The Chelsea armchair show
TO thOSe off to the Chelsea flower Show next week, have a wonderful day. But those who aren’t, do watch it on tV. Often you enjoy better views that way, especially with the show gardens; when viewing those for real, usually all you see are the backs of heads.
especially interesting show gardens include Kate Gould’s Out Of the Shadows — full of exotics — and Urquhart & hunt’s Rewilding Britain landscape. then there is Juliet Sargeant’s Blue Peter Garden, focusing on the importance of soil — the part of the earth’s crust that feeds us.
Among floral exhibits, look for old friends such as Bloms and their fantastic tulips, and dibleys whose vast collections of streptocarpus never fail to be jaw-dropping.
the show comes at the start of the rose season, so be sure to visit david Austin’s gorgeous and intensely fragrant display of roses both old and modern.
Chelsea is the heart of British gardening and shows just how good at it we are. Remember, too, that the judges — and i used to be one — are only human. if you disagree with their verdicts and awards, that’s your right.
Above all, come home with great ideas for your own garden. Snap pictures, take a notebook and make a list of the must-have plants, tools and gadgets you’ve seen.