The greatest flower show on earth is almost coming to an end. Later today, the bell shall ring, and gardeners will get dirty, as the grand sell off begins! Within just a few hours, the show benches will be bare, but plenty of happy faces will be clutching giant Delphiniums as they make their tube journey home.
It feels frivolous to say it, but 2016 really has been the best year of Chelsea ever. The floral marquee was absolutely spot on; with traditional displays, innovation, new plants of every type, and a visible thirst for horticulture from each and every attendee.
Outside, there were gardens that created discussion, ones that challenged politics and beliefs, ones that made you smile and ones that made you wince. Whatever opinions you may have had of the gardens, you were talking about them, and spreading the floral Chelsea vibe!
So, if you haven’t been able to visit the show for whatever reason, why not sit back and enjoy this ‘armchair flower show’…
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- I gave a stimulating presentation at RHS Chelsea, even using the words ‘holy crap’!
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- Pitcher Plants- Sarracenia
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- Fairy gardens will be the next big thing, you mark my words!
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- You can display succulents in my decorative and inventive ways- remember they aren;t edible though!
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- I love the attention to detail of this display from Sunflower Square
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- Succulents were the zeitgeist of the show this year
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- Marigold ‘Strawberry Blonde’ offers a remixed version of the traditional types!
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- Coleus ‘Campfire’ was a finalist in Plant of the Year, and certainly got people talking
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- Tropaeolum tricolorum gave me another screaming moment!
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- The winner of Plant of the Year was a primrose-toned Clematis named Amber
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- There were lots of balls around the show this year!
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- Clematis have come a long way in their breeding- here’s ‘Crystal Fountain’!
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- New covent Garden created this beauty, which almost crashed Instagram (probably!)
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- The Ashwood Nurseries display of Hepatica!
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- The Hepatica on the Ashwood Nurseries stand have blooms less than an inch across
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- The Ashwood Nurseries display of Hepatica were much admired
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- Choice varieties on the fabulous Ashwood Nurseries display of Hepatica!
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- The fabulous Ashwood Nurseries display of Hepatica!
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- I spent a good 10 minutes fan girling at the Ashwood Nurseries display of Hepatica!
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- Meconopsis again wowed everyone in the floral marquee!
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- I squealed when I spotted this Calceolaria uniflora with it’s cute alien looks!
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- Arisaema sikokianum is an intriguing beauty!
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- Amazing Protea on the Kerstenbosch stand really got everyone talking!
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- Peonies were in vogue across Chelsea this year!
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- Cactus in the floral marquee took me back to my childhood!
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- Fabulous sculptures around every corner
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- A garden for Yorkshire was designed for The Telegraph by Matthew Wilson, and won Best in Show
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- Diarmuid Gavin designed the Eccentrics Garden for Harrods- with twirling trees!
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- Nick Bailey’s Mathematics Garden used some incredible shapes!
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- Rosy Hardy’s Freefolk garden for Brewin Dolphin
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- Rosy Hardy’s Freefolk garden for Brewin Dolphin used the sphere shapes to great effect!
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- The Garden of Potential by ‘Propagating Dan’
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- The Garden of Potential by ‘Propagating Dan’ features this fence that morphed into a pathway, very clever!
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- The Meningitis Now Garden by John Everiss showed sufferers getting through ‘the wall’
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- The Meningitis Now Garden by John Everiss
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- Rosy’s Freefolk garden features a sculpture of a coccosphere!
To see even more photos, visit my Facebook page!
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