I was extremely excited when my press pass for RHS Chelsea Flower Show was approved this year. Last year I was unsuccessful in my application, which was the first year I have not visited for nearly two decades. I would have bought a ticket but work got in the way. So this year without the same work commitments and a press pass achieved, nothing was going to stop me from attending.
The weather was threatening rain and frankly was not very warm either. I dressed appropriately as the day involves being outdoors most of the time and lots of walking. I decided to do the outdoors first and then move into the Grand Pavilion if/when it started to rain. This plan almost worked.
The Guardian of the Edge, Mother Nature was a key feature of Sarah Eberle's 'The Campaign to Protect Rural England Garden: 'On the Edge' was an absolute photo-stealer. The point of the garden is to draw attention to the countryside that is on the edges of towns, those rural spaces that we often move through swiftly not pausing to think how they matter and are increasingly being built upon as the urban sprawl sprawls further. This garden won a gold medal and RHS Chelsea Garden of the Year award (the award previously known as best in show).
The Tate Britain Garden, designed by Tom Stuart Smith was also a gold medal winner. In a year of Chelsea 'firsts': this garden features a sculpture by Barbara Hepworth 'Bicentric Forms 1949'; the first time a work of art from a national collection has been included in a garden. The planting is inspired by East Asian woodlands and was rather fabulous.
The Parkinson's UK - A Garden for every Parkinson's Journey, designed by Arit Anderson won a silver medal (robbed, just saying, robbed). Look at the stunning planting. The planting was carefully chosen to link to either different elements of Parkinson's or direct links to Parkinson's treatment. It is a fabulous garden. There is still no cure for Parkinson's and the number of people being diagnosed with this condition is rising all the time. I was delighted when this garden was awarded the coveted 'Peoples' Choice', this is very much deserved.
The Lady Garden Foundation 'Silent no More' garden, designed by Darren Hawkes won gold and similarly has an important message aiming to raise awareness of five gynaecological cancers. There can be many criticisms made of RHS Chelsea but the coverage that these gardens with a message gets far outweighs these criticisms. It puts their name on the world's stage - even if briefly - which is more than most advertising campaigns can achieve.
There were more show gardens than I am going to mention, I never cover everything. But whilst thinking of criticisms I did see some online grumbling that the sponsors this year were Range Rover and, horror upon horrors, there would be a stand with a Range Rover on it. Well, I decided I needed to see this and confess it took me a couple of circuits before I found it. This is partly because it was opposite the main Show Gardens so I was looking over there and not over here, I was distracted. Also it was quite buried in the plantage. I amused myself by thinking that aren't they the sort of big car that sometimes get called 'Chelsea tractors'?
Much has been said this year about things that were 'banned' at the show are now not banned. Vehicles were not banned, but clearly something more nostalgic is acceptable.
I witnessed this previously not allowed gnome approaching a vehicle.....
He had no shame! Of course regular readers will know that I have no issues with gnomes, I might (do) own three. Fuss has been made about allowing gnomes, I am a definite Team Gnome.
The Grand Pavilion was, as ever, a delight.
This stand stole my interest as it was focussing on natural dyes.
Of course I visited the rose stand. This is David Austin's new rose 'Sir David Beckham'. It is a lovely rose, very garden worthy: pretty and with good scent.
This is the Flora of South Africa stand. I stood here for a moment and thought about how in years gone by there used to be several large stands featuring overseas flora. It is sad there seems to be fewer these days.
I got distracted by this pink wisteria. I want a pink wisteria. I am not sure if the Grand Pavilion is meant to be one huge shopping list but that is what it becomes for me.
and of course I spent some time hungering after various begonias on the Dibleys stand.
and I would find space for this Dasylirion longissimum any day of the week.
There were a few paintings in progress on Press Day. This is a portrait of Hosta 'Red Ninja', which was the winner of the Plant of the Year Award.
This is a fine looking plant. I could see why it won,
Though this Anthurium 'Michelle' was also a very fine plant, one I would gladly grow;
and I liked this Rose 'Watford Forever' more than I would usually expect to. The colours are not ones that would usually work for me, and yet.....
The first time I visited RHS Chelsea, many years ago now, my friend and I made sure we saw every single thing there was to see. The floristry tent was a separate tent and we inspected it carefully. Whilst liking flowers (obvs) actual floristry was not high up on either of our whims and we decided in future years we could give that tent a miss to save energy for the rest of the show. Now the floristry is housed within the Grand Pavilion and I do wander over to see it. It is still not high up on my whims, but I admire the skill it takes to make these creations.
One of the joys of RHS Chelsea is that you can wander from area to area. When I first arrived, even though it was Press Day and so far less crowded then on public days, the show gardens were quite crowded with judging, people, celebrities etc. I have learned that I wander around some of the other areas and keep returning to the show gardens generally I can get the photos I need. So quite early on I went to see the container and balcony gardens as they were less crowded at that time. I loved this container garden, I would buy these benches in a heart-beat if I could afford them. (the general rule applies: if it hasn't got a price on it I can't afford it) (not that these have prices on them anyway, but you get the gist).
I enjoy the balcony gardens as they show what is a possible within a in a limited space.
Talking about fuss: horror upon horrors one of the house plant studios was sponsored by Love Honey who are a retailer of things for adults. I tried to be shocked by this stand, but, as with most fuss about RHS Chelsea, there are more important things going on in the world to get worried about than this. It won a gold medal, it was a good stand, well constructed and gladdened the eye.
This is the Project Giving Back Garden designed by James Basson and sponsored by Project Giving Back. This is the final year that Project Giving Back will be sponsoring gardens at RHS Chelsea. Project Giving Back has been an important backbone for RHS Chelsea over the last five years. They sponsor gardens supporting charitable causes and was set up in 2021 to help keep such gardens being created following the damage caused by the Covid pandemic. They have funded 63 gardens since 2021, including 11 gardens this year. That is a significant contribution and one has to wonder what the impact of their finishing will have on next year's show. I have referred to 'fuss' over gnomes, adult shops and Range Rover, but maybe whilst looking over there we should have been looking over here.
Whilst wandering around the stands I saw this apple chair. Isn't it wonderful? (No price on it.... can't afford it... but if I could....)
and I rather took to this pink polo (my name for it). There was a price on it, I still couldn't afford it, but if I could......
It was, as ever, a great day out. Several miles were walked, rain was largely ignored as was the rather chill breeze. I enjoyed the show as I always do. The show does not feel as large as it was: fewer of the smaller gardens, it felt like fewer stands in the Grand Pavilion and fewer of the exhibitors who I used to enjoy seeing at the show. Fewer means space for change and I look forward to what that change will be.
I loved my final photo from the day, it was a moment I had to capture. It almost was the day summed up: art, flowers and the remains the champagne.
Here's to next year.
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