Back to Basics

I’ve been having a bit of a blog-break but normal service has now been resumed. I might not have been blogging – but I’ve certainly been talking plants and gardens. A few weeks ago I was at Wisley as part of their Tree and Shrub day to rekindle interest in woody plants. I’m all for that and not sure why we’ve let gardeners, especially new ones, forget about the importance of trees and shrubs which are, after all, the backbone of any garden.

It all stems from the way plants are sold today. They have to look good in a pot at the time of sale – hence the popularity of squat, compact varieties that are easy to move around, and don’t take up too much space on a lorry. Those of us in retail seem to believe that everyone buys on impulse, and few have any idea of what they are going to buy when they arrive at a garden centre or nursery. We sometimes forget about the incredible accessibility of information through newspapers, magazines, television and most of all through the internet.

The other influencing factor is the constant demand for new plants. New Plants are news – the media love them – they are stories! Those good old faithful garden basics tend to be ignored. So new gardens are stocked with pots of colour, and anything new; not necessarily always good.

I’ve been flying the flag for those good old hard working shrubs that have held gardens together for the last couple of generations. I want new gardeners to embrace these good doers and achieve success – this will encourage them to stay in love with gardening rather than having a go, failing and taking up decoupage or knitting instead.

I was delighted how well my lecture was received at Wisley and have been encouraged by the response from other groups. I reinforced the message at our autumn open day – my change to encourage our wholesale customers to stock and recommend good basic shrubs. What I have learned is that most of these old familiar favourites are new and exciting to many gardeners and we should never take them for granted.

Take Cornus alba ‘Sibirica Variegata’ for example. This is truly a plant for all seasons: It has deep red stems in winter, pretty cream and green, pink tinged variegated foliage in spring and summer. The leaves turn strawberry-rose in autumn and white berries appear in clusters. It grows on any soil, it never gets bigger than 1 metre tall, and is disease free. How many of the plants in your garden work that hard to earn their keep and are sociable enough to mix in with your treasured roses.

Is this a one off? No of course not there are lots of the: Berberis ‘Rose Glow’, Euonymus ‘Emerald Gaiety’, Viburnum davidii, Choisya ternata – I could go on and on! Whether we are growing them or selling them what we must make sure is that these good, solid subjects are available for gardeners when they want to buy them!

Turkish Delights

Sustainability is high on the agenda in every business today. Some see it as a chore and liability. To others it is a great way of adding value. Have just been to Turkey with Exclusive Escapes, an excellent independent travel company specialising in Greece and Turkey for those who want a great holiday experience where little is left to chance. This time we stayed at The Dionysos Estate, Kumbuluk near to Turunc – about 45 minutes north of Marmaris. The hotel is in a magnificent location hanging above the Kumbuluk Gorge – 250 metres above the bay below. Views out to sea where the mountains plunge steeply into the deep blue waters are magnificent. The terracotta roofs of the buildings and the azure blue of the large infinity pool are the only giveaway of the hotel’s existence as you approach up the mountain road. The rest blends sympathetically into the landscape – unlike so many of the hotel developments that scar the beauty of the Mediterranean coast.

Service and standards at the hotel are immaculate under the watchful eye of enterprising owner Ahrmet. He looks for any possible way to make a stay at the hotel even more memorable and recognises that good food and wine are high on the list of priorities of this clientele. The grounds are full of fruit trees: figs, plums, apricots, citrus and these appear daily on the breakfast table. Beneath the citrus salad crops grow, irrigated by seeper hose and grown quickly in the warm semi-shade. All meals feature fresh tasty, lettuce, purslane, rocket and leafy mustards flavoured with dill and spring onions, all picked that day.
Vines grace the terraces around the hotel – around 900 of them, and the hotel will be producing its first wine next season. Guests this year can sample ripe Merlot grapes as part of the breakfast buffet. Eggs too are from the hotel’s own chickens - fresh and delicious. Because the hotel wants to be as self sufficient as possible it has its own organic farm – not large but hugely popular with guests who visit for lunch or dinner during their stay. This is also an opportunity to learn about the production of Amos Olive Oil – The hotel’s own pressing – served every day with dinner along with freshly baked bread and drizzled over ripe tomatoes from the garden at breakfast and lunch. Staying here is like staying in a garden – on your way to the tennis court in the morning one of the Dionysos team will be watering a great patch of aubergines and sweet corn by the tennis court. Sitting at breakfast you are surrounded by citrus, olives and tonight’s salad. Yes, there’s masses of all the usual luxuriant Mediterranean bougainvillea, oleander, hibiscus and lantana but this garden is more complete and more useful. The little card in our room telling us that Exclusive Escapes had made a donation to enable the planting of two trees to offset or Carbon Footprint from the flight might be a bit cheesy – but it certainly didn’t do any harm, and maybe was part of the feel good factor of this holiday. Does sustainability add value here at Dionysos? – Yes, it’s part of the overall image and a great formula.

Marwell Magic

A week or so ago I had the great pleasure to open the new formal garden at Marwell Wildlife Park, near Winchester. Marwell is a surprising place, more than a zoo it enables the visitor to see wild creatures from all over the planet in surroundings as similar to their native habitat as possible. A visit to Marwell is an experience and an education thanks to the dedicated and energetic team responsible for running it. In this environment everyone looks at the animals first, and plants and gardens play a support role. But this does not mean that Lance Ingram, Head of Grounds and Plants considers his role any less important. Thanks to his enthusiasm for the job he is working to increase the standards and profile of plants alongside the animals.

The ambitious project to create a new formal garden adjacent to Marwell Hall has been designed and executed by Lance and his team. It is inspired by the style of gardening and plants grown in the 16th and 17th centuries, adapted to todays plant pallette. It is entirely appropriate to the magnificent backdrop of Marwell Hall and has transformed the grounds around the hall to an attraction in the heart of the park. The planting only started last winter - formal yew and box hedges provide the backdrop surrounding roses, dianthus, iris, lilies and heritage vegetables. The formal vegetable garden is certainly going to be of great interest both to experienced gardeners and new gardeners inspired by the interest in grow-your-own. White carrots? Green tomatoes? - why not. Maybe some of these historical varieties will have a new lease of life with our constant search to find something new on our plates.

Herbs used for medicinal purposes and historical roses such as Rosa gallica 'Officinalis' - The Apothecary's Rose are a welcome reminder of the important role that plants and gardens have played in our lives through the centuries.

Personally I am particularly pleased to see the creation of a garden built to last - a new heritage garden that will be part of Marwell for years to come. So much in todays gardens is here today and gone tomorrow - this is real gardening and a great tribute to the great team that built it. I really look forward to seeing their next project.

Brideshead Revisited

Last week I embarked on a Hillier Gardening Club holiday to North Yorkshire - our first trip to that neck of the woods. We have been running Hillier holidays for over 10 years now and have many regular travelllers. There were 44 on this tour and I had previously travelled with 40 of them - so really its like going away with a group of friends. We set off early, picking up a few of our number at Newbury, thn on to Kelmarsh Hall in Northamptonshire. This was a lovely garden with an amazing walled garden surrounded by rose gardens and broad herbaceous borders. Fortified with a good lunch we headed on to our base - The Old Swan at Harrogate for our three night stay.

The following morning Parceval Hall at Wharfedale involved splitting the group onto two smaller coaches to negotiate the tortuous roads to the garden. It was noticeably cooler twhen we got off the coach - particularly as the weather had been so warm. However that only sharpened the appreciation of the wonderful air and magnificent views across the moors. We then went on to the magnificent Newby Hall for lunch and the afternoon.

Newby is a remarkable garden with so much to see. The longest mirrored herbaceous borders in Europe are worth the trip on their own. The rose garden was at its peak. The Acer griseum and other treasures in Wilson's corner were an unexpected treat. But everyones favourite was Sylvia's garden - a square sunken garden in a soft cocktail of pink, silver lilac and blue. Everyone loves a girlie garden!

Our next day was one of contrast. The morning in the private garden of Lady Clarissa Collin. A real garden and a real plantsman. We all loved Wytherstone and found treasures we hadn't seen before introduced by that enthusuasm and passion only demonstrated by a real plantman. Lady Clarissa joined us for lunch at the local farm shop - Beadlam Grange. They did us proud and set us up for our visit to Castle Howard. I must admit to being a real Brideshead fan - the TV series. So it was a great treat to be able to drive past the lake, catch that stunning view of the house and remember that haunting theme which played such a part in so many peoples lives a few years back. The gardens are good, but not remarkable. The landscape and scale of the whole is breathtaking and all of us quickly fell under the Brideshead spell.

Our last day in Yorkshire was spent visiting Harlow Carr - the RHS garden just outside Harrogate. The new education centre and garden has just opened and our guide proudly explained the green building and their objectives in encouraging the young to garden. Sarah was in charge of the main floral borders in the garden and I must say these are a work of art - a fusion of herbaceous border and prairie planting. The standard of horticulture was high and the garden is not too big so its possible to revisit areas that have caught your eye in passing. The presence of Betty's Tea Shop on site also made up for our lack of time to indulge in the original branch in the town centre.

After Harlow Carr - the long journey back to Hampshire. Plenty to talk about - lots of gardening chat. Some excellent geology from Prof. Peter Fookes and honorary Hillier with whom I have had the pleasure of travelling on a number of occasions. A Hillier holiday may be short - but you come back feeling that you have been away and seen a lot. We loved Yorkshire and this is a tour that we will definitely run again. Hopefully off to the Channel Islands next year - How about it?

Tales from Tateshina

I didn’t really know what to expect. It was my first visit to Japan; anyone I met just told me it was very different. I had met Miss and Mr Yamada at Chelsea, also Mr Ito from the nursery we had supplied Hillier plants to. Mr Nishimoto from the Barakura garden centre and Mr Ito had visited earlier in the year, along with others associated with the garden.
At the airport I met Andy and Dave from the Brownsover Fish Bar bound for Barakura to cook fish and chips for the Japanese visitors – Yes, it sounds unlikely, but after a few days it seemed like the most natural thing in the world. We met other members of the English party at Narita airport and we boarded the coach for the four hour drive to Tateshina under the guidance of the charming Mr Yamezaki – our host and source of all guidance for the next few days. We stopped en route for a staggeringly good meal of noodles, tempura and broth at the motorway service station. From the outset this unlikely mix of people seemed to gel. We all come from very different walks of life, different parts of the country, and even different parts of the world. But it was a bit like the Chelsea show team – We all had something in common – an objective – To bring an aspect of English life to Japan, and to enjoy and learn from the experience.
The whole Barakura experience is somewhat surreal. Each day we travel the short distance to the garden by coach – The English team arriving together, smiling and waving to the waiting queue of visitors that we meet during the day. On Sunday morning we arrive at the garden in a fleet of Morgan cars – our celebrity status rockets! Morgan Morning!


Each day starts with the morning opening ceremony where the English visitors are introduced to the waiting visitors. We stand on the steps while Mr Yamada introduces us – we bow, perhaps a little self consciously and we feel proud to be part of it all.
The opening ceremony, the commemorative tree planting, the speeches, appearance on Japanese television and the serious job of judging; there are so many aspects to every day. Those of us giving lectures all try to do our best through our wonderfully supportive and understanding interpreters. I love working with Kathy (a Barakura Master!). My biggest concern is always whether I am getting my message across to the audience, when I can’t communicate directly.
I really hope I did! Ian and Tina from Peter Beales Roses joined us on Saturday and were plunged straight into the lecture programme with three sessions on their second day. Their initial concerns were just the same as mine.
The whole trip was only a week from beginning to end – but what a rich experience. It seemed a lot longer and our arrival at Narita on that first evening seems a lifetime way. We were made so welcome and the hospitality of our Japanese hosts was overwhelming. We had a lot laughs and many memorable moments that will stay with us. It was hard to leave – just as it is at the end of every Chelsea show – a mixture of exhaustion, emotion, satisfaction, elation and deflation.
It was my first visit to Japan and Barakura – some of the others have been going for three, four, five or even eight years. Would I go back? – well I’ve been doing Chelsea for 21 years – what do you think?

And a last word from the team:

Gardening Weather or Not - join me LIVE!

Cant make it to one of our stores for our popular"Gardening, Weather or Not" FREE to attend talks?- well now you can tune in and watch it LIVE! I will be broadcasting the talk LIVE at our HEMEL HEMPSTEAD garden centre next Wednesday 30th June at 10.30am, via the internet

We will be broadcasting from 10am so you can tune in to test your connection, but dont worry if you miss the talk - it will be available to view afterwards

The talk will cover Summer planting and colour combinations, how to get the best from Roses, and how to extend the gardening season, whatever the weather!

So, to view a test transmission, and to Bookmark the site ready for next wednesday, copy and paste this link into your browser: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/hillier-at-the-chelsea-flower-show-2010

I look forward to you joining me, whatever the weather!

Borders or Bonsai?

Why would you want to create an English garden in Japan? For the same reason that you would want to create a Japanese garden in England – to experience a different type of gardening and to enjoy a different garden style. But are the Japanese and English ways of gardening so very different? Well, yes they are, but there are similarities.
Many Japanese gardens are very small, but so are many English gardens. Not every Japanese house has a well tended garden, and the same is certainly true in England. Beautiful Japanese gardens depend upon great attention to detail and careful control of the plants within them; this is true to a lesser extent in English gardens.
Japanese gardens use a very limited plant palette. Shrubs, as we know them are noticeably absent. Exquisitely shaped ancient trees, stones, moss and shade loving ferns and perennials predominate. There are no beds and borders and manicured lawns, and little in the way of colour from flowers, apart from the blooms of azaleas, iris and primulas. I was surprised by the presence of bedding plants in so many situations. Barakura uses them to add seasonal colour in best English tradition. Elsewhere they appear in roadside beds and in plastic troughs outside hotels, restaurants and shops. Even in private gardens boasting ancient bonsai, stone lanterns and carefully arranged stones plastic troughs of pansies seemed to find their way in to disturb the planting picture. To me this seemed one of the most obvious similarities between the two garden nations – this craving for colour at the expense of design!

The macro bonsai are remarkable; carefully pruned and trained to simulate trees that have survived the elements, whose growth has been controlled by nature, and that have lived through the centuries. Pines under a century old are mere youngsters.

We visited a Sake brewery built around a small courtyard garden dominated by a 350 year old pine – planted when the brewery was founded. This is certainly not a low maintenance garden subject – it requires careful pruning by specialists twice a year to preserve its cloud-form branches.
Imagine, if you have a garden with several macro bonsai, the maintenance is quite a commitment. This isn’t a job for a hedge trimmer. This is a task that requires dedication and extreme attention to detail. This is difference between the way the English and the Japanese garden. Japanese gardens follow more traditional rules: there is a right way to do things. The English have their rules, but most do not follow them. English gardens change over time and in most cases plants come and go – in Japanese gardens the main subjects are planted for the long term.
Hydrangeas abound in some areas. On the drive to Mr Ito’s nursery, south of Tokyo, we passed a river flanked by mophead hydrangeas as a far as the eye could see.

The temple near our hotel had a beautiful garden of rocks, water, azaleas and irises surrounded by cherry trees in a sea of long grass and white moon daisies – pure magic! Looking one way it was rather like being in an English orchard – in the other direction the red paintwork and shallow pitched roof with elegantly upturned eaves was unmistakeably Japanese.

About Barakura - It's a rosy life!

Barakura is an English Garden in a beautiful mountainous region of Japan known as the Japanese Alps. Started 20 years ago it is now well established and includes a thriving garden centre, cafe restaurant, Italian restaurant, and two boutiques featuring Rosy Life and Barakura fashion clothing designed by Miss Kay Yamada. Both are highly successful Designer Labels in Japan offered by more than 20 dedicated outlets in department stores throughout the country.
In addition Barakura is also a highly respected gardening school, the only one teaching the English way of gardening in Japan. It has over 600 students all aiming to become Masters under the instruction of Miss Kay, who leads pupils through all aspects of gardening, from basic cultivation to creative planting; container gardening being a speciality. Miss Kay’s brother, Mr Eugene Yamada, Director of Barakura oversees all aspects of a business made of many facets.
Barakura attracts large numbers of visitors throughout the year, however visitor numbers increase dramatically during the Flower Show in June and the Harvest Festival in October. At this time there are programmes of free public lectures, container planting competitions for both novices and Masters, seminars, workshops, entertainment with a distinctly British flavour, and emphasis on British food. At the summer flower show guest trade stands offer the visitor art, clothing, jewellery, accessories, food, wine and antiques.
Regular trade exhibitors to the show include David and Lynn Crane. David is an artist working in oils. Some of his paintings are inspired by visits to Barakura and travels in Japan, others are very English garden. He sells originals, limited edition prints and teaches the art of painting in oils during the show.
Maria and her son in law David from New York specialise in jewellery, especially amber. Her collection is extensive and features both contemporary and traditional pieces. Her stand is obviously a destination that is high priority with many lady visitors – including my wife!
Now you may well be thinking, “What has this got to do with English Gardening?” For me this was one of the most English aspect of the show – Just like the Country Living marquee at Hampton Court. “Forget the flowers – give me a scarf any day!”
The garden centre offers a range plants, furniture, pots and accessories that you would find in a boutique English garden centre. Choice is limited in some areas – such as compost and fertilisers – what a relief!. In the container area Whichford predominates and maintains the profile it deserves. Peter Beales roses are regarded with great reverence, and are rightly seen as the ultimate ingredient in the English garden. I was enthralled by the range of seasonal plants destined for use in creative containers, and the guest clematis and succulent exhibitors offered superb ranges. I found myself choosing a delicate little Hydrangea serrata towards the end of the week – completely forgetting that I was in a garden centre on the other side of the planet!
And oh yes – Barakura stocks a range of Hillier shrubs and young trees. These plants that are such basics in the English garden are scarcely used in Japan. Out first shipment arrived at Barakura this spring. The plants have to be root washed for export so they were potted in Japan at Mt Ito’s nursery to the south of Tokyo – four hours by road from Barakura. Considering the timescale they looked pretty good and it was a great thrill for me to see Hillier plants on sale in the Barakura garden centre.
So what is Barakura like? Aspects of the garden struggle a little in the humid Japanese climate. The lavender isn’t happy and this year the roses are late blooming – they’ve had a cold winter – sounds very familiar doesn’t it? Does Barakura stand up as an English garden against other gardens in England? – Yes, without a shadow of a doubt. I have visited considerably less impressive English gardens which claim more and offer very much less.
And the atmosphere? Well, the same the world over where a garden is involved. Despite the language barrier you soon forget you are far from home. People are friendly, charming, enthusiastic and warm. Bara means rose and as I understand it Kura means something like “way of life” and yes, it’s a rosy life at Barakura

Reflections on a Tateshina Meadow

I first met Miss Kay Yamada at Chelsea Flower Show a few years ago when she created a garden called Reflections on a Tateshina Meadow. It was a delightful naturalistic garden based on the mountain meadows north of the Barakura English Garden. I especially remember the delicate yellow Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus she used in the garden, and I bought one for my own garden soon after the show on a garden tour to Normandy. Its fragrant yellow blooms were open when we left for Japan and seeing it in the garden reminded me of Reflections on a Tateshina Meadow and I wondered if we would have the opportunity to see these beautiful flowers in the wild.

Yesterday was another great Adventure in Gardening for me. Ra and I took a local bus up into the mountains to visit the Tateshina meadows. We travelled for about an hour and a half climbing steadily through paddy fields, gardens filled with cloud trees moss and azaleas, then through forests of Cornus controversa, Acer palmatum and a host of other familiar garden treasures in their natural habitat. We spotted wisterias high in the trees, actinidia, akebia and amazing ferns. As we climbed higher the trees thinned before falling below the road, here the hillsides are covered with soft orange azaleas, their sweet fragrance floating through the windows of the bus.

Then we moved up into the clouds which lay softly over the meadows, we walked amongst carpets of convallaria, polygonatum, hostas, violas and irises, osmunda ferns - unbelievable. The hemerocallis were still in tight bud but the other treasures more than compensated for their tardiness. We were aware of the mountains around up shrouded with mist and thought that we would only be able to imagine their majesty. Then the sun broke through the clouds and the cloud lifted to reveal the most spectacular landscape. It was quite breathtaking and i really can't believe that we have had the opportunity to experience this wonderful part of the world and view its natural treasures at such close quarters.

What a day! We managed the bus, without getting too lost! We met some lovely people - yes we speak different languages but it doesn't seem to matter. We saw so many different species - I just wish I'd kept a note of them all - but then again I doubt I'll forget them.

Opera in the Rain

I said that all aspects of British life were represented here at Barakura - Our love of Opera and Musical theatre are no exception. Esther Reilley, the incredible Scottish Singer is one of our party. Today, the first day of lectures and events she has delivered four fabulous recitals including Schubert's Ave Maria, Memory from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats and O Mio Babbino Caro by Puccini. Esther is a vivacious and passionate character who loves to laugh and sing. Just to liven things up she flooded Jim's bathroom (in the room beneath hers)by leaving her wasbasin running - We know she meant to do it really! She claims to know little about gardening but has been showing a keen interest in some of the flowers here - We'll make a horticulturist of her yet!


I know the video won't do her voice justice but perhaps it gives an idea of the action here today at Barakura.


I gave my first lecture here this morning with the help of my Fantastic Interpreter Kathy - She coped admirably despite he fact that she claims I talk a lot - I can't imagine what she means!

Then we went along to Jim's lecture and demonstration - Great fun and very lively - Nori, his interpreter kept him in order - Quite an achievement I think!

The Highlands in Japan

Well, what do you do for music in Japan. Bagpipes of course - what else? Here at Barakura opening day we have been treated to some spectacular pipe music delivered by Oliver our handsome young piper. Oliver is a Geology student at Glasgow Uni. and tells me that The Pipes are almost as important in his life as the ladies. Seeing the effect his playing has on the Japanese lady visitors I think The Pipes and the ladies have a close affinity!

Here's a few bars for you to enjoy.....

The rest of us have little chance in grabbing the attention of the young ladies when Oliver is around so Jim and Andy console each other with an ice cream - Rose Petal flavour. Actually we don't really envy Oliver that kilt and all the rest of the kit must be pretty warm with Opening Day temperatures in the 30s. At the end of the at we all cool off in the pool followed by a session in the the Onsen, Japanese Spa Bath. This is such a civilised activity in the evening before dinner. Men go one way and the ladies another. We shower an wash thoroughly before sitting around outside in a hot spa pool putting the world to rights before donning the traditional cotton Yukata for dinner in the Japanese restaurant. The Japanese beer is excellent and I'm getting a taste for Sake - A little more practice and I'll grow to love it.

Turning Japanese - I really think so

Well, you never know where Chelsea can take you and my Adventure in Gardening continues at the Barakura English Garden in the mountains north of Tokyo, Japan. I'm here to lecture and celebrate 20 years of English Gardening here at Barakura - founded by The Yamada family. This is a reamarkable experience and I look forward to sharing it with you over the next few days . Here's a short video introduction:




As you can see I've run into an old friend here - Jim Keeling from Whichford Pottery. Jim has been selling his wonderful pots here for the past few years. He's quite a hero here at Barakura and really enjoys Japanese life - think I might get used to it too.

The big competition at the show is the Container planting competition. It is taken very seriously and I must say there are some magnificent and exhuberant plantings. Tracey Jim and I had the mammouth task of picking our favourite. It took quite some time - we finally agreed on a magnificent hand decorated Whichford Elephant planter in the Master class - I certainly couldn't have done anything like it - Although I did have a go at a couple. I got disqualified in the competition but Jim did claim it was one of his the following day at his Demonstration. The boy has no shame.

All aspects of England are represented here at Barakura - Fish and Chips are being prepared by our guest chefs from Rugby - Andy and Dave from the Brownsover Fish Bar, Rugby. These boys really know how to fry and this is their 8th year at Barakura and believe me those Fish and Chips are lapped up by the Japanese visitors to the garden.

Life after Chelsea

Chelsea already seems a long time ago. Since the show I've been catching up in the garden and despite the severe winter I must say its really looking quite good now. The dry spell and cool temperatures have meant slow growth of many things, and some plants such as the peonies and roses are well behind this time last year - but that may mean a longer season of interest rather than having everything out at the same time.

Since the show I've had so many lovely messages from gardeners congratulating us on our 65th Gold Medal. I'm always amazed at the interest in the show from gardeners everywhere. It really seems to make all the effort worthwhile.

The Chelsea Live magazine has been well recieved, and funnily enough it is an ongoing reminder of a very happy Chelsea 2010. Every time I see a copy the cover - a picture of Moroccan Magic - reminds me just how good this year's exhibit was. I don't mean that in an arrogant way - I'm just so proud of the achievement of the team that created Adventures in Gardening.

There's always a bit of a sense of deflation and sadness after Chelsea - every high has its low. Sometimes there are aspects of the show or the exhibit that I will not be sorry not to relive - this year that is not the case. Every aspect of the exhibit and the show brings happy memories. We had so much fun with The Secret Garden Diary Room and I look forward to catching up with the Scotts Team to discuss future plans.

You never know where Chelsea will take you - I remember saying that in a blog a few weeks ago. Last year I met Kay Yamada and the team from the Barakura English Garden, in Japan.....Who knows what may happen in the next few weeks!

http://barakura.co.jp/english/

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!

Saturday Success - almost..........

Saturday evening - Exhibit nearing completion and we are putting the Hillier Chelsea Live magazine to bed. A few hairy moments today - particularly when we ran out of bark - We haven't done that for years! Guess those borders are deeper than usual. Also cutting it fine on planting - Ben saved the day by bringing us a few more medium height plants and two pallets of bark - we are all very grateful.
More news later - here's a few videos to keep you going...................
Moroccan Magic

White Water

The Masked Ball

Not exactly a masked ball - but near enough!