There was a funky new event at the same time as the Chelsea Flower Show this year: the Chelsea Fringe. While the great and the good gawped at Cleve West’s fountain or admired Sarah Price’s wildflowers in the Royal Hospital showground, smaller-scale ventures popped up all over London. There was a bicycling beer garden, guerrilla planting and medicinal plant workshops, among more than a hundred events in total.
It was all so successful that a second Fringe is planned for next year. Entries are open, and the Festival’s director and creator, Tim Richardson, is keen to stress that he is open to (nearly) anything.
“As long as it’s broadly to do with gardens, plants, flowers or landscapes, and it’s legal – not all guerrilla gardening is! – then we’re interested. If people send an email with their ideas in the first place, then we can help.
“Our aspiration is just to run another successful event. We’re not saying we want to be 'bigger’ than last year, because we had so many more entries than we expected. We just want to keep up the quality: last year there were no duds. We also want to encourage people from the art and design fields, who might not think of themselves as part of the garden world, to get involved.”
With no funding, and no sponsorship (although Tim remains on the lookout for the latter), the Fringe has relied on the dedication of its volunteer organisers. “They’ve been great,” he explains. “Lots of people have ownership now, which is brilliant. It takes the heat off me a bit, because I don’t feel it’s totally my thing anymore. The volunteers are going out and talking to colleges, universities and museums, drumming up interest.”
For now he’s keeping the exact details of what we can expect close to his chest. But there are exciting developments afoot. “I’ve spoken to some major designers, and they have been delighted to be asked, so there will be some big-name involvement,” he says. “We’re also going to set up some 'hubs’, or trails, so people can make a morning or afternoon of it and go to two or three events in one trip.”
The festival is also set to make its first steps out of the capital, with events planned in Bristol, Brighton and even Vienna.
“The Chelsea Flower Show celebrates its centenary next year, and we’re only turning two,” Tim adds. “We’re still the baby. But I think people have realised that you can make a splash at the Fringe. If you do something good, you’ll be noticed.”
