I have (held over) tickets for 3.30pm entry. How strict do you think they’ll be about this if, say, I turned up at 3.00pm? After all, originally the tickets were good till 9.00pm but now it is an hour earlier and getting pretty dark at 7.30pm.
I’ve always found they let the afternoon entries in early- we normally get there at 3 and there’s no problem. Listening to a podcast yesterday they were suggesting that some of the gardens will be “celebrating dusk” - so although the show closes at 8pm like it normally does, there will be a chance to see some clever lighting. At least that’s what I’m hoping. The Pavilion is also lit up, so shouldn’t affect things in there 🤞🏻
@Athelas - comfy shoes, layers and a light waterproof as insurance and a comfy backpack to keep your hands free. Take a clean bin bag to sit on as the seats at the bandstand picnic area quickly fill up and the grass and soil may well be damp.
Unless you have the time and funds for a sit down lunch and have booked at one of the restaurants, take a sandwich as the usual selection is not wide, the queues can be long and the prices are elevated. Bottled water is a good idea too. There are usually coffee and ice cream stands dotted about the bandstand. Take a bag to carry all the leaflets you're likely to pick up at the stands and show gardens and make sure your camera is fully charged and has plenty of free space.
You can't buy plants at Chelsea - nurseries take orders for plants - but you can buy seeds, some bulbs and all sorts of sundries from gloves to secateurs to clothing, sculptures, paintings and ornaments.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Hope you have a great time @Athelas and @BenCotto …….I absolutely loved it 😍
There were far fewer people than normal (it was sold out so the RHS must have put a cap on numbers), there were fewer big show gardens, but enough to keep us going, and they had used the spaces where gardens used to be for seating areas ….. very welcome.
Some of the planting was beautiful ……and so lovely to see some different plants taking centre stage. I’ll post some of my favourite pics now.
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Unless you have the time and funds for a sit down lunch and have booked at one of the restaurants, take a sandwich as the usual selection is not wide, the queues can be long and the prices are elevated. Bottled water is a good idea too. There are usually coffee and ice cream stands dotted about the bandstand. Take a bag to carry all the leaflets you're likely to pick up at the stands and show gardens and make sure your camera is fully charged and has plenty of free space.
You can't buy plants at Chelsea - nurseries take orders for plants - but you can buy seeds, some bulbs and all sorts of sundries from gloves to secateurs to clothing, sculptures, paintings and ornaments.
There were far fewer people than normal (it was sold out so the RHS must have put a cap on numbers), there were fewer big show gardens, but enough to keep us going, and they had used the spaces where gardens used to be for seating areas ….. very welcome.
Some of the planting was beautiful ……and so lovely to see some different plants taking centre stage. I’ll post some of my favourite pics now.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.