Chelsea!

A place to discuss all your likes and dislikes, lets keep it civil

I loved loved loved Joe Swift's garden on tonight's preview show and I was especially touched by the garden depicting the divide between north and south Korea as well as the adults with learning difficulties garden, who grew all the plants and were hands on! Well done to them all. and Chris Beardshaw, you did me proud!

Best of luck for all entries, I wish all could win first prize for efforts alone

Wintersong wrote (see)

...the garden depicting the divide between north and south Korea...

I thought the Korean garden was highly original and extremely naturalistic . It was my favourite among those we saw last night. Lots of deep thoughtful ideas behind the concept too. I think Titchmarch used the word 'inspirational', or something similar. Though the medals entrants receive depend on technical issues, such as the quality of the plants.

What really struck me was the contrast between the Korean garden and the one which immediately followed, the one by Tom Hoblyn, which was a sanitised lifeless garden - God awful, in my opinion.

I was also struck by Diarmuid Gavin's wacky pyramid skyscraper. Though growing plants vertically doesn't actually increase the amount of light available, because the surfaces of the lower floors are in deep shade. And the building itself casts shade on its neighbours.

Personally, I'm looking forward to the wildlife gardens, which will be featured in Wednesday's evening show. The full TV schedule, of 15 programs is here:
BBC Chelsea Flower Show Upcoming Episodes

I loved Diarmuid's skyscaper garden.. it showed really inspiration for those who live highrise.. and what they can do.. shame it is only the cameras and crew allowd up there. would love a look.

I also didnt think much of Tom Hoblyn garden..he seems to do the same italian style every year..very boring to me. i loved the the wild and free natural look of the Korean garden.. not sure on Joe's one really.. also thought the australian one was very nice too.. but my fav our the small courtyard gardens and wildlife ones.. looking forward also the new catorgory ones this year..some strange and wonderful structures on those little bits shown last night.

I absolutley loved the stand for the one with flowers ffrom Africa who are based in cornwall.. would love some of them..but wouldnt survive here..

It is all very green this year.. as they have suffered same problems as us.. not warm enough for things to flower.

I am gutted that i am not htere this year..first one missed in over 10 years.. but my Step Dad is ill and Mum wouldnt leave him.. as we normally do a stay over and do 2 days worth..

Where are the flowers?
Concrete wood stone water trees hedges and presenters everywhere but flowers few and far between apart from the Marquee.
I did spot one lovely pink bloom, it turned out to be Carol, at least she knows what she is talking about.
I will look at the next few nights coverage then cast my vote.

Frank.

Hi Frank!  think I might abstain altogether......!  but I did love that Yorkshire garden though - it looked as if it had been there for years & years & years.  Full marks for that from me, but  -  if someone had shown me that bit just as a TV "clip"  -   I'd never have guessed it was from what's called The Chelsea Flower Show.

Hello HCF, I got five green bags of cut down bushes and weeds out of the garden today and moved the creeping buttercup from among the Geums in full flower, Peony and many other flowers in the borders despite the two months of cold rain, cold wind, and just plain cold.
My garden on a north eastern coast has more colour than Chelsea outside gardens, some clever stuff must admit and yes the Yorkshire garden does look like a local hillside. I always thought of Chelsea as a rainbow of colour, it has all got very dull a bit like our weather. Still we do have Carol to bring a bit of colour in although yesterdays outfit was a bit off putting with those white wellies.

@palaisglide.. ha ha yes i thought it ws not the right outfit for her.. but last night (mon) she was much better dressed..looked gorgeous..

I am too wondering where the flowers are..very green and sculptural this year.. i think the weather has played a big part in what they have got to pay with this year.. as they had to start 3 weeks ago planting up..and some of my plants that are normally flowering now are not.

the only colourfulmoment was when the Chelsea Pensioners all gathered on Darmuids tower.. that was impressive site to me.. have had my photo taken with many them over the years.. such lovely people.. and htey really enjoy it.

my fave last night was the iris stand from France.. thou many of those were not in full flower yet.. they had some gorgeous colours i wouldnt mind getting my hands on.

i am recording it all so i can watch and skip witch bits i like.. best way i find to see it

I really love Kazuyuki Ishihara's Satoyama Life  garden. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardeningpicturegalleries/9279823/Chelsea-Flower-Show-2012-Artisan-gardens.html

So many details like the stones used to edge the paths, the beutiful Acer trees and ferns and those gorgeous green humps of moss? I didn't catch what they were, but if I could have any garden in my back yard, (whatever the weather) I'd be very very happy with something like that!

I've only just caught up with Sundays preview show, including the item on Joe's garden.  I thought it was amazing.  I've just checked the RHS site and see it has been suitably awarded.  I'd like to send my congratulations to Joe and all of his team.  started on next year's yet?

I'm happy with the judging overall and would very much like to extend my warmest congratulations to Chris Bearshaw and his students for their triumph over fashion! And also Kazuyuki Ishihara and all the other medal winners for jobs well done.

wintersong.. on the red button today those gren balls are called pin cushion moss.. t hey said they show when it is drying out as ends turn white.. it a stunning garden.. i was surprised by some of the gold medals this year.. ones given and ones not received. was also a bit about rob toblyn garden on there he explains how its geo suits the eye.. very intersting..

getting ready for tonights full 1.5hours worth of viewing..

On Wednesday night's show, I thought that the instant wildlife meadow, using a turf carpet, was a brilliant idea. A genuine flower meadow is so difficult to achieve, and the solution (wildflower turf) is so simple.

I've never seen wildflower turf for sale at a garden centre, through many garden centes do sell rolls of standard turf, to take away.

Googling for 'Wildflower Turf' finds several suppliers. One website gives their formula: 'Cats Ear, Salad Burnet, Meadow Buttercup, Yellow Rattle, Ribwort Plantain, Lady’s Bedstraw, Yarrow, Cowslip, Self Heal and Red Campion'. Only one website was quoting prices, which seem to be about £27 for a 1.25 meter square. Not that expensive, IMO.

Thank you gardenfantic, I'll certainly check out what's on the red button and try to discover a way to do those in my garden. I think the essence of Chelsea and the other gardening shows is not just a festival of new plants but also new ideas.

Most of the gardens don't directly translate to the average backyard and I think most of the time a mortgage would be needed to build one, but I'm sure there is an idea or two for every taste and budget.

I am a bit confused, after watching several hours of coverage I feel I have only seen 8 show gardens. I believe that there are more than 10, is this poor coverage by the Beeb or are some so similar that it is hard to seperate them.

I would like a little more colour

I think the lack of colour this year was due to the weather conditions, and the fact that lots of the show gardens are much more naturalistic. I was astonished how many gardens had what most gardeners would consider weeds growing in them. I won't feel so bad now, as my garden has buttercups, wild geum,cow parsley, and other so called weeds, grown deliberately, as I like them. I just have to keep an eye on the spreading each year.  After all a weed is only a misplaced plant

Hello Chelsea fans,

As everyone wants to see colour, please look at our colour themed gallery from Chelsea 2012. I hope it gives you the colour kick you're looking for!

Emma

gardenersworld.com team

Emma, I have looked at your Gallery and it is indeed lovely apart from most of the pictures are indoors.
We are complaining about the lack of colour in some of the show gardens, to me the colour scheme is green, admittedly many shades of green, the Irish wrote a song about it.
We never see all the gardens especially the smaller ones unless they win a gold, then we get two presenters jabbering on when we only want to see the garden, I do admit to turning the sound off at times.
They are probably tied by the Chelsea Gardens wanting to get paying punters through the gates.

Frank.

@wintersong..your welcome

I must admit that i have not seen much of the courtyard gardens or small gardens.. keep seeing the same damn ones all the time.. or going other gardens of famous people.. dont get me wrong.. i love looking at gardens.. but i dont seem to have seen much of the chelsea ones this year.. i must be fast forwarding to much or something