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Chris Beardshaw, RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2013, Rich Landscapes, Robert Myers, Ulf Nordfjell, Un Garreg
RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2013
As a plant lover it might seem strange that I’ve never visited the RHS Chelsea Flower Show before. My lack of attendance has often been due to being away at the same time of year or down to a lack of organisation when it comes to ordering tickets. I’m always glued to the TV coverage every year though, kicking myself that I’m not there. But all that changed yesterday when at last I got a chance to see the show gardens and the great pavilion for myself.
I’m not sure why but my brain always conspires against me when I need sleep the most. For some reason knowing I need to get up early for something a little out of the ordinary say to catch a flight, or in this instance to get to Chelsea, means I spend the night tossing and turning trying desperately to sleep but failing miserably. I had that sinking feeling as I looked at the alarm clock and another hour had passed and I STILL wasn’t asleep. So I collected my press pass after having had about only two hours sleep and feeling more than a little bleary-eyed. I was worried I’d have to seek out somewhere for a surreptitious snooze but fortunately the excitement to be there kicked in.
Held in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea it might not be the largest flower show in the world (that’s Hampton Court) but it is seen as the most prestigious. And, this year it was celebrating its 100th anniversary. On press day the gates open early. I was there just after 8am but it was already a hive of activity with photographers busy capturing the best shots, TV crews recording footage and RHS judges making their way around, marking the designs in preparation for the medal awards today. Seeing this whole aspect was fascinating in itself.
Strawberries in wellies
Of all the flower shows it’s Chelsea that is really about garden design. In preparation I had read about the individual gardens and the ideas behind them so I had been eagerly anticipating seeing them for real. Perhaps though there is a danger in putting out too much preview material because some of the gardens didn’t live up to the hype in my opinion. They weren’t bad just not as good as I had hoped they would be. I’m a huge fan of the Swedish designer Ulf Nordjfell but found his planting a bit of a let down. It’s fair to say that the growers and designers have had a dreadful year trying to get plants into leaf and flower after such a cold spring and I think it was quite visible in some gardens and Ulf’s was one of them. I had also had high hopes for the Brewin Dolphin sponsored garden by Robert Myers but sadly didn’t like it at all. The planting, although pretty just wasn’t different enough and I REALLY disliked the furniture that had been chosen.
Chris Beardshaw Garden RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2013
I did however love Chris Beardshaw’s garden. The planting was truly stunning, vibrant, colourful and plenty of it. There was an added element to this garden for me. Chris designed the garden for the Arthritis Research UK charity as he had been diagnosed with a form of arthritis at the age of 19. For me the garden was an inspiration. The idea that he has forged such a successful career as a garden designer and plantsman whilst enduring the pain and difficulties that his condition must have caused gave this garden a depth that was lacking in the other designs.
Un Garreg Artisan Garden RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2013
The artisan gardens are much smaller, between 20 and 35 square metres, budgets are less and, rather than spending a lot of money on hard landscaping, plants are always the main focus. Set away from the main avenue along a wooded avenue I loved the escape from the hustle and bustle and the fact that you could get up close to these gardens. The attention to detail was incredible. My favourite was Un Garreg which means ‘one stone’ in Welsh and was inspired by the landscape of the Brecon Beacons, the home to the young designers and brothers Henry and David Rich. I’ve spent quite a bit of time walking in this stunning part of Wales, not far from where I live, and loved the evocation of a piece of Welsh countryside in the heart of London. Details such as tiny ferns poking from the dry stone walls, the beautiful planting and keeping the carbon footprint to a minimum by using one boulder from a local quarry for the garden’s hard landscaping meant I was thrilled to see that they won a gold.
For a Chelsea virgin seeing the who’s who of the gardening world was fun. If I’d thought about it a little more I could have played celebrity gardener bingo but juggling my camera, notepad and pen, and the ever-increasing amount of paper about the gardens and nurseries I was collecting, as the day went on, meant I could have done with an extra pair of hands as it was.
Despite some misgivings about certain gardens, feeling ever so slightly ripped off by the price of food and drink available and the inordinate amount of time it took to order a cup of tea I really enjoyed my first visit to Chelsea. There was so much to like, there was a buzz in the air and a feeling that you were somewhere where people shared a common passion for plants. I liked the eccentricity of elements of it. The introduction of gnomes for one year only and the frog noises coming from the Australian ‘best in show’ winning garden. I’m not sure why some still feel the need to have young women in tiny outfits posing on their stand or for photos. I really felt for them huddled in coats trying to keep warm until the next reveal.
There was so much to see – the fresh gardens, the great pavilion and of course the plants that I can’t squeeze it all into one post so I’ll write more over the coming days.
wellywoman 
I was so pleased when I saw the title of this post, I always enjoy your reviews and as I am visiting the show tomorrow I read your thoughts with interest. I’m just hoping the rain will keep away for my visit. Glad you enjoyed your first experience of the show. I always hate the crowds, you were probably luckier than the rest of us, as I imagine there were far less press and VIP’s than there will be visitors tomorrow. Thanks for sharing your experience. Christina
I hope you’ve had a lovely visit to Chelsea. It is much quieter on the Monday although you do have to negotiate the film crews, cameras, cranes and photographers.
Next year I’ll be hoping for a picture of Barbara Bach….. 🙂
I’ll do my best.
I’ve only been once before (last year) when there were also problems with the weather in the run-up and there were still stunning displays of planting in the gardens. Cleve West’s was most memorable. I read somewhere else today that someone found it a bit green and bland this year…hope I am not going to be disappointed on Friday. How was the Great Pavilion? That was the best thing for me last year.
AHA but by Friday many more of the plants will have bloomed and be looking closer to their best. This was the same last year (2012) when those who normally arrive as things are ‘going over a bit’ were treated to by far the best show of colour and bloom…..looks like this year will be the same…having been yesterday I wish I had gone at the end of the week!
It’s a pity for the designers when the gardens are primed for judging on the Monday. The weather has been a nightmare but I’ve been surprised none of the designers have even mentioned it. Wonder how Chris managed to get so many plants into flower for then.
He had a nursery who were able not only to pull out all the stops, but prepared to! brutal but probably true 😉
I would have loved to have seen Cleve West’s garden. It was my favourite from last year. Hope you have a lovely day on Friday. I liked the great pavilion but just didn’t get enough time in there.
Some day I’d love to see Chelsea, but for this year I’ll stick to just doing the Chelsea Chop on the sedums.
(Mind you, The Flâneur Husband could easily be persuaded to fly over to London for a flower show; we spent two hours in Copenhagen’s Botanical Gardens on Saturday where he wandered around looking at rhododendrons he’d like to have in the garden… I do believe he has the making of a gardening geek!)
It has been so cold here that the Chelsea chop will have to be late. You’d love Chelsea although you don’t tend to see many rhodos there. They seem to be deemed not trendy enough by the designers. 😉 I love how you’re converting FH into a gardening geek.
I think the sedums will get a Chelsea chop “light” – or a “Chelsea trim”? – this weekend; they’re growing so well and I think they won’t mind terribly if I cut them back by a quarter.
And my husband is a gardening lover, so from there to geek it merely a small step… He can also go bananas over peonies, dahlias and clematis, and he’s no longer doing the “and this is our newest clematis” when showing people a hosta; it’s learning by doing, and he’s beginning to think up plans for the garden as well, so it slowly becomes more and more “our” garden. Which is, at the end of the day, what the intention was when we bought the holiday home…
I recognise quite a bit of this with my OH. There are a few plants that he can never remember the name of but he’s getting there. He’s helped so much this spring with the plants for the book that he’s starting to recognise so many more. I still get a lot of ‘is this a weed or a plant?’ but it’s nice that he shares my love of plants too. It’s good to have different hobbies but I couldn’t imagine living with someone who didn’t appreciate plants and the natural world.
My husband will never be a complete geek. He just doesn’t have the personality (disorder?) required for it. But he has passion and enjoyment and he’s beginning to learn the craft. (He does have a worrying fixation on power tools, though; like hedge clippers and chainsaws and compost grinders.)
Hi, WW. Keep an eye open for my primula Inverewes will you? In the RBC garden I hope. Thought I glimpsed them on telly, but can’t be sure
Oh I didn’t spot them. To be honest there’s so much to see you end you with plant blindnes after a while. I did spot some of your gorgeous Primula melanantha though. Absolutely gorgeous in the flesh.
So, so jealous. I still hope to go to Chelsea one year, but it won’t be anytime soon. We don’t even get the tv coverage here. At least I can see some of it online. Sigh…
I’ve wanted to go for such a long time too. It’s such a pity that you don’t get any coverage either. Hopefully some of my posts have given you a flavour of it. Hope you get a chance to go soon.
You are very brave-I tend to watch it on the sofa on the box. From that limited vantage point I loved Chris Beardshaw’s planting and the dramatic Japanese Alcove Garden.
Like many events the view you get on screen is the best. But it was good to experience it all for real at last. I loved Chris Beardshaw’s garden and the Japanese garden. Both were stunning.
Is it difficult to grow strawberries?
Well done on doing a refreshingly honest post about Chelsea in that that you say that you don’t like a garden or the furniture, and about the price of the food and drink.
I’ve been a couple of times but really not a fan of this show perhaps because it is so design orientated. xx
I like the design element even though it’s often hard to relate to for my own space. I think Hampton Court has a much more relaxed feel and Malvern is much more about buying plants and stocking up.
Press pass…?! Thanks for the informed and down to earth visit. I like the look of Chris Beardshaw’s garden too
I’ve been appalled at the quality of the TV coverage this year, so I am looking forward to reading more about your visit.
Very interesting, WW – especially as I’m a Chelsea virgin (perhaps I’m the only one left?). Can’t say I fancy the crowds much – perhaps I need to go late afternoon one year. I hear you can buy a cheaper ticket and the throng has begun to thin a bit. D
No, I don’t fancy the crowds much either. I was so chuffed to get there on the Monday when it was quieter. Although you did have to run the gauntlet of photographers getting annoyed if you accidentally walked in front of their shot and missing out gardens because they were filming and having to go back to them. I think you can get tickets for the late afternoon which sounds like a lovely time to visit.
I haven’t been to Chelsea yet and it is for all the reasons you mention. Very informative and I think you aren’t on your own in respect of your views on some of the gardens. It had been said that there needs to be some more exciting designs needed, and that was coming from Diarmuid Gavin. I will one day make a trip to Chelsea Flower Show, hopefully soon.
Thank you once again, a very good read.
Thank you Anne. I have a feeling next year may be a very good year for design at Chelsea. I’m hoping they just wanted to play things a bit safe this year with it being the anniversary. Hope you get to visit Chelsea soon. WW