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!

Friday's World Tour

A good day's staging - warm, humid and sultry and that's not just Moroccan Magic. Neil and Nigel took a break on the Thrones of Knowledge which they installed in Jardin Majorelle - Looks like a Beckham wedding doesn't it? Here's a few videos from today's show. Now come with me to the kasbah.....

Moroccan Magic

Kevin, Cindy and Richard arrived early this morning. Richard cracked on with staging with Chris while Kevin and Cindy got stuck into the labelling. Cindy writes between 750 and 800 labels each year. Kevin lists the plants and Cindy then tries to read his writing and decipher his spelling - quite a challenge. Another distraction this year - looks like Kev is quite taken with my headgear.........another adventure in the making.

Around midday Mehrdad and his team arrived with the copper and glass sculpture for Venetian adventure. Its called Isphahan after the ancient Persian capital. The "flowers" are aqua glass and pick up the colour of the Moroccan garden beautifully. It is absolutely stunning as ever and although we never discussed the design in detail I know that I will never be disappointed by what he produces. When the light catches that glass and those copper leaves the effect will be quite breathtaking - especially against the rich ruby, purple and sapphire of Pip and dave's planting.

Venetian Adventure

The slate monoliths are now in place as are the fabulous stainless steel spherical water features. Gary and Steve have been working on the green and white woodland planting and I've been nagging them incessantly about covering the tree pots before they put in the delicate aquilegias primulas and the stunning Digitalis 'Serendipity'.

White water

Kartika now sits amidst a carpet of wild silk colour - Sue and Dan have woven a veritable silk sari beneath her feet. I think this vista will be a favourite during the week.

Indian Intrigue

Tim arrived late afternoon and we did some of the shots for Chelsea Live magazine - would be great to get a couple of those in the bag a day early instead of rushing it at the last minute. However, its always when you think you are ahead that you fall behind so I won't be too complacent yet!

Once a Plant Hunter...

Thursday and the next contingent of the staging team arrived on site - Sue, Emma and Jane, Ricky and John and Pip and Dave. Three lorry loads of plants - not four as expected, but still loads to unload and plenty of glorious colour. Chris and Emma worked on the timber edging which is now all but completed. Stuart finished his pool which was three parts filled withwater before we left tonight. Once the plants are off the lorries the team gradually divide into small staging teams and to concentrate on areas of the exhibit - Pip and Dave are in Venice, Stu is stuck in Morocco, Sue is in India and Steve and Gary are riding White Water - Rick and John are still travelling. Its clearly not just the dust cloud that causes travel disruption!

When we left the appartments this morning we managed to leave Dan behind - nothing personal. He came round very quickly when we gave him a pastry - easy pleased!

I did a bit on the new Digitalis 'Serendipity' for the One Show - doing an X Factor for plants linked into the RHS best new plant intro. There's no doubt about it a new plant always attracts attention. However in amongst the vast number of plants being wheeled into he Pavilion there is a secret show stealer on the Hillier exhibit. With lovely broad green leaves and graceful habit the little known Sinocalycalycanthus has arrived. It has soft wine red flowers - shaped like small lotus blossoms - its stunning - the show plants look great and I know this one has the X Factor. It's more of a Leona Lewis than a Joe McKeldry - However maybe the Digitalis is actually our Alexandra Burke?

At the end of the Day ricky decided to go for an alternative mode of transport - Its amazing who you make friends with at Chelsea................

Painting with Plants

Wonderful Wednesday

Wednesday dawned fresh and clear with the promise of a warm day. the first six of the staging team left Ampfield with me at 6a.m. - Chris driving the minibus. We arrived at the show at around 8.30 in time to offload the first of three lorries. On board a few remaining accesories such as the stainless steel water features, the huge terracotta piece for Moroccan Magic and another urn and statue and lots of plants - big plants. Huge specimens of Viburnum burkwoodii, Viburnum plicatum 'Mariesii', Cornus controversa 'Variegata', Syringa josiflexa 'Bellicent', Cornus kousa and so it goes on. My reaction is always "We'll never fit all" that in - but then those planting areas get bigger and the exhibit swallows more and more material. The first rhododendrons arrive - looking good. The cherries we put into place the other day are now fully open with the rising temperatures - colour combinations start to formulate.

Pete and Steve have finished the paving and hard landscaping elements of the exhibit and leaveearly afternoon. Neil, Chris and Dan concentrated on the edging. Stu specialised in his Majorelle pool which is looking good - several exhibitors enquired about bathroom installations - could be a new career break for him. Bring on the Matey.....

Nigel made his last mix - 160 this year - he then turned his attention to Kartika who is comfortably installed on her plinth. We decided to raise her up to show her best assets - we all agreed she has a very pretty face.

Steve and Gary concentrated on the planting around the diary room while Dave pumped water into thirsty trees and specimen shrubs - in the warm tempertures watering will be a priority.

With the rising temperatures watering will be a priority - especially with four lorries to look forward to tomorrow........And now to Ask Pizza....

Tuesday - and the temperature is rising........

Tuesday morning - warmer and the weathermen are promising a heatwave. I don't really want that - I just want comfortable temperatures and a little sunshine.

Just had the staging team briefing. The great thing about Chelsea is that it brings together a group of people from different parts of the company - people who do not normally work together. Although many have done Chelsea before the novelty of the experience never wears off and the anticipation is as exciting as ever. Some may think of it as a few hard days labour - those involved see it as a unique opportunity to be part of a magical creation. The minibus - our transport of delight for the next few days has arrived. Ricky is busy loading ready for three lorries to arrived in London tomorrow - the first one just after we arrive on site - hopefully.

By the time I left the show last night the team seems to be well on schedule. The paving is nearing completion - just the tricky bits of cutting and grouting still to do. The edging is still to do. We use timber sleepers and paint them - grey this year to match the garden pavilion at the end of the diary room.

The Venetian palace is nearly there. The lads from Redwood stone just have the ramparts to complete. These are going to be rather fiddly to render, but both back and front will need it because they will be seen from nearly all angles. I must say this is a fantastic structure and I know it will attract a lot of attention at the show.

Kartika is vaguely in place but still under wraps. Her plinth still needs to be finished and I decided it was better to keep her blindfolded at this stage. I don't want her to be too upset by the apparent chaos around her at the moment. She's tried to improve the weather and we don't want things to go downhill again!

Tom Stogden's fabulous slate sculpture is in place between the birch trees. I think I may raise it on a short plinth so that we don't lose too much of it in the planting. The accompanying slate monoliths are still to be erected.

We had one delivery yesterday - mostly trees for other exhibits and our large cherries and the carpinus hedge which surrounds the diary room. The cherries have been in cold store and will open quickly now they are in the warm. They look fantastic and should cause quite a stir if they stay looking good. However I have to keep reminding myself that the show does not open until a week today.

For me today is about tying up loose ends back at base - however its quite hard to concentrate when you are thinking about what's going on in London. - not long now........

Just another manic Monday................

Just another manic Monday…………

Not the day I expected yesterday – drizzle for much of the day, the odd wave of warmth. Then late afternoon gentle rain for about an hour. I could feel the whole garden breathe a sigh of relief – by evening everything felt plumper, happier, you could almost see things growing. I did manage to evict some of the faded tulips and get some of the pots planted for summer. For one thing it’s the middle of May – but the main incentive was the thought of playing with colour – I suppose I am getting into Chelsea mode.

As with the exhibit, you start with a plant or two and the whole thing builds from there. Because some of the tulips are still in bloom they have influenced the colour scheme. I am very much in my orange and purple phase throughout the garden, and the pots are no exception. The deep red foliage of Acer ‘Fireglow’, a Chelsea veteran from 8 years ago, and still in the same pot looks great this year. I am really impressed by the resilience and tolerance of these purple leaved Acer palmatum varieties – anyone who fails with them kills them with kindness! Another favourite is Berberis ‘Admiration’. The fresh foliage on this compact, rounded little shrub glows flame, lovely with those tiny creamy yellow flowers. I grow it in a rounded dark red glazed pot – delicious! I’ve continued the orange theme with various variegated Zonal Pelargoniums such as ‘Vancouver’. These did brilliantly last year in spite of the weather. Purple nemesias, violas and osteospermums will take over from the purple tulips and a brilliant orange Diascia called ‘Pumpkin’ will intensify those fiery tones. Maybe this theme will carry on at Chelsea – could be Moroccan or Venetian – or maybe I’ll enter a new colour period and come home and change it all.

Primula ‘Francisca’ is a plant I found last year and am still madly in love with. Green with a lemon peel eye, each flower is pleated and ruffled. It flowers for ages and last season’s plants, still in their pots, are performing immaculately. We must grow this plant commercially next year – or do I really want other people to have it?

Monday Morning – clear, fresh and wonderful. On an early train to London with Chris for a day working on the exhibit. Am I excited? – Yes! That pre Chelsea exhaustion and weariness, that feeling of “Oh no – not again” has gone. The adrenalin has started to kick in – Let’s get the framework of this garden built; then we can get adventurous with plants.

Text from Neil last night – obviously pleased with the palace - If he is – I now I will be! They went to Benitos – Earls Court Road last night. The Hillier Chelsea restaurant – just like going home to the family – they are looking forward to seeing the team as much as we are looking forward to seeing them – It’s just another aspect of our emotional attachment to this crazy show!


Here's a few videos from today at the show

The paving....

The Trees ......

Tea break....................

A warmer weekend..........in London and Hampshire

The team on site on Friday From left to right: Nigel, Andy, Neil, Pete and Steve. I'm the lightweight at this stage - I get to go home at the end of the day! I'm no good at building anyway - but I am in it for the long haul later on!

They've just got a few tons of slabs to lay, two buildings to construct, a few walls, pools - that sort of thing - no problem!

Back in my Garden.............

While the construction team are busy on site I took the opportunity to catch up a bit in the garden. That's the worst aspect of Chelsea for me - it comes along when the garden should be looking its best and there is loads to do. The weeds grow before your very eyes, the tulips fade in the pots and need replacing, veggies need planting out and the grass grows despite lack of rain. Here in Hampshire we desperately need rain - a good steady rain overnight and nice warm sunny days - is that too much to ask for?

We've had a number of cold, frostly nights and last week they certainly took their toll in the garden. My beautiful fragrant white Wisteria is ruined, hostas have been knocked back and even the open blooms of rhododendrons are brown and spoiled. Sometimes gardening is a depressing process! I suppose that's the difference between a show garden and a real garden - A show garden has no weeds, no grass that needs cutting, plants don't die of hard winters and disease - It's a sort of fairytale world - somewhere over the rainbow!

I popped into the nursery on saturday morning to ssee Ricky - both of us are very glad to see some sunshine but those foxgloves still haven't moved and rosebuds are still very green - It is simply too cold at night and the pots take too long to warm up for growth to start early in the daytime.

In London everyone seems reasonably happy. The big trees arrived on site on Saturday morning along with help from Ben, Cat and Raf who went up to offload so that the construction team could keep building. Neil is a bit concerned that there is still all the paving to do and we may run out of time - in other words we'll need an extra day on construction. We will review that this evenin (Sunday). Ideally I like all the building work out of the way before the plants start to pour in, but we have worked both together before. We'll see what happens.

Anyway for me today, Sunday its back to the garden - I need to do about three week's gardening today..................Don't think I'll hit my deadline either.

You've seen the film - now read the book

The First Day on Site

The first day on site seemed to have gone pretty well by the time I left. The Team: Neil, Nigel, Pete and Steve had unloaded the lorries, covered the site with polythene, and marked out the plan by the time I arrived just before midday. Brian from organicstone was there with the paving sorting it with his usual care and attention to detail ready for laying.

The Venetian palace, a new stone structure by Redwood stone is an additional challenge for the construction team this year. They have built similar in the past so have a good idea of what’s involved. This, along with the paving, edging, pool, stature plinths and the arrival of the big trees on Saturday means there is a lot to do. I have arranged a little extra manpower to help with offloading and moving plant material to take some pressure off the construction crew – I hope its enough!

I felt much more confident as the afternoon moved on. They had built the base of the palace – up to 3 courses of quoins by four o’clock and intended to make a start on the paving. Tomorrow will be the next three layers or so – then the paving. We have to build up in layers to let the mortar go off between building sessions. Tim and the Redwood Stone team are on site for the weekend so are on hand to help if necessary.

The Pavilion seems a little more pleasant this year. The grass has been nicely cut and prepared and dust is being kept to a minimum with water – long may it continue. There are also more exhibitors inside making a start. The City of Birmingham Chinook helicopter is in position and hovering. This type of carpet bedding display is always a crowd pleaser and was so much a feature of Chelsea in days gone by. Funny idea really- creating an object by attaching little plants to a framework. It has no application in the world of real gardens, it’s unlikely anyone will want to buy it, but it’s clever all the same!
It reminds me of that TV advert where a crowd of people make a car out of cake. It’s fascinating; just never ask why they do it.

The strangest thing about the first day on site is that it seems as if you’ve never been away. The security man on the gate was just the same, Jim was stewarding as ever in the Pavilion. Some body new always gets a bee in their bonnet about something – all the old hands shrug, carry on and take no notice. None of us can ever believe it’s a year since we were here last. It feels like we’ve had a day or two off and then returned. Am I glad to be back? – yes, of course – at the moment. Will it be a good show? Am I pleased with the design? Ask me in a week’s time and I’ll tell you.

Mixing magic..........

The first mix of many.................. 17 tons of mortar -Nigel's magic ingredient!

The foundations of success.....

The first stages of the Palace

Friday - First Day on site...............

Well, its arrived - our first day at the show.............

It's only superstition.............

Although we've had a couple of days sunshine the nights are still freezing. I was horrified to see the frost damage in my garden - Wisteria, rhododendron blooms, rodgersis, hydrangeas all distinctly shrivelled by frost. No wonder those foxgloves and roses are just not moving - Time for more drastic measures. I have to say the weather has remained freezing ever since our Goddess Kartika arrived on site and was uncermoniously installed on a pallet in the packing shed. A flash of inspiration came to me in the night - maybe she cam influence the blooming of our reluctant plants?

So this morning I enlisted the help of some muscle and we (or rather they) moved Kartika into the tunnel amidst the foxgloves and roses. I had a pleading word with her - she smiled a little - think it was just relief to be out of the packing shed. I can't say that those plants bloomed before my very eyes - but she needs a little time.

Ricky was more sceptical about the whole operation and decided to move some of the Digitalis and the Philadelphus (my plants are showing a few buds! - Ricky's are not!) down to the greenhouses of John Robinson houseplants. They may not be quite as light as the tunnel but they are warmer at night (Don't tell Kartika!).

Anyway this all went on alongside the loading of the lorries in the capable hands of Nigel - one of our fantastic construction crew. Nigel is always optimistic and cheerful - I reminder him of that when he had a negative moment about my Venetian Palace this morning. I have every confidence they can pull it off without any help from Kartika - she need to concentrate on the plants.

Loading Starts in earnest

Down to the nursery first thing this morning to watch the loading of the first articulated lorry, we've got to get it right at this stage or it costs in time, effort and labour. Watch the video!

Time for Trees

Here I am outside Ampfield House, Hillier's Head Office; poised at the start of our 2010 Chelsea Adventure - watch the video for more......


Well Wednesday has been tree day. Ricky and I set off for Broadmead container tree nursery (about 200 yards up the road from the office) armed with the site plan and the list of big trees we reserved last autumn. The trouble is at Broadmead nothing looks massive, because its all so big!

Why we bother to select trees in October I'll never know - it seems like a good idea at the time. When it comes to final selection we change our minds on most things. What were we going to do with 8 pines and two massive thujas? - Think I was in a "Save the Fir" mode. I remember saying that we had done a lot of birches and it was time to give them a rest. What did we choose today? - yes, you guessed it - birches. And beeches funnily enough - we rejected the weepers and chose the golden and quirky purple ones - notorious for aphids but clean so far.




Anyway our selection is tagged and will be loaded on Friday to arrive in London on Saturday. These big trees need to be placed before the pathways and other hard landscaping features are completed - the fabric of the garden is literally built around them.


My favourite tree so far? its hard to say but I was seduced by a huge Zelkova serrata - I'll put it alongside the monument and visitors will walk beneath its branches and translucent leaves. I love the Acer platanoides 'Globosum' - difficult to transport because it is so brittle but stunningly different all the same. Personally I like purple foliage so for me a Prunus cerasifera 'Nigra' is an essential and ours still has a hint of rich Merlot about its canopy - perhaps that's why I like it.


Rick has promised me cherries in bloom and we may even manage the odd Magnolia. My adventure amonst the trees? - Platanus orientalis 'Minarette' - silver grey bark, deeply cut leaves and branches hanging with dangly rich brown felty earrings - devastatingly seductive! - I'll take two.



Loading tomorrow...............

Preparations apace

Tuesday was a day of wild creativity. Once the team start to get into the idea the creative juices flow. The Throne of Knowledge has been tranformed into a peacock of aqua and gold -It looks so good I had to go and buy myself a shirt to match. Thanks Simon for persuading me - I've bonded with it!

The terracotta pots for Moroccan Magic have taken on hues of orange, yellow and cobalt blue - are they too bright? In the dark shed they do make you flinch a little but the colour is very authentic and when cooled by green foliage and terracotta tiles they will be fine.
The statuary is amazing and we've all fallen in love with the Goddess Kartika - she's beautiful even when sitting on a dreary pallet - I wonder how long it will be before she is draped in a high viz. jacket?

Sue and Andy have been assembling a variety of accessories - all these little details help to tell the story. A Moroccan teapot and glasses arrived for MM. Some great masks for Venetian Adventure. I made the mistake of suggesting a feather boa and satin basque for this section - guess what arrived in the post this morning? - You think I'm joking - wait and see.

It's great when everyone starts to get into Chelsea mode - it helps to take my mind off the cold weather - minus 3 again this morning! Flowers are still slow on foxgloves, roses and other blooming treasures - some will not make it - there's no point kidding ourselves. Not a lot can be done - It's in the lap of the Gods - Come on Kartika - Do us a favour!
Wednesday - Time to choose the trees. Thursday - Loading up. Watch this space.

May, or is it November

I blame the BBC - they wanted jeopardy and weather, and since then we've certainly got it. This weekend was absolutely freezing - or at least it felt it in the nice north easterly winds. Saturday - it hardly got light. I spent the day in the garden. Did I enjoy it? No - do people really do that for pleasure? Anyway low light levels and cold have really brought the Chelsea plants to a standstill.

I like green in the garden, but you can have too much of a good thing. Green roses, green foxgloves and green rhododendrons are all too much - would be good to liven it up with a bit of colour.

Call from Alex this morning wondering why she had not had an entry for this new "Best Chelsea Plant" competition. I explained that I only got the email about it a week ago and things aren't looking that hopeful. Anyway apparently its all going to be very high profile. Entry in hand - plants are not. The Philadelphus has a one in one hundred chance of making it, the foxglove - slightly better odds.

Ricky is clearly worried. The roses were wilting when I arrived - moist enough at the roots but clearly shocked at a brief shaft of sunshine. Foxgloves showing buds but very green. Even some of the Rhododendrons are still very tightly closed. Outside in the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens there seems to be plenty of colour - but that is little consolation.

Just spoke to Tim Redwood about my Venetian Palace - sounds good - but heavy! It's always the same with any major stone constructions - at this stage I worry about whether they will really stand up without any foundations apart from a sheet of polythene! If they are in the middle of the exhibit its not so bad but when they are on the edge...... Well, its always the same - build a wall and somebody leans on it.
The throne of knowledge is being painted as I blog - bright peacock blue. Pots for Morocco are painted - haven't seen them yet! Tomorrow - lots more detail and Wednesday choosing trees. Thursday loading - Friday on site! So near and yet so far to go.

Talking gardening, garden shows and gardening

This week has been about gardening - surprisingly enough. Started with talks on climbers at Sunningdale - great weather and great audience - convinced myself that I love climbers - even bought a clematis. Talked about growing Clematis viticella 'Purpurea Plena Elegans' through Elaeagnus 'Quicksilver' - couldn't resist it.
Then to Penny Snell in Surrey - her garden looked magical - lovely audience - talked Adventures in Gardening - plant combinations for impact - a brilliant day finished off with another talk to a lovely group just outside Salisbury - Shrubs - always a favourite topic of mine.

This weekend - Gardening - the big pre-Chelsea onslaught. Tulips looked fabulous - heartwrenchingly gorgeous - heartbreakingly catastrophic when wind and rain broke off some of the doubles. From a distance the garden looks terrific - close up it looks decidedly precarious as weeds grow apace.
Sunday - Bishops Waltham Garden Fair - Lovely event where the great the good and the gardeners turn out to find trusted plants and treasures from great little nurseries and all in a good cause. I love this event, I love the people and I love the plants. Some may be horrified at the idea of a garden centre operator shopping at a garden fair - Sorry, but its different. This is just another facet of the Adventure of Gardening. It sits happily alongside big commercial horticulture - this is a thread of real plantsmanship that is essential to real gardening and pure oxygen to us plant anoraks that cannot live by garden centes alone.

Actually it was just what I needed after Friday - a terrific day pre-Chelsea filming with the BBC. 8 hours for four and a half minutes television. Sounds unbelievable and I can never believe how quickly the time goes, and how long it takes. They have to film every bit from several different angles to make the viewer believe there are lots of cameras rather than just one. Why? I hear you ask - still don't know, but that's how it is. The story - all about the weather - the effects of the cold winter - will it make it - won't it make it - lots of jeaopardy. For those of us involved with the show year after year every season is different, and everyone has its problems - so the weather is always a factor and its not that exciting. I would have loved to have the opportunity to talk more about our plans for the exhibit- the concept of Adventures in Gardening - my objectives - inspiring visitors etc. Anyway - Lovely crew, great day, pleased we'll get some coverage - wait and see!

As I said, the bulk of the weekend was devoted to gardening. Tulips look amazing, Rhododendron Horizon Monarch is in full bloom and overall the garden looks good and the weeds are thriving. Lots of new planting - peas again - first lot did not show -Treasures from the Plant Fair and a few replacements for cistus and phormiums that perished in the winter. We have lots of purple and orange in the garden and, against the fresh green of late spring it is simply mouthwareringly senational. I'd love to say it was all planned, but just like some of the best Chelsea combinations it just happened. - perhaps some intervention from above - who knows but it is simply heavenly.

Lakeland break

A week ago I managed a bit of a break taking a garden tour to the lakes. Living in the soft south its easy to forget the magic of the mountain landscape that awaits just a couple of hundred miles north. The first Hillier holiday of any year is always a treat and this one was no exception. A fair aount of sunshine, a good hotel overlooking Windermere, spring flowers, good company and a variety of gardens made for a very enjoyable few days. Our Lakeland guide George Feather and his wonderul wife Dorothy made us welcome as ever and we met many other passionate Lakeland gardeners along the way. The horticulture of the whole area is underpinned by the Lakeland Horticultural Society and its dedicated members. Their work at the community garden Holehird is fantastic and totally humbling. This remarkable plant collection held together and presented superby is entirely the work of volunteers - a real lesson in working together and co-operation.

On the way to Windermere we were privileged to visit Gresgarth Hall - The home and garden of designer Lady Arabella Lennox-Boyd. This is a fantastic garden and despite the hard winter it did not disappoint. Spring flowers including fritillarias, erythroniums, primulas and dicentras carpeted the ground around the lake. The hellebores were still magnificent and the magnolias were virtually untouched by frost. Arabella was gardening, and her passion and eye for detail in this garden are obvious. Its always reassuring to find a designer who practices what she preaches. I have to say we left Gresgarth on day one feeling that we had seen the highlight of the tour, and on a lovely sunny late afernoon.
The following day was fine and bright and Holehird welcomed us as warmly as ever. A vist here is never long enough and we all letf talking about our return visit - always a good sign. Then a pub lunch and off to Liz Clark's fellside garden at Hartsop.

This was a long way from Gresgarth - a remote fellside village - austerely beautiful in watery spring sunshine, but it must have been a long hard winter. Entering the small front garden under the branches of a magnolia we were met by Liz -a little bright-eyed lady in green fleece. She spoke quietly and clearly describing every plant that made up her garden picture with such colour that even those only peeping from the soil bloomed before our eyes. We explored the steep hillside garden behind the house, looked for invadng badgers, saw every tree she had raised from seed, and peeped into her late husband's plot on the other side of the lane - now in her care. This might not have ben the showiest garden I had ever visited, and it certainly wasn't the biggest budget. She doesn't drive, so even getting a new plant or a bag of fertiliser is a major expedition. However she was one of the most inspirational, positive and forward loking people I have ever met and her garden is one I can't wait to get back to. What she achieves in the environment in which she gardens put those of us with the gardening world at our fingetips to shame.
I came away feeling that maybe I had come to take it all for granted - a plant dies and I get another one. Chelsea comes and Chelsea goes. Maybe sometimes I forget to enjoy it and appreciate it? Something flowers in my garden and I don't even see it because I am not there at the time. That doesn't happen to Liz - her relaionship with her garden is different - She and her garden are dependent on each other - they get pleasure frm each others company and it shows.
Spending time with a group of gardeners, lecturing to the Lakeland Horticultural Society, and visiting a few gardens was just what I needed before Chelsea - To some it may sound like a Busman's holiday - guess I am just a dedicated Busman!