Chelsea Flower Show

Davesnave

Plum_Pie wrote: »

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.

Out of season plants is one thing,(the daff grower isn't going to have shows to attend at his plant's flowering time,) but creating gardens at a cost of £200k and then demolishing them is something else. So much is about image & prestige rather than the unglamorous & mucky reality of real gardening.

I'm not sure how much Chelsea benefits the average grower either. An acquaintance of mine, who isn't slow in the business world, tried it for a year or two, but came to the conclusion that it didn't pay. There are other shows, easier to reach and cheaper, like Malvern or Gardeners' World at the NEC, but Ive seen many interesting plants at some of our local plant fairs, without the duplication, or all the stands full of 'indispensible' gizmos, rhumatism cures and dubious craft items!

Plum_Pie

I thought they sold off the plants on the last day? Or do you mean the compost, fences, benches etc?

Davesnave

Plum_Pie wrote: »

I thought they sold off the plants on the last day? Or do you mean the compost, fences, benches etc?

Oh yes, the plants all go. My wife's worked there and she told me just how quickly too!
What I'm talking about is all the hard landscaping etc, which has, in many cases, been done as a mock-up and then the real thing. I guess it is the same thing at any kind of 'show,' just on a larger scale. Even small nurseries mock-up their displays for county shows, but usually that just involves 'found' natural materials and lots of black cloth!

I suppose I'd liken Chelsea to the various fashion shows held in London, Paris or wherever; more dream than reality, but eventually the trends and the plants filter down to the general public. Seeing people leaving Chelsea on the last day, their eyes glazed over as they hug some prize bloom, you know disbelief has been suspended for a while. It's a far cry from sitting behind market stall extolling the virtues of a 'new' variety and being interrupted by the canny customer who asks, 'Fine and good, but my soil is clay and my garden doesn't see the sun till half past four, so I'll just have another of your groundcover geraniums!'

olly300

Watching tv now while surfing here. Apparently all the show gardens have to be recycled this year.