Chelsea Week

 

CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW

AND THE RAIN CAME DOWN

STAIR RODS

 

 

 

 

Every May is witness to the world renowned Chelsea Flower Show, all singing, all dancing, banner waving horticultural highlight of the year, favourite to The Queen and an abundance of VIPs.  The main highlights of the show are The Great Pavilion and the larger show gardens along Main Avenue. 

 

Today is the first day which is not available to the GBP (GREAT BRITISH PUBLIC).  The rain is torrential which makes any outside activity miserable in this climate but is guaranteed to wreak havoc on the carefully balanced floral exhibits as lack of sunshine really does seem to rob the blooms of their lustre.  They need the sun to bring them alive and make them zing. 

The TV magazine's somewhat ironic write-up imparts:  "The team will be looking at the displays and revealing the ingenious and imaginative ways in which water has been used in this year's show gardens.  Let's hope the sun has got his hat on." 

Let's hope the sun has donned his wellies and sou'wester really doesn't trip off the tongue quite so merrily.

 

The Great Pavilion is three acres of astonishing and breath-taking flora that is always a privilege to experience.  It's such a spectacle with a vast array to enjoy, from small private exhibitors to specialist horticultural breeders and retailers, corporations and visitors from abroad.  Everyone has their favourites be it roses, exotics, vegetables or succulents, there's simply something for everyone.

 

The judging takes place during the course of Monday and the medals are awarded first thing on the morning of Tuesday and are to be found awaiting the exhibitors and designers as they arrive, bleary eyed, at the crack of dawn(ish).  This will be the culmination of months of advance planning and many hours of intense preparation in the three weeks leading up to the show opening.  The day begins with the customary medal dash around the ground to witness the winners and their elation or disappointment at their varying successes.

 

Apparently during the setting up this year a very impudent urban fox infiltrated The Great Pavilion in the dead of night and among one of the stands, left a medal of his own - but it wasn't gold. 

 

If you've ever been to Chelsea, or are a regular goer, you'll have your own opinions about the crowds and whether that bothers you at all, or not. 

 

There's so much to see.  But it's rammed, 35,000 visitors on days open to the GBP.  Which makes viewing the show gardens quite arduous.  Whichever day you go, unless you're an RHS member, it probably won't be Monday; Press Day.  You'll therefore likely as not have already got to see some BBC coverage on either the Sunday preview show or the Monday, in the auspicious company of Her Majesty and have managed a sneaky peek of the delights on offer among the show gardens. 

 

In which case you'll have an advance idea of what's available in the show gardens, which were the most well received by the judges and what you'd like to squish in to see for yourself.  The emphasis here being slanted heavily in favour of the squish rather than the show garden. 


The GBP will be packed to the gunnels squarely around each garden and about 8 deep.  You therefore join the back of the throng and then spend 20 precious minutes of your life (per garden) delicately and politely jostling your way to the front to get a clear view.   

 

The gardens somehow never manage to look quite like they do on the telly.  Not sure why this is, perhaps it has something to do with the myriad hoards, as you're always fighting to hold your precious and hard fought position and unlike the TV camera's, your view is never fully uninterrupted but always slightly compromised.



The tranquil atmosphere of the tranquillity garden somehow seems to lose the essence of its metaphoric charm when glimpsed from among the writhing swarm. 

 

The show gardens are richly enswathed in all manner of symbolism, mysticism and coded messages.  This is once again where the BBC presenters come into their own by unravelling and translating all the allegorical tangle of wires, mirrors and up-ended bottles, explaining the hard landscaping and revealing what each designer has attempted to truely represent and the significance of their  'journey'.

 

 

The very ample TV coverage does demonstrate everything you could ever possibly need to see at 3.15, 7.30 and again at 8.00 or 8.30 daily.  In fact such ardent and comprehensive coverage is apt to deliver some repetition. 

 

There are things to buy here, just not the plants, these are exhibited until the venerated finale sell off following the final bell on the last day of the show. 

You can however find stalls selling all the latest in design, technology, clothing and gadgetry.

 

If not being able to purchase all manner of plant frippery that tempts and catches your eye is disappointing for you, there are many other shows of equal quality to rival Chelsea but with an abundance of plants on sale; with Hampton Court Flower Show and BBC Gardeners' World Live at the NEC among the very best in the south(ish). 

 

Whether watching on television or visiting the show in person there is always plenty to see, to learn and to enjoy.