Chelsea Flower Show 2016 Highlights

There was a change in the air at this year's Chelsea Flower Show.

Normally I am trying to sort out the pictures and 

I feel I have to do a separate post for all the different garden categories but this year I feel that one post would suffice.

My friend and I noticed the Chelsea in Bloom storefronts weren't as big or pronounced. Sloane Street hadn't been so subdued in years.

Every time I go to Chelsea, I always toy with the idea of moving to the country to design my imaginary garden.

But that lasts a few hours until I get home and I have to prep myself to water my pots and window boxes.

Cleve West is a huge name in garden design. 

I have consistently liked all his gardens and this one was no exception. 
It won gold medal and only just missed out on Best in Show.

  

It seemed so simple and achievable which is a universal common trait of people who are amazing and talented in their careers.

This garden below was a crowd favourite 

I think because we all love a trimmed hedge and preached trees but it only got a silver gilt. 

Even the BBC commentators were confused.

I really didn't like the garden below.

It looked like one of those pre-election incumbent government spending in a park on a marginal seat.

The Provençal garden sponsored by L'Occitane won a gold despite or maybe due to a bold move to put a dry, twiggy, and pedestrian almond tree as a centrepiece. 

There was a highlight to using rooftops as space for pots and growing food.

This was the Harrods garden by the popular contributor at Chelsea who was also on many BBC garden shows was Diairmuid Gavin.  People love a familiar face so the crowds love him.  

He designed the garden below which was wired so the trees and the flower beds move.  

I have the video on my Instagram feed if you want to have a look.

It's a marmite garden - some loved it and some were appalled.

I don't know what was going on at Chelsea but there was a few empty stalls in the Artisan garden area.There must have been drop outs because I can't imagine people not having had applied to be there.

Does anyone know?

This dual purpose garage demonstrated maximising space and showing vertical garden ideas.

This garden was based on algorithms and mathematical formulas.

Here's the regal arch that the Queen entered through.

This was a floral tribute to the Queen's 90th birthday.

The other side looked like this and was nice but much less photographed.

Adrian Gray was amazing and I had seen him on many shows.

He is a stone balancer.

You must go on his website and see his work.

Link here.

Below was one of my favourite gardens.

I think not just of this year's show but from all the ones 

I have been to.

Yes I do realise that it looks like a huge hunk of stone.

This was the name and official description of the garden.

They had little peep holes to look into the cube from different angles.

It's not the same of course but I did my best to capture it for you.

While I was peeping through this tardis of a garden the surveillance helicopter was zooming overhead.  

I can't imagine what it was like during the bombings because this was absolutely alarming.

Back to the garden, the peephole was only about two inches round.

There were 6 peepholes and each vantage point was different.

I asked where this was going and the lady at the garden said there were 10 formal expressions of interest to purchase it but the sponsor wanted to donate it to a public park.

I hope it goes to a public space so it can be enjoyed by everyone.

On the other hand, I am not a fan of anthropomorphism in gardens.

I want to be in nature and it's my escape from homo sapiens.

I say stick a dog or elephant statue instead unless it's a gorgeous Roman god half naked under the guise of antiquity.

Inside the pavilion, the peonies bloomed like the best florist stand in England.

I love the buttercup peonies but 

I can't find them anywhere to buy in town.

I really didn't like garden below.

It shows that I really don't know anything about gardens because the Chelsea Barracks below won a gold medal.

It had some nice planting as the garden critiques say 

but it just seem to try too hard to be eclectic 

and the human form statues did not help.

Foxgloves are great interspersed but in a row lose their effect.

The begonias looked like dyed cabbages.

Peter Beale Roses always has a moody backdrop of a architectural backdrop.

I love Bloom Bulbs and this year they won a gold award and deservedly.

They had a bonsai stand which I appreciate from afar but would not want in my own home.

This Wedding Chapel was supposed to be a centerpiece but it didn't draw the crowds - there were more people looking at ancient breeds of potatoes.

On the other hand, what made a huge impact was the knitted red poppies in front of the Royal Chelsea Hospital.

It was really quite moving. 
I think all the good intentions of all the people who knitted the individual poppies came across.

Hope you enjoyed the tour and have a great weekend! x