My Barrow
Your barrow is empty
WELCOME TO THE TRADE SECTION OF OUR WEBSITE
Trade Site
Log In Trade Account Sign Up Log In
  • Tools
  • Accessories
  • Gifts
  • Collections
  • Agriculture
  • Journal
  • Our Story
  • Contact
  • Stockists
Show more
Posted on

Lights, camera... action! Postcards from Chelsea

After months of preparation, today’s the big day. It’s the day when the great and the good get the first glimpse of this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, with the Queen’s visit traditionally taking place in the evening. Today every last petal, every leaf, every blade of grass is in place and looking immaculate.
shares0 comments
Lights, camera... action! Postcards from Chelsea
Show more
Lights, camera... action! Postcards from Chelsea

After months of preparation, today’s the big day. It’s the day when the great and the good get a first glimpse of this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, with the Queen’s visit traditionally taking place in the evening. Today every last petal, every leaf, every blade of grass is in place and looking immaculate.

The Gardener's Question Time (top) and Gardener's World team at workIt’s been a monumental journey to get to this point. I was there over the weekend, to see the gardens coming together. And as anyone who’s ever been involved with staging or participating in an event – large or small - will know, it’s all about those last moments, the final frenzy as the precious hours and even minutes trickle through your fingers.

Of course, it’s stressful. Some people I met had been on site for weeks already, sealed in the Chelsea bubble, away from friends and family. When I arrived on Saturday, some gardens were still under construction; a hive of hi-vis activity, with fork-lifts delivering a seemingly endless stream of materials and greenery.

Aiming high... floral perfectionBut those final hours are also when miracles happen, with order emerging from chaos. Walking around the site on Sunday evening, the gardens were transformed. Whether shady woodland, arid desert, or informal wildlife garden, most were finished and looking picture-perfect. Most, but not all… and as darkness fell, it was obvious that for some at least, a late night was in store.

The final weekend of Chelsea build-up is also a great time to see the garden designers at work. Of course, they all have amazing people working with them, and each garden is the result of teamwork on a grand scale. Nevertheless, the designers have profound involvement themselves throughout the build and during the show itself, and there’s a real feeling of camaraderie as we all faced our own particular challenges.

All of the designers I met were knowledgeable, passionate, dedicated… but also down-to-earth and friendly, even after the emotional and physical demands of creating a garden. It’s a huge privilege to have the time and access to talk music and meconopsis with Chris Beardshaw, designer of the Morgan Stanley Garden; and to share memories of the Yorkshire coast with Tracy Foster, designer of the Welcome to Yorkshire Garden.

This week we’ll be bringing you some behind-the-scenes glimpses of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2017.

This week we'll bring you a glimpse behind the scenes at RHS Chelsea

 

0 comments
Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published

You may also be interested in

Be a winter winner in our Gabriel Ash giveaway!

Banish the January blues with this fantastic giveaway with Gabriel Ash, maker of some of the most gorgeous timber greenhouses around. You could win a prize worth close to £1000!
shares0 comments

Roses are red… Gardening gifts for your Valentine

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and it's the perfect opportunity to let the gardener in your life know how much you appreciate them – or to give yourself a little treat! Here are our top picks for Valentine's Day gardening gifts in 2025.
shares0 comments

Let’s get growing! Grow-your-own in February

February is the month when ‘grow your own’ really gets going! It really is true what they say: nothing from a supermarket can touch home-grown produce in terms of flavour. So what will you grow? Here's some ideas for crops to plant this month.
shares0 comments

Are you a green-fingered gardener? Sign up for the latest tips and news.