Buy a piece of history...

Do you want to own a piece of history - maybe a plant from our 65th Gold Medal winning exhibit? then get to our Sunningdale Garden Centre at 10.30 on SUNDAY morning - all the smaller plants will be there for you to buy, but get there early and be prepared to queue!

You can buy the ex chelsea display statues, and even the thrones of knowledge in our new online shop - http://www.hillieronline.co.uk/products/seasonal-offers/page-1.html

At last look

Friday morning -- early. Just about to leave for London for my last day at the show. It's been a fantastic week and lots of fun on the exhibit, around the show and in the Secret Garden Diary room.
On Wednesday we welcomed Margaret and Brian from Redditch our competition winners - a lovely couple and it was a great pleasure to show them around our exhibit, a few of the show gardens and share a Pimms listening to the band.
Thursday saw a lively day with the arrival of Susan Daniels the opera singer. She arrived ready to deliver an aria or two at the masked ball and attracted lots of attention in her rich pink silk gown. She then sat on the throne of knowledge and gave tips on how to revive a flagging rose by singing to it.
In the afternoon Carol Klein came along to do a little filming. She too entered the ecret Garden Diary Room and sat on the throne of knowledge to give us the benefit of her years of experience as a nurseryman and a gardener.
The Scotts team have been fantastic and we've loved working with them. We've all seemed like one company and I hope we'll work together again. - That, after all, is a big part of the magic of Chelsea - meeting old friends, making new ones and sharing in our interest in gardening.
I always love the journey home from the show when its on - that Chelsea magic spreads through the London streets, the underground and onto the train home as show goers carry their armfuls of leaflets and purchases and chatter about what they've seen. That commuter world, often so grey and silent is suddenly lifted with colour - the effect of the spirit of gardening.
More later................

Tell us what you think...

Have you enjoyed reading this blog? - have the videos made it more enjoyable? Let us know - either sign the Guestbook, or email us at markpitman@hillier.co.uk. Id love to hear your views

The show goes on ........................

The show goes on…………….

By Wednesday the show routine is well underway. After the heat of Monday, Tuesday was cooler and a rather pleasant day meeting old friends, making new ones, greeting customers and sharing the odd slurp of bubbly. Hillier team and visitors to the exhibit all pleased for our 65th Gold Medal.The Sinocalycalycanthus is, as we expected, a show stealer, and the Digitalis is admired by all. It seems roomier in the Pavilion so even television filming in the afternoon seemed to cause little disruption. The Secret Garden Diary Room was busy all day – I think we filmed around 40 tips – every one a word of wisdom to help other gardeners on their voyage of discovery in the garden. The Scotts team, Melinda, Paula, Dan, David and Paul did a great job and coped with me insisting on entertaining right in the entrance to the Diary Room. The layout has worked really well but I wonder if we should have made the interior of the Diary room more spectacular – It looks good, it’s practical, but as always there is lots of clutter to fit in! I always start to get self-critical at this stage.

The heat of Monday induced the London Plane trees to start their annual moult of irritant dust that gets in your eyes, ears and up your nose and feels like shards of glass in the throat. It feels more like Chelsea! – this is usually a feature of staging. The red Horse Chestnuts are now shedding their petals prolifically over the furniture and sculpture stands. The immaculate stone and glassy water of the outside gardens is now evenly covered with a film of dust and debris. This is definitely more like Chelsea.

The standards in the show are high this year – lots of Gold Medals outside – and in the Pavilion too. It seems as if Chelsea has triumphed over the weather once again. Home on Tuesday just in time to catch the BBC coverage – very pleased with our slot – thought it was nicely put together and told an aspect of our Chelsea story. It would be great if it was possible to cover the Hillier exhibit in the same way as the Show Gardens are filmed – but they can’t get the gib inside the Pavilion. It’s one of the reasons I’ve been tempted to move outside and do a show garden – whenever I say that the weather breaks and we have rain for the rest of the week – think I’ll keep quiet this year. Also The Pavilion is our domain – We are known for the biggest exhibit in the Pavilion – the Monument site.

Chelsea has changed over the years – and so it should. More floristry and fewer nurseries - More show gardens – especially small gardens - which I hope will gradually influence how we become more creative in the average garden. I don’t necessarily mean in construction terms, but with our planting. It’s not necessarily about finding something different to grow – it’s how we put our familiar plants together to create a pleasing picture.

I always get more serious at this stage in the show. After the adrenalin packed fun of staging I always eel a mixture of relief, delation, exhaustion – not too sure what. I expect a Pimms or two will change all that – it always has I the past!

We've had a good deal of media attention - heres a few links, but if youve seen any others, let mark know at markpitman@hillier.co.uk and we'll post the links here http://hilliergardencentres.co.uk/chelsea18.php



http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p007zmbf



http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p007zd31

65th Consecutive Gold!

well, we did it, after all the hard work, the trials and tribulations with the weather and plants, we were awarded our 65th Gold Medal this morning - what a feeling! Ricky and I were on the exhibit early to see the medal arrive, and its been a whirlwind of Tv, radio, and of course, the public, who love what the team have created. Thanks to everyone who worked on the exhibit, and the preparation over the months leading up - we couldnt have done it without any of you

Sunday evening, and the loose ends

The adventure begins - no sooner had the staging team left this afternoon, that other members of the team arrive to start preparations for the Press Launch tomorrow; the judging begins mid morning, and then the Gala Evening. So lots to do; sweeping, tidying and finishing touches. Gill arrived mid afternoon and set-to, sweeping through the exhibit. Mark arrived shortly afterwards, and assures me that the webcam he intends to set up tomorrow morning will be working fine, and will stream live video to this site: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/hillier-at-the-chelsea-flower-show during Monday and Tuesday.





Last job for the day was to film a walkthrough the whole exhibit which I think shows it off to its best advantage - seeing how the planting works together - and it gives you an idea of the scale of the site- 3500 plants just get lost in it - anyway, sit back and enjoy:

Sunshine Sunday

Sunday morning - clear, sunny and gorgeous. Tim and I started the day on location - He never misses a photo opportunity and I never miss an opportunity to be photographed. A good night last night - it always is when the exhibit is complete and you are pleased with what you have achieved. Photography and putting the Live magazine together went well - we've even managed a live cover - the first time since 2000. Sunday is a slightly strange day - very satisfying and rewarding, but also rather sad when the staging team head for home, leaving just a few of us - to be joined by others who will man the exhibit for the next six days.

We've had so many enthusiastic comments about our work I know we are in for a wonderful week.

Melinda and David from The Scotts Miracle Gro company are here to set up the video equipment ready for filming in the Secret Garden Diary room and the Thrones of Knowledge are in place ready for press day. You will be able to pick up on all the tips and advice on http://www.lovethegarden.com/ - the pool of knowledge is getting deeper every day!