Chelsea 2015

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I've accepted my garden will never even be 10% as gorgeous as those gardens, but I can dream.

Highlights will be on bbc2 all week I think.

Is anyone going? I've only been once (2001). Came home with a Chelsea pensioner tea towel.

We need to create a Mumsnet garden, sponsored by pom bears and gordons gin .

We could fill the greenhouse with cucumbers to go in said gin.

Really looking forward to the chelsea coverage this week. I've been several times as one of my mums friends was director of RHS Wisley. Sadly she has retired now so no more freebies :(

I have now been twice.
The first time was the best so far
This year I am going for the third time.
I am a bit nervous as I'm not so good at walking as last year but I am looking forward to it a lot.

I dream of going, swanning around looking all sophisticated and knowledgeable

One day I may manage the swanning bit at least

For now I just have a date with the sofa, my cat and our local bbc news presenter each year.

It's hard to look sophisticated when you keep going "Oooo, it's Alan / Monty!!" . .

I talk to the T.V. like I know them, even say hiya to Nige when I catch a glimpse of him on GW so it will clearly be a cringeworthy event

I a going on Thursday < shows off > , I can't wait

I also talk to the TV, I tell Monty what to do at long meadow and I'm pleased to see he's taken some of my advice this spring

I also tell carol when her lipstick is the wrong colour , but she never listens . Them I feel guilty about commenting on what the female presenters wear , because I never notice what the men are wearing.

You'll be pleased to know that I manage not to tell them when I see them at chelsea .

I like the sound of a Mumsnet garden . I happen to know a Mumsnetter who is married to one of the Chelsea garden designers - maybe he woudl take it on for next year ? How much do we need - £250k??? More ?

< shakes piggy bank >

Really looking forward to watching this to distract from GCSE stress in the house. Went the last two years but not this year.

I am completely unsophisticated and was talking to a friend first year we went when noticed Chris Beardshaw standing behind us. I was so distracted I couldn't continue my conversation and stood there with my mouth wide open and friend fell around laughing. Then I became obsessed with getting a picture of Alan and I don't even like him, what was all that about.

Love the idea of a MN Pom bear and gin garden

My husband works with quite a famous landscaper, who has won gold at Chelsea, AND I STILL HAVEN'T BEEN.

BAH. UNFAIR.

Even RHS members don't get to go on the 'VIP' day which is reserved for the press and the famous. I'm all for equaiity and definitely think there should be a child friendly mumsnet garden at Chelsea with swings a trampoline a wendy house a washing line a sandpit a tricycle run a veg patch a herb patch a place to sit and eat al fresco a shed for dad a bower for granny and designed by a mumsnetter.

Next year Shove the Holly, just do it. Tickets released about November time I think ? Needs a bit of saving as expensive.

A MN garden will get ger controversial - rotary or long line for the drying ?!

The Cactus couple have made me smile ! I'dI'd be off to feed and water my cactus if I had one.

To think all these flowers have to peak at the same time. The growers must do their nut in trying to time it just right.

I went once and was so sore by the time I got home - aching feet and too many elbows in the face from people determined to get closer to the show gardens - that I vowed in future to watch it on the telly. I do love it.

Various of my gardening friends have had jobs there as planting pixies and the like, but they've never invited me, alas. I'm not good at early starts, but I'd do it if it meant a backstage look at what goes on.

How do the charity gardens work, where does the money come from? Eg does the charity pay, and the benefit is the publicity, or do they somehow bring in money?

I think the charity gardens are all sponsored by large companies , they are not funded out of general donations

From a comment by Joe Swift it sounds as though the sponsor gets the medal and the designer gets a card with a gold (or whatever) stamp on (and lots of commissions).
I'm guessing the sponsor gets the money off tax when the accounts go in as it counts as a charitable donation.
I'm also guessing there will be business or private sponsors for charitable gardens. The charities must benefit from the publicity, perhaps getting more donations as a result?
My strategy when going is to get there before opening, get in, see the main avenue gardens in perfect peace, have coffee and croissant, see the artisan gardens in perfect peace, have an ice cream, and then decide what to do about the marquee. It gets like a scrum at about 11 am when everyone else has got up but it is perfectly pleasant before that.
A trolley is needed, and preferably a granny in a wheelchair to hold more purchases, and a friend with a car and a mobile to pick one up with granny, wheelchair and purchases at closing. A suitable budget for purchases and coffee breaks is £100 though it is perfectly possible to spend only the money for an ice cream. RHS Members tickets bought in advance are much cheaper than public tickets. It is sensible to research possible plant choices and prices on the internet in advance as many of the stall holders have an eye for the main chance and the plants are very expensive compared to ebay or j parker or lidl and may be no different, but some good prices are to be had for some stunning plants.
This will probably be the last time I go. A certain degree of fitness is essential.

Sugarplum My birthday is in November, so maybe I will ask for tickets! It would mean cancelling my umpteen other garden-related requests, though. considers carefully

I love watching Chelsea on the telly, though I find myself wishing and wishing for a paper design plan that I could follow while looking at the pictures, because sometimes it is very hard to see where they are in the garden and how it all 'fits together', if you get my meaning. However, I did have an occasion three years ago, where I did my anticipatory and exciting pre-Monday Chelsea ritual (big cup of tea, big piece of cake, leisurewear and a comfy blanket with cat atop) and then tuned in to see my ex-BF (very, very E-list person) on the telly spouting off about how wonderful he was finding it and the bastard couldn't even grow a daffodil if he tried. I harumphed, ladies. I harumphed and reached for the remote.

BIL has been, and he seconds funnyperson's advice above about getting there before opening. He said it gets more busy than you believe is possible by midday.

I am considering Tatton Park in a month or so, if tickets are still available...

Argh. Lost my post.

Funnyperson's tactics are good and I think would work well for other shows, although I doubt any have scrums like Chelsea's.

Arf at seeing E-list ex-boyfriend there. A gardening pal of mine got sort-of name checked last night by a very much A-lister and I felt ridiculously proud on his behalf, even though only his friends and colleagues would know it was him.

So, what do you think of all the tears and sulks from those who didn't get a gold medal? I thought it unsporting of Joe Swift to have an argument on camera about it and rake the judge over the coals and interview poor Jo Thompson who had clearly been crying all day. Chelsea show is run by the RHS not the BBC I thought perhaps the presenters should remember that.

Also, what do you think of the dress code? I must say James Wong looked very smart and hunky indeed in his suit and Monty looked worse for the wear getting up at 5 am in his crumpled gardening jacket at 5 pm. Not that I care a jot for any dress code but perhaps Monty could do with a tweed jacket or something?. I also found myself wishing Rachel would take off her coat. I don't know if she is pregnant but I don't think it is necessary to go round wearing coats at work when pregnant. A bump isn't something which needs to be hidden.

The Dan Pearson garden looked amazing and the Mondrian garden and the Bauhaus garden and of course Chris Beardshaw's garden. A lot of the gardens had far too much concrete and werent very eco friendly I thought. I suppose it is because it is more difficult to create a lawn in the time given.

I fell asleep during last night's show but, before I did, was rather taken aback by Matthew Wilson's rather grudging acceptance of his silver hilt medal.

I agree about the swathes of concrete and stone (especially as the RHS is trying to persuade people not to concrete over their front gardens). I've always assumed that, at least in part, it's because - as the credits show - many of the gardens are co-sponsored by hard landscaping companies.

I thought Monty looked just fine ::horticultural swoon:: although James did indeed look very smart.

I missed most of it last night. Caught the end and saw Dan Pearson chatting about his garden.

Rachel de Thame is 53 so I think it's unlikely she's pregnant . I assumed she was wearing her coat for the same reason the male presenters were wearing jackets - because it looks smart and was cold

I noticed that the general public in the shots were wearing coats and soemtimes hats and scarves

I really liked the perfumed Grasse garden. There was something less manicured and relaxed about it which appealed to me.

My favorite time of year A good friend has been working on the Chris Beardshaw garden so have been seeing update photos through the week - it is gorgeous! Also love the Islamic garden, so tranquil and elegant.

I didn't see last night's show! Had a bit of a fight with the dishwasher (the dishwasher won, the engineer is coming today) and then decided I'd had enough of things breaking and went to the pub. I saw the Dan Pearson garden on TV yesterday, though, and I thought that the standard this year would be very high indeed if it didn't win 'best in show'. Beautiful, just beautiful effort - and so difficult to do landscaping of that kind, working with gradient.

I did not like the moving shack. I did not see the point in it.