chelsea flower show

[Billy's lad]

I am a newbie to the forum and gardening I am surprised there is not a thread on Chelsea

I loved the welcome to Yorkshire garden , bears no resemblance to my poor efforts however it is a bit of inspiration

[veggiechicken]

Some photos RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2018: In pictures - BBC News
Chelsea doesn't really interest me as I can't relate to most of the garden "designs". Could never afford them anyway!

[Guest]

Looking forward to watching it tomorrow night as the 'flowers from the farm' (a collective of British flower growers) display should be on there. It is the first time they have done Chelsea and they have only gone and got a gold

[Billy's lad]

I think it is a bit like catwalk fashions that are there for inspiration and ideas rather than the high street fashion

Some of the show gardens are a bit mad but a couple look very smart indeed

[DannyK]

It's a parson's egg. Like the bits on plants and growers.

Gardens can be a bit pseudy.

Used to go years ago. Tickets far too expensive and refreshments are sheer robbery like £2.00+ for a 33p can of Coke

Prefer Hampton Court but that's a rip off too. I started going when it was run by rail company. RHS seem to ratchet prices up. Strewth just opened email with prices. If you're thinking of going on a members' day you'd better be sitting down!

[Martin H]

I always watch all the episodes on TV. I like to admire the craftsmanship while laughing at the pointlessness of the show gardens. It's the presenters that spoil it for me, without exception they are all irritating in one way or another.

Every few years I visit one of the Southern shows. I prefer Hampton Court to Chelsea because it doesn't feel as crowded, being spread out over a bigger acreage.

[Martin H]

It's the presenters that spoil it for me, without exception they are all irritating in one way or another.

Actually that's not quite fair. Frances Tophill is only slightly irritating, while Nick Bailey is hardly irritating at all.

[Squingy]

I am a newbie to the forum and gardening I am surprised there is not a thread on Chelsea

Bear in mind, I don't look at TV and am living under a rock.

When I started getting into gardening I wanted to go.
I love gardening, plants etc. but the little I see about the Chelsea flower show the more I'm confused about why it's so grand gardening wise? I feel it has hardly anything to do with gardening. To my ignorant eyes a lot of the garden photos seem impractical and artificial (no offence to anyone). It looks to me like people making a statement, political or otherwise, just happening to use plants.

I've been to the Keukenhof and it's absolutely beautiful and I don't mean to put down anyone's hard work but I can't see myself getting into this.

[Chestnut]

I’m the same - I am more interested by function than form, so the ‘artistic’ side of gardening isn’t my thing at all. I am really enjoying the process of converting our overgrown/neglected allotment into a productive patch, yet I have little enthusiasm for the herbaceous borders which came with our house, so am gradually converting them to things I will enjoy more. Raspberries, soft fruit hedge, perennial herb bed and so on.

Equally, I know many folk enjoy the artistic ideas they get from visiting public gardens and artistic gardening shows , and will enjoy bringing those ideas and their own creativity to their own gardens- there are clearly enough people willing to pay for tickets or they’d have gone out of business years ago

[Martin H]

I was delighted to see that the "Best In Show" award this year went to a show garden with no flashing lights or dry ice and the only electronics on display were inside the little pavilion. The presenters were a bit sniffy, calling it "unadventurous", but I loved it: it actually works as a garden (as long as you don't want to play football in it). It does have metaphors and suchlike, but it is possible to ignore all that stuff and just enjoy it as a lovely garden full of interesting plants.

Well done Chris Beardshaw. He obviously knows how to "work the system" as well as being an accomplished horticulturalist.

[burnie]

I always watch it, but this year it was on, but I was on here more than paying attention, it's presented badly in my opinion, too much about the presenters and less about the displays. Presenters fawning all over the designers is embarrassing to watch, I think that was my last one I'll watch, rather watch Beechgrove. at least you learn something from Jim and co.

[DannyK]

They interviewed some photographer from Guardian who said Chelsea was middle class and there was a lack of Ethnics there and seemed to me to imply gardening was middle class. What utter tosh, this should have been edited out, and his photo was unremarkable. Maybe us Ethnics have got better things to spend our money on. Just seen members £68, public £105, which'll be doubled up with the OH.

I enjoy the bits focussing on the growers.

Must get my PVR working again so I can fast forward through the BS.

[Ocelot]

I can't watch more than a few minutes of it at a time. It's all hard landscaping, with a few plants thrown in, and what is it with all those imposing chunks of metal in every garden, apparently designed to signify something?

[rary]

haven't watched any of it yet, and dont know if I will like others I find some of the presenters too gushing and I fail to understand why they need to explain what the designers are trying to do, evidently if they need to explain it it hasn't worked, as for Chris Beardshaw I think he is one of the most underrated gardeners on television his knowledge and his way of presenting a plant is superb