Chelsea Flower Show

I hate it too. Advertising is sneaking in everywhere on the BBC. The Grand National, football, rugby etc. are all used to advertise and don't get me started on Comic Relief and Children in Need.

Ah, I wondered what the significance of the M&G garden was.

Not sure what to make of this year's show gardens. The only colour seems to be in the painted hard landscaping. Maybe they'll grow on me.

Cant say im very enamoured either merlot

I'm not impressed with the main show gardens so far, but once again, the Japanese artisan garden is superb. I love Japanese gardens.

So, People's Choice then?

I'm voting for Chris Beardshaw's garden. Can't believe they gave him a silver-gilt and not a gold.

In previous years I have usually spotted at least one garden design that given a windfall I could emulate in my little patch.
This year not one
I agree that Chris Bradshaw was the best and deserved a gold medal.

However I do covet the beautiful drift wood horses.

They (the designers) seem to want to design something that is far removed from gardens that people would expect to have as their outside space & instead have gone for some sort of message or statement.

IMHO it is The Chelsea flower show (Spring)
So it would be nice to have more flowers & less hard landscaping and white blocks (best in show)
But then what do I know!

If any lucky GNers are visiting the show please report back.

I expect Chelsea need money from M&G to put on the show. As in previous years lots of the show pieces are just a load of weeds. Chris Beardshaw should have had gold, it was a lovely garden, with garden plants.
I have never been to the Chelsea show, I'd rather watch on TV it looks so crowded. I have been to Hampton Court flower show and enjoyed that.

In the words of Elvis Costello "I don't wanna go to Chelsea".

I have been to Hampton Court and Tatton Park flower shows a few times but have never had any desire to "do" Chelsea. It always seems so pretentious and full of luvvies . The gardens in the people's choce were all full of giant rocks posing as seats . Truly awful. I did like the Chris Beardshaw garden and understood the Clippy (horse) garden but as for the rest? I wonder sometimes.

......and what on earth was that awful square stone blocks thing about?

Emperors new clothes springs to mind.

I spent a lovely day at Chelsea. It was amusing to see the expressions of people who looked at the M&G Best in Show as they moved away. Mostly puzzled with a hint of distaste! Several overheard negative comments too. It could barely be classed as a garden.
Chris Bearshaw's garden was indeed lovely and could well be The People's Choice. Nigel Dunnett's RHS Greening Grey Britain was packed with interesting ideas for city gardens. The Welcome to Yorkshire Garden was beautifully landscaped. All the artisan gardens were worth a look with, as ever, I especially liked the Lowestoft Boatbuilder's Garden and, of course, Mr Ishihara's gorgeous Japanese Gosho No Niwa (No Wall, No War).
The Radio 2 presenters' always had crowds around them. The Fresh Garden proved a mixed bunch for me with Mind Trap, exploring depression, especially striking and its designer very ready to discuss his concept. The Great Pavilion had the Come to Your Senses Eco-Therapy Garden. Entered through the noisy home of a typical busy, stressed, uncommunicative online family it opened out to displays driving home the wisdom that a green space can calm and energise us through our senses. All credit to Miracle-Grow for their work on this theme with children.
Now to get home, await my Dalefoot compost delivery, and start planning my own garden before the enthusiasm wears off!
The marquee was ablaze with flowers and plants of many kinds including Birmingham Parks Department celebrating the work of Rowland Emett. Those who recall the 1951 Festival of Britain will be pleased to hear that Emmett's wonderful and whacky kinetic constructions are still in full working order and seeking a permanent display site.

Glad to hear you enjoyed your day at Chelsea, Elrel. I was disappointed that Chris Beardshaw didn't get a gold, considering that so many of the golds that were awarded were for spaces I wouldn't even have categorised as gardens. I think these garden designers are running out of ideas. I settled down to watch Chelsea last night until I saw Monty Don sitting there in braces and a shirt with the sleeves rolled up as if he'd just fallen out of his potting shed at Long Meadow. His general scruffiness always hits a wrong note with me. It's Chelsea, for God's sake. Thank you, Joe Swift for at least having the good taste to put on a jacket.

I would choose Monty Don over Joe Swift anyday. With Monty what you see is what you get where's Joe Swift always comes across as a bit of a fake, even more so after I witnessed him losing his temper after fluffing his lines at Tatton, it put me right off him.

I do love to watch all the flower shows on TV though.

I do wish I was going to Hampton Court or Tatton this year. Sadly not .

Oh and I loved that horse "Clippy" made entirely out of old horse shoes.

How does a charity like the World Horse Welfare have enough money to sponsor a Chelsea garden?

Googling them leads to a link where you can vote for their garden and highlights their work but it leaves me scratching my head over whether I would want to donate to help fund a Chelsea garden.

Maybe I'm way off beam.

You don't have to go to the actual Show to enjoy the summer and flowery atmosphere. Have a look at this video link - you can walk around the streets on the Floral Safari and admire the fantastic and surreal displays in public spaces and outside participating shops.

Chelsea

Loved the Chelsea Safari! Thank you Riverwalk

Emperors new clothes springs to mind
gillybob

As DH said, 'even Chelsea is following the trends of the art world in voting for a load of pretentious claptrap and rubbish!'

Merlot - WHS were trying hard to only give their (glossy, expensive) booklets to 'older people likely to donate' as one representative was saying!! They want to be in our wills I think!
Carol Klein, the energetic, enthusiastic, smiley presenter was doing a piece to camera and, by what I was told was the 5th take, the cameraman actually asked her to smile. I never expected to hear that. She was still good humoured, what a trouper! One of the well trained hi viz jacketed Chelsea helpers, who had been with her for a couple of days, told me she was thoroughly down to earth (no pun intended) and friendly to everyone.
Most of the self important celebs and designers were nowhere to be seen. The designers who were present on their gardens were informative and appreciative.
Has everyone voted BBC 2 online for The People's Choice?

Your DH is absolutely right Jalima1108 some of those "gardens" should be taken to court under the Trades description Act !

They weren't gardens at all just pieces of land with lumps of concrete and huge twisted bits of metal.