The Chelsea Flower Show is a spectacle, a bit of theatre and none more so than on press day, the day before it opens to the public.
Lots of celebreties appear on this day and there’s a certain amount of tension and expectation as judging is completed, ready for the medals to be announced the following morning.
The Show is a bit like high couture, most of us won’t wear the extremes of fashion that appear on a cat-walk, (more’s the pity in the case of Paul Smith, I make do with his perfume) but eventually the influence filters down to the high street and is embraced by us, even if we don’t realise it. (Paul Smith was charming by the way!)
The creativity and skills used by top designers show us how to combine plants together, in what way their ideas and the materials they’ve use can be applied to our own gardens.
The point is to inspire and give us ideas, to introduce us to plants that we have never heard of, but that might be just right for our own garden. New trends in planting styles and colours can be spotted and many new plant varieties are unveiled at the Show.
If you want to choose a new rose for your garden, then visiting one of the rose stands in the marquee is a delight because you can see loads of different varieties, choose not only the colour but also the scent ……. and what’s the point of a rose without scent?
It’s not all about design, the RHS takes the opportunity to provide loads of information that we all have to be aware of. How to use water wisely in the garden and what techniques and materials can be used to garden sustainably.
There’s a lot of interest in growing fruit and vegetables and you’ll find a huge variety of different examples and information about how to grow them. They’re also featured in some of the show gardens.
And finally the judges get a chance to take some photos and enjoy the Show. Here’s judge and chief assessor Andrew Wilson.
More posts to follow this week, the next one’s about plants.
I hope you manged to get a ticket this year, I’d love to hear your experiences of the Show ….. if not, there’s always the Hampton Court Flower Show in July.
Jill
images: Jill Anderson
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