Cherrie's Garden Notes
I can鈥檛 quite believe, as I write this, that we were at The Chelsea Flower Show on Monday ... but we were and we have a programme to prove it...
It was off to the Smoke on Sunday evening to be fresh for press day at the world鈥檚 most prestigious and historic flower show, which this year celebrates it鈥檚 centenary in style.
Armed with our press passes and pretty printed wristbands which said 鈥淐elebrate Chelsea at 100鈥�, we made our way into the atmospheric grounds of The Royal Hospital, home to the famous Chelsea pensioners, whose presence gives the festival its congenial atmosphere.
You can spot them here and there sporting their distinctive long, red woollen coats as they stop to have a chat with the great and the good.
The hospital itself, which sits on the embankment and right in the heart of the city, is set within lovely mature grounds.
The landscape of the site with it鈥檚 lofty trees and woodland walks makes the perfect backdrop to the show gardens, both large and small.
The designers must say 'thank you' every time.
And those self-same designers, gardeners and growers are the boys and girls in the big picture, as they mix and mingle with celebrities, press crews and television and radio teams, all united in their appreciation of the gorgeous gardens and perfect plants, which when it comes to Chelsea, are the real stars of the show.
We joined the throng, taking our turn to record interviews here and there, beginning with designer Roger Platts, whose beautiful centenary garden was the first we came across and which later won a gold medal.
鈥淲indows Through Time鈥� was the theme and the colour palette was soft and subtle moving from soft whites and greens to brighter bolder reds and pinks.
A meandering path integrated a circular wooden summerhouse with thatched roof and a large bronze hoop, which represented the window,and as we were moving on to the next interview and the next garden, Jamie Oliver reached over the fence to shake hands with Roger and say 鈥渃ongratulations mate, beautiful garden鈥�
Nice to know that he agreed with us and that the judges did too..
Jinny Blom鈥檚 garden was just next door, it鈥檚 association with Prince Harry鈥檚 charity Sentebale in Lesotho, guaranteeing lots of interest and as we waited for the garden to be officially opened by Emilia Fox we door-stepped Kirstie Allsopp (sorry Kirstie) who was just lovely and was there in her capacity as Ambassador with B&Q sponsors of the building of the garden, who are also involved with the charity which works with children and young people in Lesotho who are affected by HIV/Aids.
A cool, grey slender hut with a dome-shaped roof presided over the garden, it鈥檚 slatted brick work giving it a contemporary feel and an avenue of gnarled and pollarded willows contrasted theatrically with it and with the softer planting, like the Forget-Me-Nots or Sentebale which give the garden and the charity its name.
The rest of our time at Chelsea flew by, leaving, as it always does lingering impressions of endless displays of exquisite plants and impossibly accomplished gardens created and built to last, not for years but for days.
But while the show gardens may be temporary, the RHS commitment to excellence and the evident skills of the growers, designers and gardeners who exhibit at Chelsea are anything but.
This year鈥檚 much publicised special dispensation to allow, for the first time, small gardening gentlemen with long curly beards and pointy hats to come in through the ornate Chelsea garden gate, has a very important purpose.
That is to raise awareness of and funds for the RHS Campaign for School Gardening, with a re-launch of the website and the inclusion of gardening on the schools鈥� curriculum across the water in 2014.
You can see the prettiest gnomes on the planet painted by, among others, Sir Elton John, Joanna Lumley, Dame Helen Mirren, Dame Maggie Smith, Mary Berry and John Hurt and find out how to acquire one at www.rhs.org.
You can hear this week鈥檚 programme just after nine on Saturday morning and at lunchtime on Sunday.
