s personalised, people have put their heart and soul in, often thinking about a particular person in their family who served,” she said.

The show features innovative designs from floral-wear to gardens controlled by a phone app. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Mr Johnson said it was humbling to be part of such a display and his thoughts were of his great grandfather who died on the Western Front in 1918 serving with an Australian tunnelling unit.

“For the Queen to walk and connect with it I think it’s a wonderful honour to everyone who is part of this project,” he said.

Around 160,000 people are expected to visit the four-day show in London which also features a “modern slavery garden” as well as a technology-led one where lights, heat and water is controlled by a phone app.

The Royal Horticultural Society is also using the show to promote a “Greening Grey Britain” campaign warning too many gardens have been paved to make space for car parking at a detriment to wildlife and the environment.

Model Twiggy at the Marks and Spencer Garden. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Britain's Queen Elizabeth is featured in a floral display. Picture: Adrian Dennis/Pool Photo via AP

Originally published as Australians takeover Chelsea Flower show with silver medal and show-stopping carpet of poppies