Behind the scenes at Chelsea

It’s that time of year again, when SW3 comes alive with world class gladioli and prize winning perennials. The RHS Chelsea Flower Show opens its doors to the public tomorrow with the eagerly anticipated judging taking place today.

On Saturday I got to experience behind the scenes preparation when I lent a hand to my sister and her colleagues from Todds Botanics as they painstakingly erected their exhibit of prudently groomed drought tolerant plants. A 10 ft squared handmade wooded container houses each considered species of the design, including the oh so cute Ivory Queen Allium and my favourite, the Langport Wren Bearded Iris, with a striking ancient Spanish Olive tree taking centre stage. I may be biased but this is a design that deserves gold!

The reverse, I have to say, has to be said for Diarmuid Gavin’s sky garden, inspired by the film Avatar, and sponsored by Cork City Council. There’s no denying that the landscape of grasses, topiary and bamboo is impressively executed and appealing but, just like the film this garden is more about big budget effects than style and substance. The centerpiece of the £250,000 design is a bright pink flying pod (below) that is elevated into the air every hour and suspended at 82ft by a gigantic crane. With the crane itself costing £5k a day this seems an unnecessary feature and a colossal waste of money, especially as it’s being financed by a government who I would have thought could ill afford such extravagance, and the only one given the opportunity to enjoy the view from above is Gavin himself and a string of celebrity friends. Some may describe this as cutting edge garden design but personally speaking I feel it’s just another opportunity for Gavin to exhibit an already inflated ego.

Thankfully elsewhere the gardens are more modest in their approach. It was good to see The Times and Kew Gardens coming together to showcase The Eureka garden designed by Marcus Barnett which celebrates the importance of plants to human survival. Each element has been chosen either for its medicinal, commercial or industrial use, such as; Foxgloves and Geranium which are used to treat heart and kidney conditions respectively; and, a Rosa Glauca which is used by both the cosmetic and drinks industry. The central pavilion structure represents the cellular nature of plants and is constructed from sustainably sourced timber and bio-plastics.

With the culmination of a year’s planning, planting, and pruning, mixed with late nights, early mornings and the physical exertion that goes into every exhibit, it’s easy to see why a Chelsea accolade means so much in the wonderful world of horticulture.