James Basson’s display – lauded by judges as ‘faultless’ – is designed to show how humans and nature interact on Malta

It was not supposed to be pretty, but the judges certainly found it impressive. James Basson’s take on an abandoned Maltese limestone quarry has won best in show at this year’s Chelsea flower show.

The construction, which includes slabs of limestone and evergreens, perennials and ground cover, was designed to show the interaction between humans and nature on the island, Basson has said, and draws attention to the balance that needs to be maintained.

James Basson (@BassonJames) OMG we just got best construction award and BEST IN SHOW!!!!!

“I am absolutely thrilled to have won best in show for the first time,” Basson said on Tuesday. “It is an incredible feeling and a testimony to the hard work of the whole team.”

He thanked his wife, Helen, as well as Crocus, the nursery that built the garden, and his financial backer, M&G Investments, for the roles they played.

“The garden is faultless and outstanding in terms of both construction and attention to detail,” said the chair of the judging panel, James Alexander-Sinclair, after the decision was announced.

Discussing his design beforehand, Basson stressed its ecological message. After a research trip to the Maltese quarry that the garden is intended to evoke, he told the Daily Telegraph that it was “not supposed to be pretty. It is stark and monumentally brutal.”

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“I am fanatical about quarries anyway; the cleanliness and purity of them can be like a contemporary building. I love the graphic patterns of the blocks, the scouring marks, and the way nature regenerates after man has left. A client told me about this one, and when I had the chance of coming to Malta for a design job, I came to see it and was blown away,” he said.



His design was divided into zones, each with its own ecology. It included shrubland, the landscape of the hills of the Mediterranean coastline and clifftop scenes, echoing the variety seen in Malta.



The garden also received the best construction award – the second such award in two years for Crocus.

“The message behind the designer’s creation is that humans need to take action to preserve the fragile environment of our planet. Sustainable water disposal, recycling and composting: all are vital if Malta is to save its distinct and delicate landscapes,” said the Royal Horticultural Society, which runs the annual flower show in London.

It said it awarded 73 gold medals. Kate Gould’s “city living” garden, representing an urban apartment block and how to innovatively use space in an urban context, won best fresh garden. The award for best artisan garden went to Walker’s wharf garden, supported by Doncaster Deaf Trust, by the designer Graham Bodle.