Tim Richardson describes the Chelsea Fringe (an event founded by the critic) as "bursting out of the Chelsea Flower Show to reach parts of London that the Flower Show doesn't reach". It is "complementary, distinctive and different". Anyone who visitedone of the 200-plus Fringe events over the three-week period at the end of May and into June will agree that the Fringe is certainly different. It is about community engagement and neighbourliness, with a hint of the political thrown in - anything "as long as it's legal". It is about gardeners and about plants, not about expensive gardens, and not very much about design. So why write about it in Garden Design Journal?As designers we should be excited about the luge interest there is at a local level for gardens, for growing fruit and vegetables, and using plants to attract wildlife. These are gardens in )uilt-up urban spaces, many relying on the determination of residents to get them up and running and then to sustain that commitment into the long term. Designers often enjoy the challenge of creating gardens on a small budget and of working with people who are interested in plants, especially in growing their own produce, so it is inspiring to see what can be achieved in seemingly unprepossessing spaces.
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