Australia’s most loved garden guru from the Lifestyle Channel’s Selling Houses Australia, Charlie Albone, will be one of only eight designers showcasing a large garden at the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show (RHS Chelsea Flower Show) this year.
Sponsored by Husqvarna, the leader in outdoor power equipment and Gardena, the premium watering solutions brand, Charlie Albone will build ‘The time in between,’ a garden symbolising the landscaper’s life.
The garden is designed to represent the three most important parts of Charlie’s life, a way of expressing his personal milestones since the designer’s father passed.
The first stage is a walk through romantic planting, which symbolises how amazing life can be. Charlie will use wide stepping stones for the path to ensure the space would be wide enough for him and his two sons, and his father to walk down.
A water feature measuring four and a half metres wide is the main element of the second stage. It will fill to capacity and then empty its contents in approximately three seconds – a metaphor for life slipping away and how Charlie felt when he lost his father at just 17.
The journey ends with a fire pit representing Charlie’s wife, the flame and centre of his life. This flame is surrounded by sandstone columns, which symbolise family and the importance they hold in his life.
Stephen Clark, GM Marketing, Husqvarna Group Australiasaid:
“We have always been big fans of Charlie and welcome the opportunity to work with him and his team. The inspiration for his garden is really touching and we believe that with his creativity and talent, he can take home a medal at the Show next year. In fact, being selected to design a garden for the Chelsea Flower Show is a win in and of itself. We are proud to be a part of it.”
Charlie is shipping Australian supplies and product to the UK including over 40 tonnes of stone. The team will be using Husqvarna and Gardena tools to prune, trim, dig and plant their way to garden perfection.
Charlie Albone said:
“My acceptance into the Chelsea Flower Show is a real dream come true for me. Not just on a professional level. I’ve always wanted to find the right way to share my life with dad since I lost him at 17. For me, this is the grandest yet natural way to do so.
Therefore the sponsorship by Husqvarna and Gardena goes beyond a business engagement. They are enabling me to fulfill a lifelong professional and personal dream and the fact that I can do it with two brands I have always used and love is a bonus.”