Chelsea Flower Show

Yes, I enjoy watching it too.
There's going to be a (gay) wedding there tomorrow apparently.

Lovely to see, all so clean and tidy and not a weed in sight.

I visited RHS Wisley a few weeks ago and there weren't any weeds there either thanks to a thick mulch - amazing!

My garden is a tad more 'natural'.
Looking forward to the rest of the week.

It has been brought to my attention that I said there was to be a gay wedding tomorrow at the flower show. Apologies if that offended anyone, it really wasn't intentional. It was reported on TV and in the papers as such. Here is one link.
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/may/19/gay-wedding-and-schoolchildren-to-feature-at-inclusive-chelsea-flower-show
The gardener who is getting married really wanted to stress the point himself too.
It’s all happening on press day, 9am my partner Clive and I are getting married. How on earth is anyone going to accuse the RHS of being elitist when they are going to have the first RHS Chelsea wedding between a gay Indian man and a gay Irish man?
My godson is gay, so I do understand.

The old guard will be spluttering into their Pimms! 😂

Shame to distract from the gardens and flowers.
I love to see the show gardens and the smaller ones. They usually all look lovely to me and comes as surprise when they don't all get gold awards.

I agree that the plants and design must always take centre stage so I hope it’s not the thin end of the wedge.

Looking forward to watching this later.

I am truly not a fan. Totally artificial, including the planting, and all that concrete, stones and materials moved around from the other side of the country, and even, the world. An ecological disaster.

And creates something which is an impossible dream, that would turn into a nightmare, if it was a real garden. No garden can have all its plants, flowers, bushes and trees at their best all at the same time ... using so many artificial techniques- as there would be nothing left for the rest of the year.

A great garden is one where plants will constanty be replaced by others, in natural cycle, from earl Spring to Autumn- not one where everything is at its best for a couple of weeks. nothing before and nothing for later.

It's nice to see possibilities though.

I am an RHS member and love going to Wisley regularly, and other RHS and non RHS gardens, but they are natural, and as said above, each visit is different as flowers and trees evolve through the seasons, and are a true inspiration.

Fleurpepper

I am truly not a fan. Totally artificial, including the planting, and all that concrete, stones and materials moved around from the other side of the country, and even, the world. An ecological disaster.

And creates something which is an impossible dream, that would turn into a nightmare, if it was a real garden. No garden can have all its plants, flowers, bushes and trees at their best all at the same time ... using so many artificial techniques- as there would be nothing left for the rest of the year.

A great garden is one where plants will constanty be replaced by others, in natural cycle, from earl Spring to Autumn- not one where everything is at its best for a couple of weeks. nothing before and nothing for later.

Absolutely agree. I'm in the profession and hate those show gardens where everything is in peak bloom at the same time, even if they are several weeks apart in nature. And then, what is the garden going to look like for the rest of the year? I actually advised on a show garden that got a gold and, although it was good, it bore no resemblance to any sort of real garden. It also cost several hundred thousand.
It influences the way the public respond to gardens too. They no longer seem to understand the nuance and sway of the season and the skill that goes into growing certain plants. Everything is design fodder that can be taken out and replaced with something else. The horticultural business used to have far fewer 'seasons' but now there are the main spring/autumn seasons, and intermediate ones too. Not real gardening in my view. I used to go on press day. Don't bother now.

I have a lot of planters that I pot-up in the Chelsea style. A series of plants in pots that can be moved or removed at will so that they always looks nice. Just shows the influence.

Most people don't wait all year for Chelsea, Boz, but copy Sarah Raven for pots. Better to buy the plant material somewhere else of course.

I often use the phrase "all very Chelsea" as an euphemism for Showy. Shallow rooted and Unobtainable or Unreal.

Fleurpepper

I am truly not a fan. Totally artificial, including the planting, and all that concrete, stones and materials moved around from the other side of the country, and even, the world. An ecological disaster.

And creates something which is an impossible dream, that would turn into a nightmare, if it was a real garden. No garden can have all its plants, flowers, bushes and trees at their best all at the same time ... using so many artificial techniques- as there would be nothing left for the rest of the year.

A great garden is one where plants will constanty be replaced by others, in natural cycle, from earl Spring to Autumn- not one where everything is at its best for a couple of weeks. nothing before and nothing for later.

The same can be said for any show though. It’s an industry promoting itself but in a way that encompasses many benefits by emphasising mental health awareness, education, employment opportunities and simple appreciation of beauty in nature.

No negatives from me.

The same can be said for any show though. It’s an industry promoting itself but in a way that encompasses many benefits by emphasising mental health awareness, education, employment opportunities and simple appreciation of beauty in nature.

And a lot of the gardens are far more natural now.

Anything that encourages gardening is fine by me.

👍

Where do the gardens go after Chelsea Flower Show?

www.gardeningetc.com/features/the-life-of-a-chelsea-flower-show-garden
We have already seen Chelsea gardens of recent times adopt a more naturalistic style, with a sympathetic use of hard landscaping ideas. And whilst this is great for blazing a new trail for creating eco-friendly gardens, these practices need to be backed up by ensuring a lack of waste and an increase in sustainability at the show itself, as well considering how the show can have a wider reach and spread these messages to our wider society.

What happens to the gardens at Chelsea Flower Show?
SUSTAINABILITY AFTER THE SHOW

Other plants are borrowed, so are returned to their growers for seed collection later in the season. Most of the gardens are donated to charitable gardens or communal spaces, with some elements auctioned off and the proceeds going to charity

Where does the money go?

The RHS, a registered charity, takes around £5m in income from the show. After costs, the proceeds go towards good causes, which include its Grow Your Own campaign and the Britain in Bloom competition for towns and villages.

🌹🌺🌻🌼🌷⚘🌳🍀🌿

The Donkeys' garden which stole the show and won awards (2019?) came right back home to our local Donkey Sanctuary. I can confirm the garden is now thriving.
The design illustrated how donkeys need access to clean, fresh water in the poorest communities of the world and is educational, on the list of primary school trips. The children learn all about conservation projects across the charity's farms and its work worldwide.
Visitors to the Donkey Sanctuary are also to buy similar plants to those featured in the garden from the shop. A lot of interest was awakened by the show on TV.
There were even piles of Donkey poo at the show! 🫏 🫏 🫏
My DGC sponsor 2 donkeys due to hearing about this up in London.

That's great to hear. I was interested in the mushroom exhibit. The ladies talking about how 'growable' mushrooms are and how to do it were great. That sort of thing along with ideas for varieties and planting are the crux of the show.

Aveline

It's nice to see possibilities though.

Some people are just fun sponges 😟

Boz

I often use the phrase "all very Chelsea" as an euphemism for Showy. Shallow rooted and Unobtainable or Unreal.

Well, no it's not.

The gardens are moved to new locations, often for charity and the ideas and possibilities are there on show for all to use, adapt and encourage.

Artificial grass has been banned from RHS Shows, including this year's Chelsea Flower Show

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has confirmed the ban on fake grass due to its damaging effect on the environment which does not align with its ethics

👏👏👏

And yet some cheeky firm has still pinched the name Chelsea for their brand of horrible artificial plastic grass. 😲

Vanillasky

The Donkeys' garden which stole the show and won awards (2019?) came right back home to our local Donkey Sanctuary. I can confirm the garden is now thriving.
The design illustrated how donkeys need access to clean, fresh water in the poorest communities of the world and is educational, on the list of primary school trips. The children learn all about conservation projects across the charity's farms and its work worldwide.
Visitors to the Donkey Sanctuary are also to buy similar plants to those featured in the garden from the shop. A lot of interest was awakened by the show on TV.
There were even piles of Donkey poo at the show! 🫏 🫏 🫏
My DGC sponsor 2 donkeys due to hearing about this up in London.

Excellent, Vanillasky!
I love the planting, it looks bike-friendly top.

That garden looks perfectly obtainable - our garden is full of rocks, walls built of our rocks, a rockery made from our rocks!

These look very inspiring!

www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show/news/2023/discovery-zone