Looking back at the photos I took at Chelsea Flower Show there are big expensive posh-looking gardens, exotic plants, detailed displays and many a perfect plant. But what appeals to me most are the veg displays (few there were), wildflowers and natural, cottage-style planting. Maybe I'm a little bit country at heart but the hard landscaped gardens with marble structures and fancy features weren't my favourite things - maybe because I consider them a bit too formal. Whatever the reason, here are some of my favourite photos taken at the show...
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| Above: Love the cottage style planting and the greenhouse in the background. I like the way the purples and pinks are to the left and the yellows and greens to the right. |
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| I love the idea of growing veg that looks so regimented and perfect, however, not quite a reality in my garden! |
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| And of course not a blemish on the flowers or veg at Chelsea. I grow organically and of course my plants are prone to green fly, caterpillars, snail holes and slug slime. |
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| It was great to see some veg and herbs at the show and the promotion of growing your own. |
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| Above: I loved the idea of using a wood pallet to make a plant shelf or wall hanging in the garden. This is something I aim to do this year. Generally these pallets are free and easily obtainable. |
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| Above: I am drawn to these plants, the big giant heads of pink look very dramatic, and I will see about incorporating something similar into my garden (depending on the cost). |
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| Above: One of my favourite Artisan Garden designs at Chelsea called Potter's Garden based an abandoned potter's garden from 1914. The simplicity of the brick building and the cottage style planting both appeal to me. I could basically live here! |
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| And of course, this display at Chelsea with wildflowers and what I assume is willow structures was fun and interesting. Reminds me of being a child and doing cartwheels in the grass whilst looking for bugs and creepy crawlies! |
Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.
Very nice. There's so much you miss when you're just watching the tv coverage.
ReplyDeleteYes I prefer the cottage gardens to the sometimes stark formal ones.
ReplyDeleteI find the whole veg bit strange at Chelsea,for example how they manage to have fully matured french beans ready when mine have only just been sown and haven't shown themselves yet!
You made beautiful pictures on Chelsea Flower Show. I think I should have choosen for the same things to photograph. Cottage gardens are favourite and I am fallen in love with the gardener in his vegetable garden of first photo.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing the detail that the garden designers go to to create their displays. We garden as you do, o chemicals, just free and buggy. But the show does show the possibilities and it is fun to dream. Wonderful photos. I bet you had fun. Let me ask you this, if you lived on the other side of the world is the show worth the trip. My horticulturist daughter turns 40 next spring and I'd love to take her there? (Aside from the fact that trip to England is always worth it.)
ReplyDeleteHi Ann, I enjoyed Chelsea. On the positive side, some super garden displays and planting, and such a famous show is great to have gone to at least once. I was watching the cover of Chelsea on TV the week before going, which added to my trip and made it even more interesting. I'm familiar with alot of the garden presenters in the UK and enjoyed seeing some of them at the show. On the down side, it's an expensive trip and very crowded. I wouldn't recommend eating at the show (high price and poor quality food in my opinon). Also see Peggy's comment below.
DeleteNext year I plan to go to Bloom (the Irish garden design show) in Dublin, Ireland. It is much smaller than Chelsea. This year the shows were about 2 weeks apart - maybe you daughter could go to both?!? I could show her some gardens in Northern Ireland if some visits Ireland (only a 2 hour train ride from Dublin).
I like the pallet idea and also love the less formal cottage garden feel.
ReplyDeleteKelli, photo number 7 of the purple shades of allium is my very favorite, followed by the first one with the cute "garden man". I like a more casually structured garden than a formal one, too. They seem more like candy to the eye and always have things of interest. In the first photo above the garden man's head there is what looks like a swarm of insects. Is it? or is it part of their creation?
ReplyDeleteI like the swarm of insects that look to be above the farmer in the picture. I think it is some sort of netting and not sure it was part of the garden design.
DeleteWe were at Bloom last sat, a great day as usual with so much variety including the gardens, flowers, veg, artisan food markets ,cookery demos, horticultural Q&As and a new for this year Fashion Shows! I went to Chelsea last year for the first time and thought it is so over rated, and cramped into a small space, that I would not visit again, much prefer Bloom! I love your photos, I am sure you snapped what veg was actually there
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful and inspiring too
ReplyDeleteI watched the coverage on television and was struck by the crowds and the fact that the gardens were on such small plots you didn't get the feel of an open garden situation, just the experience of a series of exhibits. I enjoyed seeing your photos and, like you, prefer a cottage style - more easy to work towards for the average gardener than the designer ones.
ReplyDeleteSounds like there were not many veg gardens. However, the pic of the serried ranks of cabbages, kale and chard in front of the little white greenhouse really appeals to my sense of order, even if I can never hope to achieve such perfection!
ReplyDeleteWow...I have always wanted to see the Chelsea Flower show. It looks fabulous! I also have always dreamed of having those giant Alliums in my garden as well. They are absolutely beautiful.
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