The Abbey Ruin Garden was inspired by nearby Glastonbury Abbey. In the 14th century Glastonbury Abbey was larger in its total area than Canterbury Cathedral and second in wealth only to Westminster. The Dissolution of the Monasteries during the reign of Henry VIII saw the Abbey partially destroyed and left in ruin. The skeleton of a once great Abbey is all that remains today and we tried to reflect its eerie reminder of the grandeur of mediaeval architecture in the Chelsea exhibit.

This ambitious project involved far more actual building work even than last year, and the first week of buildup was a frantic time. We tried to finish all the construction work by the first Friday leaving the second week for ornament displays, planting and the all important finishing touches. There were some new faces on the crew who blended well with the old hands and brought some fresh ideas to the effort. And yes - it was me, not one of the newcomers, who head-butted the Chapter House door head minutes after we had fixed it - Ouch!

There were echoes of our recent Abbey Ruins Show Garden in Chicago with the tumbledown pergola leading to the Abbot's residence. With far less space than in Chicago the Chelsea exhibit showed how suitable the Gothic Folly components are for the smaller garden. Like a miniature Glastonbury you can build little ruined corners and remnants conveying the impression of scale or creating hidden features or vistas.

Steve and I have been hankering to build a cloister wall since the first time we showed our Tracery Window. This was a golden opportunity. I am particularly taken with the idea of hiding inaccessible displays behind the windows to heighten curiosity and think the idea worked well - especially in the evenings with subtle underlighting. The magnificent central Triple Arch Gothic Window was so reminiscent of Glastonbury with King Arthur's tomb below.

This year our friends at Hillier did more than just help with our planting they performed a miracle. Billed as a 'Hillier Garden Makeover' (see hillier.co.uk) Andrew McIndoe and his team, led by Sue Robinson and Chris Rawlings, transformed our display in a blitz of planting. When I told Andrew that I was worried about the quality of the turf we had bought and he replied by saying 'who needs turf when you've got enough plants' I knew things would turn out ok.

Tim Redwood, May 2003