Gardeners' Chat

[MmePoppySeedDefage]

Chat. For gardeners. About gardening, but we can go off piste and chat about things like non-gardening clothes, or food or whatever, without being told off

Horrified and amused in equal turn by the tick/cockroach stories.

I went to Chelsea yesterday. Lots of inspiring design and planting. On the weed front, I really liked the RSPCA garden which had buttercups liberally scattered in amongst the more usual Chelsea planting, and it looked lovely. I’m still not convinced this would work in practice though, as the buttercups would soon out compete the more shy retiring cultivated plants.

The gardens that aimed to recreate natural environments didn’t do it for me though. And some were hard to see into; apparently designed to be viewed from within, which was just plain frustrating. Crowds of people craning their necks to peer over boulders and through shrubs. Not on.

Some lovely planting in other gardens though, and lots of swooning over plants in the Great Pavilion. I came home with bags full of Salvias, Hostas and species geraniums, and ordered a stunning Acer (which I will inevitably completely forget I’ve done and then be surprised when it turns up in the autumn).

And some were hard to see into; apparently designed to be viewed from within Oh, that’s just silly, in the context. I wonder if it’s a result of the laudable aim to recycle them by transplanting each to a deserving location?

Horrified and amused in equal turn by the tick/cockroach stories.

We're right classy on this thread, we are.

Interesting what you said about some of the Chelsea garden designs being intended for internal viewing. I watched the BBC coverage and had been thinking just that to myself, wondering how on earth they would look to actual visitors.

I’ve given up going to Chelsea, too many people to see the gardens properly, it’s more detailed on the TV.
We have even delayed going until the later slot on members day, there were probably less people, but still quite crowded and also lots of ‘Corporate’ attendees who seemed to have spent time at the Pims bar.
I prefer Hampton Court and Tatton Park shows. This year I’m going to The Blenheim flower show for a change, hope it’s interesting.

I went to Tatton last year. I was a bit disappointed with it, there didn't seem much there, hardly any show gardens. I'm going on holiday when it's on this year, so I'll have to miss it. Are there any other show in't North?

There's Harrogate flower show, cake. I went once and it was good.

Ooh, is that at Harlow Carr?

I was thinking the same about Chelsea. Have always wanted to go but worry about the crowds. I wasn’t really convinced about the gardens that aimed to recreate natural landscapes either. I’m all for a bit of rewilding but I just didn’t see the point of those. What am I missing?

I went to Chelsea last year after previously going to Hampton Court. It just didn't compare as an experience. The crowds were absolutely ridiculous. You couldn't see anything unless you pushed your way through and you certainly couldn't take the gardens in properly since the pressure to move on so that others could catch a glimpse was great.

I would never go again.

I’ll wait until I’m famous and get invited to Chelsea’s VIP day, when the royals and celebrities get the place to themselves. There also used to be a level of RHS membership (£5K or £10K a year iirc) that entitled you to VIP tickets to Chelsea, although when I just googled to confirm this I couldn’t find the info.

I think it's at Newby Hall.

I was at Chelsea yesterday. I agree that there is overcrowding and I didn’t get an opportunity to look at the RSPCA garden for instance. I agree with @VenusClapTrap that some gardens must have been designed to be seen from within such as the one that won best in show. If that is the case then they need to allow the opportunity for show visitors to enter the space and if they don’t then the judges need to take that into account in their judging criteria. Sarah Prices garden on the other hand was airy and open and could be viewed with pleasure from the public areas.
I’ve also been mulling over the point about weeds/rewilding. Chelsea does seem very trend led. Remember a few years back when everything seemed to have loads of sawn paving and an outdoor kitchen, and then prior to that it was box balls, alliums and lupin masterpiece? So I think it’s partly just a trend, but (and I may be being a bit unfair here) one that particularly appeals to a London audience for whom cow parsley, red campion and herb Robert are novelties and not just what grows in your garden if you don’t do any gardening. (And would quickly get out of control- goose grass for example).

I used to go to tatton every year - it was great and then it became significantly less good. The show gardens got very dull. I’m going back this year for the first time since 2017 I think! Hoping it has improved.

I started watching Chelsea on BritBox (no crowds in my living room!) and boggled a bit at the garden using recycled concrete lumps and a rusty shipping container to grow mushrooms in.

And in less pleasant news my landscape lady came back to me with a quote more than three times my budget. AIBU to think that $28k is vastly too much to pay for a patio? Currently we are going back to the drawing board to shrink our ambitions.

@bigbadbarry I went to Tatton last year, I keep thinking I'm misremembering or I missed a big chunk. I can only recall two show gardens and one was gravel and a standing stone! The foodie, plant stores/displays, etc. seemed smaller too. That said, I did enjoy myself but I was a little disappointed. It's fairly local to me though so just the cost of the ticket.

I remember when it started, they had lots of flowerbeds by the local authorities which were stunning. Unfortunately, I think that's one of the 'luxuries' that went with austerity.

Municipal planting here used to be annuals changed every 6 weeks or so. Now it's mainly perennials with just a little interplanting to top them up, and a lot of beds have been switched over to bulbs and wildflowers that only need attention once or twice a year. I prefer the new system.

That was my experience - it all felt a bit budget and they had scaled back the show gardens. I remember the flower beds, they used to be amazing! And the back to back gardens were always inspiring for those of us without show gardens budgets or skills. I’m not expecting great things this year but it’s a day out and I always come home with a boot full of plants!

@bigbadbarry I totally forgot about the back to back gardens! They were great. I hope you have a lovely time, I am sorry I'm going to miss it.

I went last went to Tatton in 2021, just after the Covid lockdown and also thought it was slightly less than I remembered. At the time I thought it was understandable considering what we’d all been through. I do hope it regains its strength of previous years.
Last years Hampton Court was good, although we treated ourselves to the Afternoon Tea, which was dreadful and certainly not worth the expense.

There used to be a nursery had a stand in the plant marquee that had displays of pelargonium, I only remember the regals😍They weren't there last year or the year before. I hope they survived covid, I think they were from Yorkshire?

Unless your patio is huge and you've chosen fancy stone, then that does seem overpriced to me.

It was the Harrogate Spring Show, as I recall, but it was 20 years ago and I can't remember exactly where it was held. My memory has possibly been coloured by not enjoying it at all because of the crowds. It's the only flower show I've been to and I won't repeat the experience, especially given what's been said above.

@Tricyrtis2022 - we actually already have 1500 paving bricks, which would do a patio about 25 square meters, but we were looking for some additional paving stones to make it bigger. We're currently shrinking our ambitions!

No, it’s on the showground the opposite side of Harrogate. Much more space there.

Thanks @MereDintofPandiculation and, from even earlier, @Kucinghitam I've been a-googling and I seem to have missed a Spring flower show but there's an autumn one, so I've time to plan a visit. I was hoping I could combine it with a trip to Harlow Carr to see their collection of Meconopsis but I think they'll be well over by then 😟 On the plus side, I don't think I've been to HC in the autumn.

I was thinking of perhaps going to Hampton Court, is it as crowded as Chelsea seems to have been? Would possibly go during the week.