The horticultural frenzy that surrounds The Chelsea Flower Show is now in full flow – just 10 days to go and the pressure to deliver that “perfect” garden is on for the exhibitors.http://www.rhs.org.uk/Shows-Events/RHS-Chelsea-Flower-Show/2010/Gardens
As always with Chelsea, the unseasonal weather seems to be the topical issue with the Times reporting that “worried garden designers have resorted to hairdryers, halogen lights, fleece and paper cups to protect their plants and coax them into leaf and flower”
Plus there are the usual stories that demonstrate the eccentricity of this event – this year about the use of artificial turf in one of the gardens, and another which features multi-coloured diamonds, owes more to fashion than horticulture :
http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/gardens/article7114652.ece
Chelsea always delivers when it comes to digging up anything weird and wonderful in the world of trees, plants and flowers .For me, it should provide a connection to what gardeners are experiencing in their own gardens.
I am probably not best placed to comment on the relevance of Chelsea for your average gardener since I have never actually visited the Show – tickets always sell out long befor I have worked out which day to visit. My passion for all things gardening will, as always, be limited to watching my favourite gardener Alan Titchmarsh provide all the horticultural highlights via the TV screens.http://www.bbc.co.uk/chelsea/coverage/tv.shtml
Hoping for some truly “green” inspiration with gardens showing how to deal with issues such as biodiversity, sustainability, environmental impact, grow your own and climate change . Are these matters of concern for most gardeners? Does Chelsea concentrate too much on style and fashionable horticultural “trends” rather than the green roots of what gardening is all about? What are your thoughts?
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