Chelsea Flower Show countdown

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There are nine weeks to go to the Chelsea Flower Show and we are beginning to feel the pressure. We are in the final stages of potting up the herbs into their final containers. I have noticed that some of the plants are rushing into flower early, which is causing me some concern as we do not have a cold store here to hold them back. Our floral displays are exactly how they would be in the garden, except that each plant will have been minutely prepared before leaving the farm.

Woad, Isatis tinctoria, is already starting to form flowering spikes. I find it hard to believe that I have taken this picture outside at the beginning of March, it just shows how strong the light levels have been during February.

Not only is woad a brilliant traditional blue dye plant but it is also an important Chinese medicinal herb, the roots of which are used to treat mumps.

The other aspect of putting on a display in the great floral pavilion is the props to use. Personally I like my displays to resemble a small herb garden and therefore I usually incorporate some form of sculpture into the display. This year I have teamed up with Joanna Migdal. Last year she told me about an amazing sundial she was creating of a hare holding a sundial in his hands.

I could visualise it in my display and asked if we could borrow it. It is being cast in bronze this week which is most exciting. So my next worry is how heavy will it be and how I stop it falling through the display, which is raised off the ground on wooden planks.

With all these worries it's not surprising we say 'never again' after each Chelsea Flower Show. But somehow we forget all our reservations, for it is without doubt the best flower show in the world.

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