May 2023
This year marks 225 years since the establishment of Boodles, our quintessentially British jewellery company. We have been involved with Chelsea Flower Show for just three of those years, under the guidance of the wonderful garden designer Tom Hoblyn, with The Boodles ‘Secret Garden’ in 2021 and The Boodles ‘Travel Garden’ in 2022.
To celebrate our 225th anniversary, we asked Tom to design a garden that celebrated all that was good about being British and we are delighted to present to you The Boodles ‘Best of British’ Garden for 2023.
The Boodles ‘Best of British’ Garden is a celebration of British craftsmanship; the very best British craftspeople have worked with Tom Hoblyn to create the garden on the premise that craftsmanship is the refinement and stylisation of Mother Nature. Inspired by the Pre-Raphaelite’s stylised depiction of woodlands, Tom has designed a woodland glade-like garden, filled with plants selected for their perfected forms.
‘There is something utterly magical and charming about Chelsea, and our experience so far has been amazing. To top it off, we were awarded a gold medal for The Boodles ‘Travel Garden’ last year – one of the most exciting moments of my life! This year’s ‘Best of British’ garden has been another fascinating journey for us all.’
James Amos, Director at Boodles
“Boodles have embraced the whole experience, immediately becoming a ‘must see’ fixture at the show and a shining example of what Chelsea is all about”
The 'Raindance Chelsea Suite'
To celebrate the ‘Best of British’ and as a celebration of Boodles’ 225th year, Head Designer Rebecca Hawkins has designed a new suite to extend the much-loved Raindance collection. The exclusive suite explores two design ideas. The first of these is Rainfall, if looking directly upwards. Raindrops radiate out and towards you from a central point. The smaller diamonds are set further back and towards the centre, and the larger ones are set higher and further from the centre to give a sense of perspective. Pink diamond accents dance amongst the white brilliant cuts. The second design is based on a raindrop making contact with water, as concentric circles of smaller diamonds form around the larger individual stone. The suite also mirrors the movement of drops of water as they dance on the clear surface of the floating pool within the wildflower section of the Boodles garden, creating their own unexpected ‘Raindance’ for visitors to see.
“The design is based on a raindrop making contact with water. Concentric circles of smaller diamonds form around the larger individual stone”
Tom Hoblyn
Tom is a British landscape designer, horticulturist and gardener who set up his practice shortly after graduating from The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. His work is underpinned by his innate understanding and knowledge as a plantsman and horticultural master, and an appreciation and awareness of place in the landscape. Based in Suffolk, his studio is set in the grounds of his glorious garden, an experimental ‘laboratory’ for many of his planting designs.
An established figure at both RHS Chelsea and RHS Hampton Court, in 2022 he won a gold medal for his garden, The Boodles Travel Garden, to add to his collection of medals, as well as the coveted People’s Choice Award for his Arthritis UK sponsored garden and a nomination for The People’s Choice of The Decade Award in 2020.
He is a member of the Society of Garden Designers, (MSGD), writing and regularly giving presentations and talks to the public and experts within the industry. He has maintained his links at Kew and works closely with local groups and students.
Celebrating Craftsmanship
The garden also features an arbour, created by Cox London, which mimics the woodland surroundings in the form of intricate leafy tiles and a branchlike framework. Curated by top interior designer Rachel Chudley, woodland inspired furnishings adorn the interior, using the work of the very best craftspeople to create the woodwork and tapestry.
Jake Catling will also be working his stonemasonry magic to create rustic, yet refined paths and terraces, using the highly fossilised Chatsworth stone.
Best of British
The Boodles Chelsea Flower Show Edit
Each piece is designed and hand-finished in Britain, with Boodles priding itself on the traceability of its diamonds and using only Single Mine Origin gold for its designs. From the clusters of precious stones in the much-loved ʻRaindanceʼ collection, to the elegance of ʻBeachʼ, this is British jewellery design at its best.
The 'Best of British' Boodles Chelsea Flower Show Booklet