Taken from Lynne’s weekly column ‘Green Scene’ for the Western Mail. 27th May 2017
I had a fabulous time …
… at Chelsea Flower Show on the VIP Day, this week. The sun shone, the gardens were bloomin’ marvellous and the celebrities were out to soak up the atmosphere. You never know who you are going to bump into – there are the regulars, like Bill Bailey, Cerys Matthews, Anneka Rice, Piers Morgan and Joanna Lumley, who I have met and chatted to over the last few years, but then there are always the unexpected. One year it was Cliff Richard; another, Stephen Fry and this year it was Joan Collins. Although she genuinely seemed to enjoy the Show Gardens and the floral displays, I wasn’t sure she was actually there for inspiration! When asked, she admitted to ‘absolutely not being a gardener but looking forward to her day out.’
Radio 2’s Chris Evans, on the other hand, was hugely enthused by the show and by being involved with the Feel Good Show Gardens. Although he admitted to not having to contributed to the Taste Garden practically or physically, he was very keen to get on with a few ideas in his own garden (or at least pass them on to his wife!) and had his eye on a fire pit and a few statues that were being sold off at the end of the week.
Jo Whiley is a keen gardener and obviously appreciated spending time outdoors and amongst the plants. She had worked on the beautiful Scent Garden with Jo Malone and it was created to lift the mood and improve wellbeing.
There were quite a few design references to wellbeing and mental health issues this year. Miracle Grow had a lovely installation demonstrating how gardening can be a healthy distraction for teenagers obsessed with social media and their phones. Ian Prices’s Mind Trap in the Fresh Garden section was a clever depiction of his own experience with depression and was a favourite of the Duchess of Cambridge. It was also a favourite of the Judges as he won a Gold medal.
My personal favourite was an Artisan Garden called the The World Horse Welfare Garden. Celebrating 90 years of helping horses, through supporters and donations, it highlighted the plight of ‘invisible’ horses that were abandoned and neglected. At it’s centre was a stunning sculpture of a horse created from horseshoes. It was magnificent.
And it’s the sculptures, as well as the gardens that I always enjoy. Life sized sculptures of horses and other animals made from driftwood, wire and even artificial grass – all very different but all endearing and deserving of a place in my own garden!
New products and plants are traditionally launched at Chelsea and this year the New Products Award went to a frameless Glass House. It might have been very ‘modern’ to look at but I have to be honest, I thought it was an appalling idea and could only envisage birds flying into it. My vote would have been for the Hip Trug, which as it suggests, is a little ‘trug’ which clips to your belt, and is ideal for harvesting and dead-heading as it leaves your hands free. It is available from the innovative tool specialists, Burgon & Ball from around £12.99. far cheaper than the glasshouse too!
A dwarf mulberry bush, that was years in the making, was awarded the coveted title of 2017 Chelsea Plant of the Year. Mulberry ‘Charlotte Russe’ (‘Matsunaga’) is the result of many years of work by 89-year-old breeder Hajime Matsunaga.
Included on the Chris Evans ‘Taste Garden’, the compact dwarf mulberry tree is the perfect size for small gardens and patios. The self-pollinating plant reaches only 1.5m and produces berries from June to September on plants that are only one year old – most mulberry plants take around eight years to mature.
Mulberry ‘Charlotte Russe’ was introduced into the UK by Suttons this spring, and the first batch of 2,500 plants sold out in only a week. A further batch of 7,500 plants (of which half are already pre-sold) are available for mail order dispatch in September. I predict that is going to be a hugely popular plant and will introduce a whole new audience to both the fruit and the rhyme, here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush!
Although there were many references to the Chelsea Crunch this year, and the lack of Sponsors for the large Show Gardens, apparently next year promises to be bigger and better, with a brand new Grand Pavilion and even a new sponsor for the whole Show. I’m looking forward to it already!
And you can listen to my celebrity interviews and see more Chelsea Flower Show photographs here.
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