BULB LOG AT CHELSEA 23/05/07

[Ian Y]

CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO SEE THEM ENLARGED.
I will start my additional pictures of Chelsea now and will post more as I get time.


As soon as John saw that the Scottish contingent had arrived he opened the champagne, and it was a good one.


Alliums provide eye catching colours and form.


Giant balls of allimums are a very sriking statement for any garden.


Big John Amand is always making the last minute checks insuring that everything is looking good and labeled correctly.




Arisaema candidissimum


Dysosma delavayi previously known as  podophylum also has fantastic leaves.


Another view of the stand and some weird plants.



The Bat Flower, Tacca chantrieri.


Big John elevated in rank or what.

[Ian Y]

A series of pictures of the Alpine Garden Society's Gold Medal winning stand.


First an unusual living sculpture al la Gilbert and George, notice the removed shoe so he does not make the display dirty.

Yes it is Ray Drew one of the successful team.

[Ian Y]

More from the AGS.

[Maggi Young]

I do like the AGS stand. I think it is a good idea to show plants in unusual containers to show that there are many ways to enjoy the little plants that are at the root of our obsessions!

[DaveM]

Thanks for these pix, Ian. A splendid display. A good brief feature on the AGS on the bbc Chelsea show tonight. I do like the exhibit - many congrats to all our AGS colleagues who contributed to this accolade once again. 

Dave

[Maggi Young]

Yes, it was great that the stand got some TV attention, the Show Team will be very pleased. I caught a glimpse of Jim McGregor at one point! Missed the first bit, but I think I may be able to see it again via the interactive facility..hope so, anyway.

[Paddy Tobin]

Great to see these photographs. Many thanks.

Two questions:

What are the three 'implements' in front of the champagne bottle in the very first picture at the start of the posting?

How are those  troughs with the very thin walls which look like stone made?

Paddy

[Anthony Darby]

Thank you thank you thank you Ian. As a teacher, it is not an event I can attend until I retire, but this is fantastic and much more better than the dreary rubbish the Beeb puts out.  

[Lesley Cox]

As soon as John saw that the Scottish contingent had arrived he opened the champagne, and it was a good one.

I think Big John has the mix just right. suitable glasses for heaps of champagne, a couple of orange juice and a very little water - whatever you take it in

And by the way, canonization is quite appropriate, considering the quality and range of plants this man grows and displays. The nearest I'll ever get to heaven!

[Lesley Cox]

And my sincere thasnks too Ian, for these lovely pics, much better than the roses and delphiniums and outside gardens that are all we get of Chelsea here.

That first AGS pic, viewed before enlargement was of great interest. I thought "this must be a display of South American plants. Wonder how they're keeping the alpaca tethered there?"

[Paddy Tobin]

I've got to come back on what Anthony has said above. Isn't it amazing that despite the huge amount of money the BBC must be spending on its coverage of Chelsea that I have seen the best coverage here. These photographs - and those on the AGS site - have been better than anything I have yet seen on the BBC's Chelsea programme.

I have suffered through the repetion of each of the BBC broadcasts to date, always in hope that they will show something of interest, something that a gardener might like to see rather than listen to them prattle on and on in the feather-headed manner they have come to perfect, saying nothing worth listening to and showing nothing (well, very little) worth watching.

Though I think Alan Titchmarsh is an excellent presenter, and from his television programmes he struck me as a reasonably competent gardener, he seems to be controlled in what he presents because the programmes certainly lack content. As for the other presenters - well, from their television appearances on gardening programmes, I know they know little about gardening. The only good thing about the television coverage to date is that I have been spared the presence of Monty Don.


Now, rant over, I'm off to bed. My thanks to Ian for such a splendid report. I, for one, certainly enjoyed it tremendously.

Paddy

I see Lesley has posted while I was writing. Lesley, the coverage here is no better than what you see. Paddy

[Ian Y]

Thanks for all the kind comments I am glad that you are all enjoying my pics.
Here is the next installment showing the Darcy Everest stand of troughs.
Following up on the AGS by showing that you do not need to be too precious with alpines any one ccan grow them in any old container. I liked the wooden boxes.

[Ian Y]

A few more before I go into the garden for the day.

[Maggi Young]

Two questions:
What are the three 'implements' in front of the champagne bottle in the very first picture at the start of the posting?
How are those  troughs with the very thin walls which look like stone made?

from Paddy...

I think the three rather sinister looking "imlpements" are in fact three innocent name labels !

Ian isn't sure about the thin troughs...attractive, are they not?  They look like thin slate almost, but he was not able to get close enough to investigate... they may even be some kind of clever plastic resin... perhaps Ray Drew or John Humphries or another of the AGS chaps will let us know ??!!??

[Anthony Darby]

Fantastic. Those "toilets for the little people" are brilliant. It has got me thinking. Tose slate boxes look as if they are made from the sort of large floor tiles you can buy in various tile outlets. Must investigate. Oops there's the bell. Playtime.