Chelsea Flower Show

mary43

Anyone been watching this ? I missed a lot of it but caught some tonight and had a quick look on the bbc.website at some of the smaller gardens.
Wondered what anyone thought of it ?
I seem to remember other years a lot of the smaller gardens being a bit less 'formal' looking..........or am I just biased as I like a bit of a tangled garden ?

Plum_Pie

I’ve seen some but Chris Beardshaw drives me bananas and I keep catching bits with him in it! Carol Klein is my fave presenter – she reminds me of my best friend’s mum. I’m finding a lot of the Chelsea gardens quite clich!d to be honest. They’re all style and no personality. My favourite so far was the QVC garden! I too prefer, ahem, relaxed planting.

I really watch it for tips on how to grow certain things. The experts are so passionate and knowledgeable - it’s inspiring, (as long as you like irises, daffs, sweet peas or whatever.)

mary43

I like the QVC garden..........most of the others seem to have a bit too much formality about them for my liking.

Davesnave

I caught the programme which was about plants and growers, but I dodged the others. The huge costs involved in creating these ephemeral 'gardens' and in fooling plants to 'perform' out of season is beginning to raise questions which the RHS ought to address.

Lotus-eater

I agree Dave, Tbh I would prefer to go around one proper "real" garden, than the whole of Chelsea. And don't get me started on parsnips grown for show in guttering :rolleyes:

*MF*

Lotus-eater wrote: »

I agree Dave, Tbh I would prefer to go around one proper "real" garden, than the whole of Chelsea.

Totally agree ...

And don't get me started on parsnips grown for show in guttering :rolleyes:

Shouldn't mention my use of painted empty food tins for edging then ... j/kidding

Lotus-eater

*MF* wrote: »

Shouldn't mention my use of painted empty food tins for edging then ... j/kidding

Bud, you can put what you like round the edges of whatever you like its no skin off my nose............. just, how do you get to all the bits between where the cans join? I can see grass growing high there because its difficult to cut.

Davesnave

Lotus-eater wrote: »

I agree Dave, Tbh I would prefer to go around one proper "real" garden, than the whole of Chelsea.

That's it. The best inspiration I've had has come from Yellow Book gardens & the like.

*MF*

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Bud, you can put what you like round the edges of whatever you like its no skin off my nose............. just, how do you get to all the bits between where the cans join? I can see grass growing high there because its difficult to cut.

Truth ... I don't have the tins everywhere, but at the spot where I have used them (for the sound effect on rainy days - my main reason), I slipped old plastic shopping bags under the soil/tins and partly under the grass edge - and it works fine ... and I use lobelia and ladies mantle and the like to cascade over the area so it's not quite as dramatic as it may have sounded.

Other than that I am sometimes considered reasonably normal

Lotus-eater

Ah, old plastic shopping bags and empty food cans, its getting a more attractive rubbish heap as we go along :rotfl:

Sorry :A I really do like the idea of the sound in the rain, I think I might use the idea and do some with the DD........ but I think on a bit of concrete

Plum_Pie

Davesnave wrote: »

I caught the programme which was about plants and growers, but I dodged the others. The huge costs involved in creating these ephemeral 'gardens' and in fooling plants to 'perform' out of season is beginning to raise questions which the RHS ought to address.

Actually the bits I've seen have addressed this - there was a daff specialist who did the fridge/lighting chamber fakery and said 'You can have daffs all year round if you know what to do [or similar]' Bleurgh.

In contrast, the iris (I think) grower and the water plant specialist both claimed that they grew things as nature intended - outdoors, slowly etc.