BRIDGERTON GARDEN
THE BRIDGERTON GARDEN | Jessica Madsen, Polly Walker and Emma Naomi, along with Jess Brownell and Tom Verica, visit ‘The Bridgerton Garden’ at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Today 24 May stars of Shondaland and Netflix’s Bridgerton attended the RHS Chelsea Flower Show to visit ‘The Bridgerton Garden’ which was inspired by the series.
Jessica Madsen (Cressida Cowper), Polly Walker (Lady Featherington) and Emma Naomi (Alice Mondrich), along with Jess Brownell (Bridgerton S3 Showruuner) and Tom Verica (Executive Producer) visited ‘The Bridgerton Garden’ which was designed by first-time designer Holly Johnston. The garden celebrates season 3 of the global hit series, with beautiful planting and exceptional hard landscaping.
Netflix’s first-ever RHS Chelsea Flower Garden is inspired by Penelope Featherington, a wallflower-like character from Netflix and Shondaland’s Bridgerton. The garden depicts Penelope’s story as she moves from an overlooked character to someone who defiantly embraces their true self.
‘The Bridgerton Garden’ was awarded a Silver Medal by the RHS judging panel at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The RHS medal has long been considered a hallmark in horticultural excellence, providing educational and inspirational value for visitors, the public and the horticultural industry.
Earlier this week, Netflix announced that ‘The Bridgerton Garden’ from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show will be relocated to Cambridge, UK, after the show.
Netflix will work with landscape contractors Stewart Landscape Construction (who built the garden at the show), designer Holly and Cambridge University Hospitals to recreate the garden at a central outdoor area. Viewed on all four sides, the garden will be a substantial addition to the outside space for patients and staff. The relocation of this garden will be made possible by Netflix and Shondaland, Stewart Landscapes, Holly Johnston Design, WT Partnership and Cambridge University Hospitals.
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show will run from Tuesday, 21 May to Saturday, 25 May at the Royal Hospital Chelsea.
Bridgerton S3 Part 1 is available on Netflix now, with Part 2 releasing on June 13th.
About THE BRIDGERTON GARDEN:
The Bridgerton Garden has a secret garden appeal that encourages visitors to explore themes of hidden identity, feelings of invisibility, and the duality of character.
Designer Holly Johnston is keen to underline that the garden is for everyone who’s ever questioned their place: “This one is for the wallflowers – the garden is designed to be a space for anyone who has been made to feel they don’t quite belong: it offers a space to retreat to safety, to house your darkest fears, to recognise the good and bad within, to show up without your mask. And ultimately, to step into the light.”
The space is delineated into three chapters or ‘episodes’. The moongate beautifully frames the entrance to the garden and leads to the second internal space which is a sunken seating area. Encircling an opulent three-tiered water feature and surrounded by a ring of characterful dwarf elms, the designer pictured the character of Penelope sitting here and sharpening her Lady Whistledown quill to write and share the salacious secrets of ‘the Ton’. The third space is punctuated by a hand carved wall fountain engraved with a phrase that cements Penelope’s growth. Finally, the curved path back through the garden uses planting which evolves from shade on one side to light on the other, providing a visual backdrop for the development in Penelope’s character.
The shaded space down one half of the garden alludes to the themes of mystery, turmoil and defiance with layers of ground cover, ferns and ivy representing a woven network of secrets. While the brighter planting – with a sophisticated colour palette of lilacs, pinks and blues – speaks to Penelope’s evolved character.
One of the most iconic parts of the garden is the moongate, symbolic for centuries of new beginnings and welcoming. Stepping in and out of the moongate, deliberately designed as a portal that Penelope (or any visitor) can step through, you’re transported into a personal sanctuary, a planted haven that has hedging and trees for screening, dense planting for interest, and intimate spaces for seating and contemplation.
Holly says: “The moongate in the garden is symbolic of new beginnings, and is inherently feminine.” Holly adds: “This beautiful space offers privacy and respite and is also a metaphor for women defiantly and courageously finding their voice – a rite of passage many can identify with. The moongate can be seen as a portal into that person’s personal journey – and the ensuing garden shows the remarkable and personal transformative power of growth.”
Main Garden Website | HERE
Key Plants | HERE
About the Designer, Holly Johnston:
Holly studied Garden Design at the English Gardening School at the Chelsea Physic Garden, graduating with distinction and first in her class. She is passionate about sustainable design and her conceptual approach balances formality with organic charm and understated elegance, often inspired by the rolling landscapes of her homeland in New Zealand. More information at hollyjohnstondesign.com.
Holly Johnston | HERE
About RHS CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW:
About the RHS Chelsea Flower Show: The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. It aims to enrich everyone’s life through plants and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place. More information at rhs.org.uk
About BRIDGERTON S3:
From Shondaland and new showrunner, Jess Brownell, BRIDGERTON is back for its third season and finds Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) has finally given up on her long-held crush on Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) after hearing his disparaging words about her last season. She has, however, decided it’s time to take a husband, preferably one who will provide her with enough independence to continue her double life as Lady Whistledown, far away from her mother and sisters. But lacking in confidence, Penelope’s attempts on the marriage mart fail spectacularly. Meanwhile, Colin has returned from his summer travels with a new look and a serious sense of swagger. But he’s disheartened to realise that Penelope, the one person who always appreciated him as he was, is giving him the cold shoulder. Eager to win back her friendship, Colin offers to mentor Penelope in the ways of confidence to help her find a husband this season. But when his lessons start working a little too well, Colin must grapple with whether his feelings for Penelope are truly just friendly. Complicating matters for Penelope is her rift with Eloise (Claudia Jessie), who has found a new friend in a very unlikely place, while Penelope’s growing presence in the ton makes it all the more difficult to keep her Lady Whistledown alter ego a secret.
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