I would absolutely hate the idea of going to the show due to my loathing of crowded environments and also that you can't get in to the gardens to explore them. I hope that everyone that went had the most fabulous time but I'm happy with the TV coverage.
The one garden that really showed some difference and intense consideration for me was Sarah Price's garden. I've loved that muted tonal colour look for a few years since I discovered the wallflower pastel patchwork which incorporates all of those tones and started scaling back my own shades to a simpler tone. A far more restful effect.
Sat flolopping in a hotel in Boulogne and have a few mins to pop in and say I really enjoyed the show this year. Tuesday and Wednesday are members' days and numbers are controlled. People are very good about shuffling back and forth and letting people in to see. Felt busier and less polite on the one occasion I went on a Thursday. Either way, I leave at 3pm when the half day people get in and add to the melée.
Lots of great design and fabulous plants but, for the first time ever, I didn't like Cleve West's garden. Just messy.
I love irises but there were too many bland or muddy coloured ones in Sue Price's design. Other gardens used stronger tones of similar colours and it worked much better for me.
Chris Beardshaw's planting was just sublime.
The Insect garden was interesting but the coloured glass in the "eye" dome cast odd colours on plants and they had two stumps of trees supported above ground on metal posts - not a lot of use to ground insects seeking food or shelter.
The Korean garden had so much big clumpy suff it was impossible for we spectators to see the inside - artful over form and practicality doesn't do it for me.
I liked the new balcony/pots gardens. Good idea.
I thought the marquee looked bare compared to previous years and only realised why when I couldn't find the big Hilliers' stand in the middle. No big Caribbean display this year either and no big vegetable display. Presumably economic and/or dodgy weather constraints.
I never bother with the floristry or the prickly stuff but I did take some pics of the cactus and succulent nursery stands for once. All photos will be sorted later. 625km to do tomorrow and then a decent dinner and some wine!!
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)."
I've read through all of this thread and have enjoyed people's comments. Thanks folks.
I like Joe and Monty and they genuinely seem to like each other and it boosts the presentation. Good on you both!
I've been three times to Chelsea, twice it was much too crowed and I didn't really enjoy the experience. The third time I was helping a friend who was exhibiting and I went about three days before the opening and it was by far the best Chelsea experience for me! Everyone was working, in their high-viz jackets and you could really take your time to look and study the gardens and take everything in. As it was only a few days before opening day almost all the gardens were finished and looking great. It was the best.
For me the best coverage these days is by TV and iPlayer because there are no crowds to be caught up in. Probably I won't go again but I do enjoy watching the coverage. This year I liked the man, the former farmer who has created a perennials nursery on his family farm. He was so passionate and I was pleased to see he got a gold.
I do really have issues with the costs and all the imported this and that and everything else and the colossal carbon footprint of the whole show. For those reasons the show gardens don't do it for me. I did like the Korean one though.
Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
@Redwing I rather think a combo of Brexit and CITES rules means there are no imported plants at Chelsea no, or very few. Even before this there were a few years when imported plants had to go into quarantine to ensure they were disease and pest free.
As for costs - world class designers and top quality plants from top nurserymen and women who deserve a decent profit for their work plus top quality build by top landscapers and materials sourced from reliable suppliers of quality goods who all deserve to be well paid for their expertise. Not cheap but perhaps you're one of those who still thinks as gardeners as unqualified labourers who should get minimum wage.
Chelsea and other shows are a display case for all that is great in British gardening and leads to lots of business for exhibitors and suppliers. It's a shop window as well as a great show.
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)."
@Obelixx, you are right about Brexit and Cites and imported plants. I was not thinking so much of plants but the hard landscaping and the colossal costs of moving and installing and then moving again of such things.
Your quote: "Not cheap but perhaps you're one of those who still thinks as gardeners as unqualified labourers who should get minimum wage" is a cheap jibe and misplaced. I worked for a few years in horticulture and agriculture and well understand the minimum wage issue. That was not my point.
Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
I agree @Fairygirl, there was more plant coverage last night and also in the daytime slot the day before.
That crammed pot with the new (disintegrating) DA rose in the middle was totally impractical though. The young chap doing it said that the peat-free MPC he used would give it enough nutrients for a whole year. Yeah right, must’ve been some kind of super compost!
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
Posts
The one garden that really showed some difference and intense consideration for me was Sarah Price's garden. I've loved that muted tonal colour look for a few years since I discovered the wallflower pastel patchwork which incorporates all of those tones and started scaling back my own shades to a simpler tone. A far more restful effect.
Lots of great design and fabulous plants but, for the first time ever, I didn't like Cleve West's garden. Just messy.
I love irises but there were too many bland or muddy coloured ones in Sue Price's design. Other gardens used stronger tones of similar colours and it worked much better for me.
Chris Beardshaw's planting was just sublime.
The Insect garden was interesting but the coloured glass in the "eye" dome cast odd colours on plants and they had two stumps of trees supported above ground on metal posts - not a lot of use to ground insects seeking food or shelter.
The Korean garden had so much big clumpy suff it was impossible for we spectators to see the inside - artful over form and practicality doesn't do it for me.
I liked the new balcony/pots gardens. Good idea.
I thought the marquee looked bare compared to previous years and only realised why when I couldn't find the big Hilliers' stand in the middle. No big Caribbean display this year either and no big vegetable display. Presumably economic and/or dodgy weather constraints.
I never bother with the floristry or the prickly stuff but I did take some pics of the cactus and succulent nursery stands for once. All photos will be sorted later. 625km to do tomorrow and then a decent dinner and some wine!!
I like Joe and Monty and they genuinely seem to like each other and it boosts the presentation. Good on you both!
I've been three times to Chelsea, twice it was much too crowed and I didn't really enjoy the experience. The third time I was helping a friend who was exhibiting and I went about three days before the opening and it was by far the best Chelsea experience for me! Everyone was working, in their high-viz jackets and you could really take your time to look and study the gardens and take everything in. As it was only a few days before opening day almost all the gardens were finished and looking great. It was the best.
For me the best coverage these days is by TV and iPlayer because there are no crowds to be caught up in. Probably I won't go again but I do enjoy watching the coverage. This year I liked the man, the former farmer who has created a perennials nursery on his family farm. He was so passionate and I was pleased to see he got a gold.
I do really have issues with the costs and all the imported this and that and everything else and the colossal carbon footprint of the whole show. For those reasons the show gardens don't do it for me. I did like the Korean one though.
As for costs - world class designers and top quality plants from top nurserymen and women who deserve a decent profit for their work plus top quality build by top landscapers and materials sourced from reliable suppliers of quality goods who all deserve to be well paid for their expertise. Not cheap but perhaps you're one of those who still thinks as gardeners as unqualified labourers who should get minimum wage.
Chelsea and other shows are a display case for all that is great in British gardening and leads to lots of business for exhibitors and suppliers. It's a shop window as well as a great show.
Your quote:
"Not cheap but perhaps you're one of those who still thinks as gardeners as unqualified labourers who should get minimum wage" is a cheap jibe and misplaced. I worked for a few years in horticulture and agriculture and well understand the minimum wage issue. That was not my point.
I have enjoyed all of the Chelsea TV coverage.
@Obelixx and @Redwing Thankyou for your very interesting posts.
I have enjoyed reading everyone's comments.
That crammed pot with the new (disintegrating) DA rose in the middle was totally impractical though. The young chap doing it said that the peat-free MPC he used would give it enough nutrients for a whole year. Yeah right, must’ve been some kind of super compost!
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.