Why My Gardening is Like My Cooking: A Visit to Chelsea Flower Show 2012

If you watch and read the press coverage of the Chelsea Flower Show you may get the impression that it is all about grand designs, complicated planting scheme and unusual plants. Whilst these are a major focus of the Show and they were great to see and be inspired by when I visited last Wednesday, for me it is the small points of detail that are important.


My gardening can be a little like my cooking. Most of the year I use the same tried and tested recipes, occasionally using slightly different ingredients. I tend to buy the same style of plants and think about my garden in a similar vein each year. I am highly unlikely to ever completely re-design my garden in a totally a style, but small changes can make a big and cumulative difference to how my garden looks.

So here are some of the snippets and ideas I took away from Chelsea this year.

Roses over willow

I just loved the way this rose twists and turns over the willow. This concentrated mass of blooms is a lovely way to see a climbing rose.

The Perfect Garden Shed

We do have a shed at the back of our garden, but it doesn’t look as romantic as this one.  I have seen metal chains in tropical countries to direct water flow.  Using it in the garden instead of a plastic downpipe works really well.



Fairy Door



I might not create this Fairy door found in the Furzey Gardens Garden , but imagine you were three and came across this little dwelling.  It’s a true reminder that it’s important to create magical scenes in our gardens for all members of the family.

Trainer Planters

Move your garden up the walls and recycle what you have in the house out into the garden is the message that this wall of trainer planters sends to me.  It make a change from welly boot planters



Alys Fowler

One of the bonuses of a visit to Chelsea is on such a small site you are bound to spot a celebrity or two.

 

Runner Beans



The use of Shepherds Crocks to grow runner beans up make my bamboo poles seem rather tame.

So I came away from Chelsea motivated to keep working at my garden.  To let it evolve with me and my family.  Even though unlike the other RHS shows they don’t sell plants, seeds and bulbs are for sell.  Unusual foxglove seeds and lily bulbs were in my shopping basket.

RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2010

I have been wondering whether to go to the Chelsea Flower show this year. There is usually something about children's gardening.

It looks as if the Children's Society will be hosting another garden this year, one for the modern family. Designer Mark Gregory has taken his inspiration from the Society's Well-being report. This found from a survey of nearly 7,000 10 – 15 year olds that what made children most happy were their family, friends and having freedom of choice. The garden reflects this need with a covered lounge seating area where families can unwind and relax around a safely designed fire pit or so the RHS press release says. Sounds a bit like a garden for outside couch potatoes. No information about planting, foliage etc so hopefully there will be more to the garden than this.

There is also a press release on the RHS site for Chelsea about dinner party allotments. This features the idea of growing your own ingredients for specific recipes rather than growing large quantities of veg.

Jet Cooke the founder explains
“I wanted to develop an adult Dinner Party Allotment package for people like me, who like to invite friends around to enjoy the occasional special meal using home grown produce, as well as a children’s package with recipes designed to make the most ardent non vegetable eaters give vegetables a go.”

I don't know whether to be intrigued or saddened about this approach to grow your own. I suppose it gives you something other than house prices to talk about at your dinner party. If I do get to Chelsea watch this space because I shall be finding out more about the dinner party allotment.