I had the privilege of attending the Chelsea Flower Show again this year. I made my way back "to that lovely garden" as Alice in Wonderland suggested. As with last year, I was a dazzled with the beauty, creativity and enthusiasm for gardening that is so prevalent in England. We went in the afternoon of the second to last day so it was very crowded with garden enthusiast from all over the world. For some reason, I didn't mind the crowds. It's a bit like not minding the audience at a concert. We were all there to marvel at the beauty and creative endeavors of England's rock star gardeners.
I wasn't able to photograph all of the gardens, due to the crowds. If you want to see more, here's a link the the RHS site that lists all the winners along with spectacular photos of each garden:
This garden was brilliant. It was the President's Award winner. It shows that you can create a gorgeous garden anywhere, even above a garage.
The Brewin Dolphin Garden
These brown colored irises where stunning and were actually seen repeatedly among the various gardens. They were the flower of the year, or so it seemed.
This was one of my favorites. The garden was a celebration of the beauty to be found in the mathematics and algorithms that underpin all plants, growth and life. It won a silver-guilt medal.
The theme of this year's show championed the benefits of greening-up the grey spaces as part of the Greening Grey Britain campaign.
This was the People's Choice winner: "A Garden for Yorkshire" showcased the county's wealth of stunning scenery, iconic heritage, deep-rooted industries and skilled tradespeople.
This exhibit was another favorite of mine. It is a breathtaking tribute made of nearly 300,000 handmade crocheted poppies that were beautifully handmade as a tribute to those who served in all wars, creating a thread of connection to servicemen and women in the armed forces. It was designed by Phillip Johnson, who won Best Show Garden in 2013. Each of the hand-knitted and crocheted flowers was individually crafted by people from a range of cultures, and communities and ages, from two to 102 years old.
This is a gold medal winner. The Morgan Stanley Garden for Great Ormond Street Hospital has been designed to feature at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, before it is sited at its permanent home at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
The Great Pavilion has more than 100 specialist plant breeders, nurseries and societies that have created breath-taking floral exhibits with plants at the peak of perfection. This is a bed of lavender that smelled heavenly.
I thought these were solid sculptures with perhaps an iron rod holding the rocks together until I watch the "Rock Balancer" balance a large stone on top of another large stone and create yet another totally free standing "sculpture". I have no idea how he does it but it amazing to watch.
Part of the fun of the Chelsea Flower Show are the vendors, the food, and the performances. For me the most fun is seeing the amazing creativity in the gardens, the displays, the performances, and the inspiration that just permeates the whole garden show. It is also amazing to see how beloved gardening is here in England. There is a live television show that airs each evening during the week of the Chelsea Flower Show that highlights the gardeners, their inspiration and experience, and turns them in to media stars, at least for this week. I have a whole new respect for gardens and gardeners, thanks to the Chelsea Flower Show.
"The first thing I've got to do", said Alice to herself, as she wandered about in the wood, "is to grow to my right size again; and then the second thing is to find my way into that lovely garden. I think that will be the best plan."
I found my way into "that lovely garden" this week when I attended the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Wow! I can't find the words to express my wonder. I was so impressed with all the beauty, innovation, and creativity that I saw. I now understand why The Chelsea Flower Show is such a venerable event and so cherished by gardeners throughout Great Britain and the world. I don't think anyone could attend the Chelsea Flower show and not be totally inspired to go home and garden, regardless of the outdoor space one may have. I have a new appreciation for the English garden and for the joy that comes from growing something that is beautiful, edible, or both.
I attended with a dear friend of mine who is a landscape architect and designer. She insisted in arriving early, when the gates first opened. That meant a 6am departure from Oxford but I'm glad we did. This gave us an hour or so to see the gardens before the crowds came.
The first thing that greeted us upon entering the park where these gigantic driftwood sculptures made by James Doran Webb. Photos don't do them justice. They are stunning.
Next came the show gardens. I wish I had brought my big camera and that I could have captured the scope of the gardens. The best I could do was snap bits and pieces of the gardens. It would be difficult with the best of cameras to capture the full scale, ingenuity and beauty of the gardens.
The first garden on show was Sean Murry's, the winner of the BBC's Great Chelsea Garden Challenge. Who knew that rusted tin cans could look so good in a garden.
The M&G Garden "The Retreat" (This year's show sponsor)
BBC commentator Joe Swift doing an early morning spot in one of the Show Gardens.
The "Hope in Vulnerability" garden won the Peoples Choice Award. It was inspired by Sentebales' Manohato Children's Center in Lesotho, South Africa. The Center provides health care, education, and psychological support to children and adolescents with HIV. Britain's Prince Harry is a supporter of this center and was seen earlier this week at this garden. Designer: Matthew Keightley (He also won people's choice last year!)
Another Gold Medal winner: A Perfumer's Garden in Grass by L'Occitane.
The Breakthrough Breast Cancer Garden was designed by Ruth Willmott featuring a stunning sculpture which symbolizes the strength of all those fighting the disease.
The Best in Show winner was the Laurent-Perrier Chatsworth Garden. The judges called it a "Game Changer" because it is such a different kind of garden. It celebrates the wilder side of gardening and simple naturalism. It was inspired by a small part of the 105 acre Chatsworth Garden, the Trout Stream and rockery.To me it looked like the most beautiful, ancient, natural meadow. I was amazed that gardeners created this on a small urban spot.
Gold medal winner: The Brewin Dolphin Garden which featured hand-cut slate platforms and and glimpses of an underground stream.
The Scupltors' Picnic Garden by Walker's Nursery was the Gold Medal winner for Best Artisan Garden
I love this garden -- another Gold Medal winner called Trugmaker's Garden by Future Climate Info. I learned that a Trug is an old fashion worker's basket.
A Medieval garden celebrating the 800 anniversary of the Magna Carta
Check out what is growing in the stone trough -- a dandelion! It's the only weed I saw in the whole place and clearly deliberately planted there for charming effect. It works!
There are Show Gardens, Artisan Gardens, and Fresh Gardens which are more conceptual and contemporary. The Fresh Garden gold medal winner was called "Dark Matter". I preferred this one. I loved the surprise of a cactus garden in a mirrored hole in this pond. As usual, my photo doesn't do it justice.
In additions to the many small gardens on display, the grounds are filled with vendors, nurseries, and interesting merchandise that would delight any gardener or nature lover.
The RHS Chelsea Garden Show is held of the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in Chelsea, London. The grounds are lovely, even without all the imported gardens and plants. Here a designer added rope swings to one of the grand old trees. The ropes were out of reach but the effect made the tree seem enchanted, as if a special breed of tree people lived there.
Vendors' stalls lined a beautiful tree-lined avenue on the hospital grounds.
The Royal Hospital Chelsea is a retirement and nursing home for some 300 retired British soldiers. It is a true hospital in the original sense of the word – that is, a place where hospitality is provided. The residents in the Royal Hospital are referred to as "in-pensioners" and this red coat is their official retired military uniform.
There is a large pavilion in the center of the grounds filled with all kinds of delights, namely nurseries that showcase the best of plants of every type and variety. This year one part of the pavilion featured florists' interpretations of Alice in Wonderland like this giant tea pot and cupcakes.
Even carnivorous plants are beautiful at the Chelsea Garden Show.
Both the Pavilion and the gardens don't just feature flowering and ornamental plants. I was delighted to see an inclusion of edible plants in so many of the gardens. How I wish this could be the result of my patio vegetable garden!
Here is a short video that gives you an idea of the inside of the Pavilion and of the scale of the crowds.
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show has been held at Chelsea since 1912 and is the most famous flower show in the U.K. and perhaps in the world, attracting visitors from all continents. I now know why. Thank you K, K, and K for my birthday ticket. It was a day I will never forget and I know where I'll be going again this time next year.
I will again "find my way into that lovely garden. I think that will be the best plan.
