Hoblyn wins Chelsea Silver Gilt with F&C Investments’ Garden

Foreign & Colonial Investments' Garden, supported by Homebase and designed by award-winning garden designer Thomas Hoblyn, has today been awarded a prestigious Silver Gilt medal by the show's judges.

Inspired by the 18th century satirical novel Candide by French author Voltaire, the Mediterranean-style Foreign & Colonial Investments' Garden has been designed to represent the ill-fated travels of Candide as he journeys around the world, across oceans and rapids, in search of his lost love Cunégonde. It features plants, paving, furniture and accessories from Homebase.

Receiving his medal, Hoblyn said: "I've really enjoyed creating this garden for Foreign & Colonial Investment Trust. It's the largest and most ambitious design I've done for Chelsea so far. I'm very proud of the garden and thrilled to be awarded a Silver Gilt Medal for it. I'd like to thank Homebase for supplying all the wonderful plants and accessories and Foreign & Colonial for their overall sponsorship."

The garden drew some of the show's biggest crowds on Monday with a series of performances. First the model whose body was used to cast the copper statues of Cunégonde that line the garden's lushly planted walls brought the statues to life with a thrilling dance performance. Later, punk poet John Cooper Clarke entertained the Press Day audience with some of his own work before reading from the closing moments of Candide, the book that inspired Hoblyn to create the garden. Then came an electrifying live set under the midday sun from string quartet Escala.

Hoblyn won a gold medal in 2008 for Tempest in a Teapot, a small Urban Garden that marked both his Chelsea debut as a designer and the beginning of his association with headline sponsor Foreign & Colonial Investment Trust (FCIT). He had previously worked with Homebase for the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, where he also won gold.

Last year's bigger Show Garden subtitled Waves of Change, again sponsored by FCIT, featured a giant redwood sculpture and was awarded a silver medal.

During its 142-year life Foreign & Colonial Investment Trust has outlasted 24 Prime Ministers. However, the current Queen, who visited the show on Monday along with other members of the Royal family, is only the sixth monarch since the Trust first pioneered collective investing under Queen Victoria

Simon Fraser, Chairman of Foreign & Colonial Investment Trust, said of the medal win: "We are delighted that our garden has received a Silver Gilt medal, building on the silver medal Tom received last year for his ‘Waves of Change' design. This has been our most ambitious garden to date and it has been a pleasure to watch it take shape over the last few months."

Jeremy Tigue, manager of Foreign & Colonial Investment Trust, added: "This year saw Tom take on a bigger plot than ever before at Chelsea, and he has worked incredibly hard to create such a unique and imaginative garden. He thoroughly deserves to be awarded this medal by the RHS."

Amy Whidburn, trading director for Garden & Seasonal at Homebase, commented: "It's fantastic that Tom's tremendous effort and hard work has been rewarded with a Silver Gilt medal.  We are extremely proud to be involved and it is exciting to see Homebase plants and accessories used in such an innovative way within the garden design."

With an eye on sustainability, the entire garden will be sold after the show and all proceeds will be donated to the British Heart Foundation, Homebase's official charity partner.