The Chelsea Flower Show - Countdown to Chelsea

My countdown to this years Chelsea Flower Show actually began back in December 2016 when I saw a small advert in the The Garden magazine, where the RHS were looking for applications for volunteers to help at the RHS Flower Shows. Over the last 10 years I have been lucky enough to be able to go to both the Chelsea and Hampton Court Flower Shows (4 visits for each show) and always have a brilliant time, coming away with a lot of garden ideas and inspiration and too many shopping bags! On seeing the advert I thought volunteering would be a great way to see a different side of the show and experience it in a completely different way, so I sent off my application and crossed my fingers that I could get through to the selection phase.

I was called to a selection event in February and was absolutely ecstatic to hear in March that I had got through, to be a Plant Finder in the Great Pavilion.  The last couple of weeks have involved learning about the different nurseries, the plants each nursery specialises in and trying to remember their location on the map - I know it will be much easier when I am there on the ground.  I am incredibly excited and very much in countdown mode with just a couple of days to go!

This year I am especially excited about seeing the RHS Greening Grey Britain Garden (designed by Professor Nigel Dunnett), the Radio 2 Feel Good Gardens, The Morgan Stanley Garden (designed by Chris Beardshaw), and all of the Artisan Gardens, especially The Seedlip Garden (designed by Dr. Catherine Macdonald) and The CWGC Centenary Garden (designed by David Domoney).

More updates and pictures from my week at Chelsea, next week.

My volunteer uniform all ready to go

Some Chelsea Flower Show facts and figures:
  • The Chelsea Flower Show has been held every year since 1913 in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea (excepting gaps for WW1 and WW2)
  • The Great Pavilion is 11,775m2 and large enough to park 500 London buses and holding over 100 specialist nurseries, growers and florists.
  • At the 2016 Chelsea Flower Show 17,500 cups of tea, 24,000 glasses of pims and 10,858 glasses of champagne and 17,250 sandwiches were served!
  • 157,000 visitors attend the show


Below are a few of my snapshots of my favourite gardens, planting and inspiration from the Chelsea Flower Show 2016.
The Husqvarna Garden
 
The Winton Beauty of Mathematics Garden
 
The Harrods British Eccentrics Garden

Fantastic vegetable displays in the Great Pavilion

Woodland planting ideas and inspiration

Very impressive insect mansion

Striking planting display in the Great Pavilion

Planted log stack- more ideas for my back garden

Inspirational planting from the RHS Greening Grey Britain for Health, Happiness and Horticulture Garden







Comments

  1. Ian & Elma.22 May 2017 at 13:41

    Excellent Blog, well done Susannah !!
    You've got to keep it up now !!
    Ian & Elma.

    ReplyDelete

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