Chelsea Flower Show 2014

[David Nicholson]

........ and be herded around like a recalcitrant school child too and pay well well over the odds for food and drink? Not me I'm afraid, I'd choose Cardiff or Malvern everytime. Cheaper; far fewer of the 'glitterati' of the horticultural world and other world as well; fewer designer follies and I could buy plants as well.

[Tim Ingram]

When I first joined the RHS as a student way back in the distant yonder Chelsea came free with your membership! Can you believe that. I'm with Ian though - if plants captivate you then so does Chelsea too, and if you are lucky enough to be one of the glitterati then quite often you get in free! (And a lot of the glitterati are actually humble nurserymen and growers if you look at it the right way). The thing to do is to get involved with one of the displays - exhausting but at the same time exciting - and you also see the reality of what is behind making all these gardens and displays which is often not too different to what you spend time doing in your own garden too.

[DaveM]

Yes, £68 does seem steep at first sight, but that's the entry for the whole day, early in the week. However, it's not so bad compared with the cost of say a top game in the Premier League (not that I go mind you....). Chelsea is the premier show in the UK with lots of wonderful plants to see - I'm glad I went and enjoyed the day out. Yep, I'm with Ian and Tim - cheers!!!

[Blonde Ingrid]

The BBC coverage of Chelsea has been truly dire! I used to go till about 3 years ago when it became too crowded.

The coverage seemed devoted to the presenters slapping each other on the back endlessly...'tell me how many golds you got Andy', 'tell me how many best in shows you have won Chris'...I asked my husband to tweet Beardshaw, who I previously rated, to ask if they could tone down the mutual adulation, the result my husband was immediately blocked! Beardshaw is another of the 'celebrities' who believe that 'online abuse' is when somebody does not say something positive about you! Ego the size of Yorkshire.

Comments of the week from the coverage:
'Celebrity', What's that plant Mum?, Answer from Mum, an Iris!

Swift 'Word from the street is that the designs all have similar flowers!

'Celebrity Mum, I used to come until a few years ago but it was too crowded and impossible to see the exhibits, today is great though (VIP Tickets)

Question to many 'celebrities, Do you garden, Answer not really! One though had a gardener!

Mystery of the week...What happened to the young garden designer who was getting wall-to-wall coverage before the judging, then when he blew Gold vanished without trace...is he buried under a garden and will he be found during the plant sale???

The BBC has a bad reputation and they have done nothing to improve it with this effort.

[Brian Ellis]

At £58 entrance fee I could order £50 worth of plants and have them delivered.

What a superb idea Ian, I'll never feel guilty again and must look at what I want from Crug Farm.  Cheers

[Maggi Young]

Yes, £68 does seem steep at first sight, but that's the entry for the whole day, early in the week. However, it's not so bad compared with the cost of say a top game in the Premier League (not that I go mind you....)

When I was caring for my Father 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the government allowance paid to me was less than £46 per week - I believe that has risen now to a little more than £50 per week, though I would no longer be getting that, were I in that position now, because I'm over 60 - so I do believe there must be an awful lot of people who just could not afford that ticket price.  As to the price of football tickets - those are a mystery to me, but given the huge wages the players receive, it does not surprise me that tickets costs will also be high. 

[Tim Ingram]

Maggi - this Forum comes free even without membership; isn't that amazing. One can get a lot of inspiration from other people for nowt so giving something back seems a nice idea.

[Maggi Young]

As I've just said in a thread about Bodnant, it is wonderful that we are able here to enjoy these "virtual visits", whether as a tasting to tempt a visit or for those who cannot visit - of course the sharing of  plant and cultivation experiences is really important in the forum, but  these simple sharing pleasures are a real delight.

[astragalus]

Well, Maggi, I'm hooked!  I'd love to visit this Show at least once.  Have been looking (drooling) at all the Show pictures - raining too hard to do anything in the garden and the laundry can just wait.  Loved the pictures of Primula japonica which is budding now in the stream garden.  It certainly seeds itself like crazy and that makes me happy.

[Margaret]

     Some Chelsea photos from today.

[Margaret]

Some more

[Margaret]

and more

[Margaret]

and more

[Margaret]

nearly done

[Margaret]

Sorry they are a bit blurred. The martagon is Jennifer Evans and the chestnut is Aesculus flava.