I agree with most of the things said here. Personally, I was very impressed with the conceptual gardens, especially with The Antithesis of Sarcophagi. It made me think of Moses guiding the people to the promised land, but not being allowed access to it. It also made me think about how torn we are between judging life and living it, how we often witness our life from the outside and just rarely get a glimpse of the essential; it is in a way a self expulsion and alienation from life itself.
From a social point of view, it made me think of all the people who don't have access to essential things, of people who are marginalised, poor, discriminated against, and who are locked on the outside, given little chance to be integrated into something that is so tantalisingly close(d). Gardening can mean many things, but I find it hard not to make the connection with the garden of Eden, the expulsion from it and our deeply embedded desire to return. We take hold of a piece of land and dedicate ourself to protecting vulnerable ephemeral plants in order to recreate a glimpse of the original garden. For some is a form of prayer, for some is a form of penance, for some is a form of asking for forgiveness, but it is often more meaningful than the simple hobby we make it out to be.
Just wanted to share this in case somebody might feel the same. Apologies to everyone else.
Show me the plants! Unfortunately I cannot get to Chelsea and I want to see the plants - any new cultivars etc. etc. not waffling presenters. Doubt I shall watch again. Monty, get back home to Nigel and Nell. Rant over! Equlibrium restored.
Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
PP "err yes, um I think? maybe" having seen my Eden, a micro dot of perfection in the middle of an arid Desert produced and looked after by gardeners supreme all in uniform I do know they can exist, still move on.
Last night drove me crackers, men in dresses apart from Scots make me foam at the mouth and he-she was on every few minutes, I turned the sound off until the end and only just prevented myself from throwing my I-Pad at the screen then on again with Monty talking a load of artistic twaddle we not in the club do not understand. The background noise even to me with clay ears was horrific AND there is plenty to see at Chelsea without going into background stories over and over, I think it time ITV took over we would only have to switch the adverts off. Carol Sophie and Monty yes the rest time to go, Joe was talking Monty down all night and his interviews are 75% Joe 25% person being interviewed, please can we have more of the actual people building the gardens and less idle me me me from the presenters.
OK that is off my chest back to placid Frank, I love the thought we Brits can produce a Garden show noted world wide, Gardeners who can produce plants of such beauty and gardens that make us dream then go out and try to emulate, in my case never managed that yet probably never will as age slows me down. Still we can all dream.
Seems to me that CFS is becoming less of a flower show and more like the Turner prize with a few plants thrown in. I'm not going to mention Mr Gavin, oh sh*t I just did!!
The only garden I have any respect for is the Brewin Dolphin-Forever Freefolk. The designer, Rosey Hardy, grew all the plants herself with her husband helping. As far as I can tell all the others order what they want from nurseries. What would folk on here say to anyone who put up their garden pics showing their gardens etc, if they knew that person had nothing to do with it apart from paying someone to do it for them and saying 'look how cleaver I am'?
Steveo4, Cleaver??? yes I would gladly take a cleaver to some of the Z Celebs what ever that means.
M.U. As a Turner Gainsborough lover it would be interesting to see what some artists would produce, glass cases with half a cow surrounded by flowers, Massive stones with big round holes and a Donkeys bottom sticking out, a vine growing up its tail. How about a Dali with flowers every which way, I see chaos, in any case what on earth was that artist doing on there with so much time given, what makes him so important when it is admitted they know nothing of gardening, we have many brilliant young gardeners who in the modern way can talk the subject through how about Alice?
Chelsea is a Flower Show just as Crufts is a Dog show keep it as such, why must we trend towards super modern to please the few aficionado's, I would bet the Queen bless her had something to say in private.
I don't mind the celeb interviews when they are clearly keen on gardening as a couple of them have been. To interview celebs who then state they basically don't know and don't care about gardening is utterly ridiculous.
For all its shortcomings, Chelsea, through its gardens, has offered, at least to some of us, some joyful, peaceful and reflective moments and images. The British Eccentric's Garden had me laughing aloud, like a child; the beautiful L' Occitane Garden reminded me of so many childhood summer holidays and the Great Ormond Street Hospital Garden made me reflect and count my blessings.
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I agree with most of the things said here. Personally, I was very impressed with the conceptual gardens, especially with The Antithesis of Sarcophagi. It made me think of Moses guiding the people to the promised land, but not being allowed access to it. It also made me think about how torn we are between judging life and living it, how we often witness our life from the outside and just rarely get a glimpse of the essential; it is in a way a self expulsion and alienation from life itself.
From a social point of view, it made me think of all the people who don't have access to essential things, of people who are marginalised, poor, discriminated against, and who are locked on the outside, given little chance to be integrated into something that is so tantalisingly close(d).
Gardening can mean many things, but I find it hard not to make the connection with the garden of Eden, the expulsion from it and our deeply embedded desire to return. We take hold of a piece of land and dedicate ourself to protecting vulnerable ephemeral plants in order to recreate a glimpse of the original garden. For some is a form of prayer, for some is a form of penance, for some is a form of asking for forgiveness, but it is often more meaningful than the simple hobby we make it out to be.
Just wanted to share this in case somebody might feel the same. Apologies to everyone else.
Show me the plants! Unfortunately I cannot get to Chelsea and I want to see the plants - any new cultivars etc. etc. not waffling presenters. Doubt I shall watch again. Monty, get back home to Nigel and Nell. Rant over! Equlibrium restored.
PP "err yes, um I think? maybe" having seen my Eden, a micro dot of perfection in the middle of an arid Desert produced and looked after by gardeners supreme all in uniform I do know they can exist, still move on.
Last night drove me crackers, men in dresses apart from Scots make me foam at the mouth and he-she was on every few minutes, I turned the sound off until the end and only just prevented myself from throwing my I-Pad at the screen then on again with Monty talking a load of artistic twaddle we not in the club do not understand. The background noise even to me with clay ears was horrific AND there is plenty to see at Chelsea without going into background stories over and over, I think it time ITV took over we would only have to switch the adverts off. Carol Sophie and Monty yes the rest time to go, Joe was talking Monty down all night and his interviews are 75% Joe 25% person being interviewed, please can we have more of the actual people building the gardens and less idle me me me from the presenters.
OK that is off my chest back to placid Frank, I love the thought we Brits can produce a Garden show noted world wide, Gardeners who can produce plants of such beauty and gardens that make us dream then go out and try to emulate, in my case never managed that yet probably never will as age slows me down. Still we can all dream.
Frank.
Seems to me that CFS is becoming less of a flower show and more like the Turner prize with a few plants thrown in. I'm not going to mention Mr Gavin, oh sh*t I just did!!
The only garden I have any respect for is the Brewin Dolphin-Forever Freefolk. The designer, Rosey Hardy, grew all the plants herself with her husband helping. As far as I can tell all the others order what they want from nurseries. What would folk on here say to anyone who put up their garden pics showing their gardens etc, if they knew that person had nothing to do with it apart from paying someone to do it for them and saying 'look how cleaver I am'?
Steveo4, Cleaver??? yes I would gladly take a cleaver to some of the Z Celebs what ever that means.
M.U. As a Turner Gainsborough lover it would be interesting to see what some artists would produce, glass cases with half a cow surrounded by flowers, Massive stones with big round holes and a Donkeys bottom sticking out, a vine growing up its tail. How about a Dali with flowers every which way, I see chaos, in any case what on earth was that artist doing on there with so much time given, what makes him so important when it is admitted they know nothing of gardening, we have many brilliant young gardeners who in the modern way can talk the subject through how about Alice?
Chelsea is a Flower Show just as Crufts is a Dog show keep it as such, why must we trend towards super modern to please the few aficionado's, I would bet the Queen bless her had something to say in private.
Frank.
The Chelsea coverage so far has been very entertaining and broadcast at reasonable times for me.
Its really no surprise that with all the finance involved celebs always need to be included as we
live in a celeb bubble these days and its all about general viewing figures.
In spite of all the high finance involved its still great to see the small family firms and husband/wife
teams putting on a splendid show.
I cannot wait for the next programme as this is the highlight of my gardening year.
Sorry Frank. My spell checker went to the shops
Not keen on how many repeat showings that we saw the day before. What I did like was the Grayson Perry interlew, last night.
I don't mind the celeb interviews when they are clearly keen on gardening as a couple of them have been. To interview celebs who then state they basically don't know and don't care about gardening is utterly ridiculous.
For all its shortcomings, Chelsea, through its gardens, has offered, at least to some of us, some joyful, peaceful and reflective moments and images. The British Eccentric's Garden had me laughing aloud, like a child; the beautiful L' Occitane Garden reminded me of so many childhood summer holidays and the Great Ormond Street Hospital Garden made me reflect and count my blessings.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show/Gardens/2016/L-Occitane-Garden