Chelsea Flower Show 2011

[Paddy Tobin]

Mary and I spent a very enjoyable day at the show on Tuesday last - 8a.m. to 7.30p.m. Boy, did I murder a few pints afterwards.

It was a good day out. We felt the gardens were not as great as previous years though we liked the Cleve West gardens, the Monaco Garden and the one by James Wong which was shoved into a terrible corner, overlooked by a large building, such a pity.

The displays in the pavilion were excellent and there were all sorts of displays outside to catch attention.

We went to Great Dixter (horrible place!) and Sissinghurst Castle on Sunday, Kew - full day on Monday(where we saw Michael Benedito's vegetable garden - that's Michael from Madeira, a forum member, who is there as a student) , Chelsea Flower Show on Tuesday and on Wednesday a walk around the centre of London and then the Chelsea Physic Garden in the afternoon.

Some photos of Michael Benedito's vegetable garden at Kew below.

An enjoyable few days. Paddy

[TC]

At lunch today, I caught the CHELSEA show on BBC.  The first thing I saw was some character telling me how to use my "smart phone" to swipe a card of some flower or other which would then take me to a web site describing the plant.  Of course, a smart phone is a prerequisite, of every gardener - whatever a smart phone is!!!.  Then I had an instructional talk from a designer telling me how to be up to date with fashionable garden design.  I think I uttered something like "get stuffed you posy ........ !"  I think I would even prefer the X factor to this guff !  Than heavens for the Beechgrove Garden.

[Maggi Young]

what about that new Anemone ?nemerosa/apennina x Anemone summer flowering specie Wild Swan with blue backed white flowers. I want it.

Mark it was raised by Elizabeth MacGregor in the south of Scotland.... see this http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=7334.msg203014#msg203014

[Maren]

Tom,
you cast aspersions on the Smart Phone - I haven't even mastered recording a TV programme. Maybe it requires a recording machine???  Only just got my computer back and it's not all joy and celebrations. But at least I can read the Forum.

[angie]

Tom,
you cast aspersions on the Smart Phone - I haven't even mastered recording a TV programme. Maybe it requires a recording machine???  Only just got my computer back and it's not all joy and celebrations. But at least I can read the Forum.

Maren my TV( sky ) asks if you want to record the series so I did, but it only recorded the Chelsea programmes in the afternoon. I never thought about Chelsea being on BBC 1 and BBC 2, what a bumber I have missed all this viewing now.

Angie

[FrazerHenderson]

I suppose so, Anthony.
 It would be nice if the BBC and RHS could give a little more thought to the wider UK at times, though, wouldn't it?  

I have heard rumours that the RHS might take on a garden in the Wirral to give them a foothold in the Northwest as well as doing "more" - whatever that means - in Scotland. I note that George Anderson (ex RBGE and now Beechgrove presenter) is standing for the RHS Board so together with Dougal Phillips (of New Hopetoun Garden Centre) they may encourage greater coverage of RHS activities in Scotland. RHS when it left the Home Counties and moved northwards certainly re-invigorated Harlow Carr at Harrogate.

[Greenmanplants]

Maggi,

You asked....
Such fun: at about 12 minutes in Carol Klein speaks about our Corydalis 'Craigton Blue' .... of course she says it's from the forest floors of Szechuan and likes shade... when it's a hybrid (of two Chinese species) from Aberdeen where it like full sun... but apart from that......  

 Can anyone tell me which stand this was on?

We had it....The Alpine Garden Society that is...  Tim Lever brought 6 plants from Aberconwy.....on Saturday morning they sold out in the first hour of the show and we could have sold hundreds through the day.

I pointed a couple of Deesiders in your direction....hope they find you.

Cheers, JH

[Maggi Young]

Hello John... congratulations on your part in another sucess for the Gold Medal.  Your team will be delighted and I am sure Ray is even more so!

AGS Stand looked lovely.  We thought that Craigton Blue was probably on the AGS stand, but the photos we have seen so far didn't show that aspect so we weren't sure. 

The corydalis has appeared on one or two Chelsea stands in the past ( including the AGS one in previous years, I think)... it was nice to see it picked out for comment. 

We can only sympathise with the exhaustion and anti-climax you must be feeling now, John.... perhaps you should join the exodus to Gardening Scotland next year and completely wear yourselves out!

Will be keeping a lookout for those Deesiders!

[Maren]

Before I forget, did anyone see the interview with Diarmuid Gavin (he of the hanging garden at Chelsea Flower show). He spoke about a Brazilian vine, a beautiful climber with striking red flowers. I forgot to note down the name. Can anyone help?

[Maggi Young]

Maren, the presenter with the nasal whine.... ???Chapman, kept saying that plant lists for the gardens were on the (BBC?) website but I have yet to find them. 

[Maren]

Yes, Maggi, I looked everywhere, turned over every stone, leaf and webpage, but nothing. Pity. One should suggest to the RHS to maintain a searchable plant list where you can input parameters like: seen where? presented by? date? colour? origin? tentative name? Wouldn't that be fun.

[Neil]

Maren was it this Passiflora miniata?

[Maren]

Hi Neil,

thanks for your suggestion, it is beautiful but it wasn't the one I was after. Worth pursuing, though, the colour is phantastic.

The plant was of the same colour, but it appeared to have a string of flower buds, as you would find on a phalaenopsis orchid, whereas passiflora has distinct individual flowers.