:00:49. > :00:54.Of the Chelsea Flower Show, and they will tell you it is the highlight of
:00:55. > :00:58.their year. For me, witnessing the gardens are they come to fruition
:00:59. > :01:02.triggers a real sense of excitement. I have witnessed it for more than 20
:01:03. > :01:07.years, both as a designer, and in front of the cameras, and it never
:01:08. > :01:12.fails to delight. In this episode of Countdown To Chelsea, we take a look
:01:13. > :01:18.back at some of the most imaginative and ingenious water features to
:01:19. > :01:24.grace the show. There is even water rippling over my head as I speak. It
:01:25. > :01:28.plays with light, texture and colour. Creating floral sculpture,
:01:29. > :01:37.we meet one of the contenders for the hotly contested Florist Award.
:01:38. > :01:42.And How Do Nurse E-mail And Women Massage Nature To Produce The
:01:43. > :01:48.Perfectly Timed Specimen? In August, We Take The Bulbs Out And Put Them
:01:49. > :01:52.Into A Temperature Controlled Store, To Make Them Think That It Is
:01:53. > :01:56.Summer. And Then, Three Weeks Before Chelsea, We Put Them In The
:01:57. > :02:08.Glasshouse we start praying in the hope that they are going to get
:02:09. > :02:12.there. And the latest word is that installation artists are on site
:02:13. > :02:16.today, putting up a display of glass bulbs containing plants. The scale
:02:17. > :02:20.and ambition is so great, it has got everybody talking about it, but
:02:21. > :02:25.nobody is quite sure if it is going to work. We will find out later. I
:02:26. > :02:29.own horticultural passions were triggered by my grandparents, but it
:02:30. > :02:35.was a local Worcester nursery man who galvanised my attention and
:02:36. > :02:39.taught me the art of growing. Archie ran a family nursery, and thanks to
:02:40. > :02:44.a chance encounter when I was looking for a Mother's Day gift,
:02:45. > :02:48.Archie offered me a job at the tender age of 12. He soon spotted my
:02:49. > :02:53.enthusiasm and I benefited from his wonderful generosity in imparting
:02:54. > :02:58.information. For the last decade of his life, he never missed an
:02:59. > :03:03.opportunity to nurture my interest, something I will always be grateful
:03:04. > :03:10.for. I first visited Chelsea Flower Show 28 years ago, when I was a
:03:11. > :03:14.horticultural student. In 1998, I designed my first garden here, a
:03:15. > :03:20.nostalgic piece, based around the wartime years. That was also the
:03:21. > :03:27.first year I won a Chelsea gold medal. Since then, and after more
:03:28. > :03:32.than a dozen gold medals from here and around the world, there are
:03:33. > :03:35.numerous high points for me. In 2012I worked with adult learners
:03:36. > :03:39.with disabilities to build an exhibit raising awareness of their
:03:40. > :03:46.historic teaching garden and their own extraordinary talents. The
:03:47. > :03:52.garden harnessed unfashionable plants to remind gardeners of their
:03:53. > :03:55.glamour and beauty. It was a wonderful privilege to work with
:03:56. > :04:00.them, but it brought huge pressures on me to deliver. They propagated
:04:01. > :04:05.plants for us, they came onto the garden and helped us plant and do
:04:06. > :04:12.the roof, so they were fully integrated. So, to be able to say
:04:13. > :04:17.this morning we have got a gold medal, it is really breathtaking.
:04:18. > :04:21.Last year, I was able to work with Arthritis Research Uk to craft a
:04:22. > :04:29.garden which highlighted this potentially crippling condition. It
:04:30. > :04:31.touched the hearts and minds of viewers and visitors come a winning
:04:32. > :04:44.another prestigious award. This year I am thrilled to be back
:04:45. > :04:48.and not others is I know, but on this side of the camera, the perfect
:04:49. > :04:57.vantage point to see what horticultural delights are being
:04:58. > :05:00.delivered. I am about to explore Main Avenue to see how this year's
:05:01. > :05:05.are shaping up and specifically to review one of the best tools in the
:05:06. > :05:10.armoury of the designers, the water feature. Over the years, they have
:05:11. > :05:13.changed hugely at Chelsea. Let's remind ourselves of some of the
:05:14. > :05:39.wonderful watery delights. Tranquillity. Beauty. Majesty. These
:05:40. > :05:56.creations have transfixed visitors and viewers alike.
:05:57. > :06:07.Water in all its guises has long been a crowd-pleaser. In the
:06:08. > :06:13.earliest days, the main show gardens were grouped around an area which
:06:14. > :06:25.became known as Rock Garden Bank, at the edge of the site. The waterfall
:06:26. > :06:28.was the first popular water feature. Generations of kings and queens
:06:29. > :06:35.regularly admired them on their annual processions. Amat gardeners
:06:36. > :06:40.love nothing more than a little bit of Chelsea outside their newly
:06:41. > :06:44.erected conservatory. Gentle water features
:06:45. > :06:46.erected conservatory. Gentle water to a garden. Newly opened garden
:06:47. > :07:00.centres fed the burgeoning appetite for water features, with koi carp
:07:01. > :07:02.filling ponds across Britain. By the 1970s, Chelsea saw the arrival of
:07:03. > :07:05.more ambitious ideas, including 1970s, Chelsea saw the arrival of
:07:06. > :07:09.provocative and exciting plans for the use of water. Each year,
:07:10. > :07:12.designers have been the use of water. Each year,
:07:13. > :07:18.create ever more extravagant and creative ideas. Here are two
:07:19. > :07:19.remarkable examples from recent years. I saw
:07:20. > :07:22.remarkable examples from recent when it was still under construction
:07:23. > :07:27.and you knew when it was still under construction
:07:28. > :07:30.very bold structure, but it is the cleanliness of the lines, the
:07:31. > :07:36.very bold structure, but it is the shapes, the perfection in a free
:07:37. > :07:40.detail. All the walls are planted with moss, and the water gives a
:07:41. > :07:50.sense of space, but also a sense of a world beyond the garden.
:07:51. > :07:55.sense of space, but also a sense of even water above my head as I speak.
:07:56. > :08:03.It plays with light, texture and colour. But awareness of climate
:08:04. > :08:11.change has signalled a new approach to the way water is used in our
:08:12. > :08:18.gardens. Sustainable management of water is going to become much more
:08:19. > :08:24.significant. I witnessed this at Chelsea recently. This garden is a
:08:25. > :08:26.prime example of what can be done. A subtle adjustment of topography
:08:27. > :08:32.encourages any rain water to flow through the planting beds, towards
:08:33. > :08:39.the decorative reservoirs. What they have done here is to simulate the
:08:40. > :08:47.roof line, the water drains through in aim traditional gut and downpipe,
:08:48. > :08:53.into a water butt. But then, any overflow goes down into a reservoir.
:08:54. > :08:58.When you want to irrigate, this is linked to a series of geometric
:08:59. > :09:04.areas which are permeable. As the water flows down, it enters the
:09:05. > :09:10.soil. This is an old technique, in fact, the very technique which was
:09:11. > :09:20.employed by the ancient Egyptians, who took water from the river Nile
:09:21. > :09:24.to feed the landscape. Water has long been celebrated for its
:09:25. > :09:25.aesthetic appeal, but it is now being recognised as a valuable
:09:26. > :09:39.resource. One of the most complex water
:09:40. > :09:42.features this year is here on Main Avenue, designed by one of the
:09:43. > :09:49.youngest designers here, Hugo Bugg. What is it you are trying to
:09:50. > :09:52.achieve? When you enter the garden, you are actually walking over a
:09:53. > :09:56.water cycle. On your left you have got storm water entering the garden.
:09:57. > :10:02.On your right, there is a large pool of water, and then you step onto
:10:03. > :10:07.this paved area, which reflects a global issue of water storage.
:10:08. > :10:11.Within the garden, it is more about managing the storm water. And you
:10:12. > :10:15.have a canopy of older trees. How does the way you are dealing with
:10:16. > :10:20.water if from the conventional way we have treated it? In an urban
:10:21. > :10:27.situation, most able's storm water goes down into the drainage systems,
:10:28. > :10:30.but this garden disconnects that, allowing it to replicate nature and
:10:31. > :10:35.filter slowly back into the ground water, removing the pressure on the
:10:36. > :10:40.urban drainage systems. It sounds good in theory, but how much of a
:10:41. > :10:46.challenge is it technically? It is so intricate. In this cracked earth
:10:47. > :10:50.paving, we have got 10,000 individual
:10:51. > :10:55.paving, we have got 10,000 together by hound. -- by hand. The
:10:56. > :10:58.walkways have been made to a specific pattern, replicating the
:10:59. > :11:05.water. They all linked together. And how are you feeling about it? Now, I
:11:06. > :11:09.can see that it is looking really good and I am really excited. Good
:11:10. > :11:14.luck and I look forward to seeing it. In fact, Hugo's Darden is a
:11:15. > :11:21.contender for the People's Choice Award. That is a chance to take part
:11:22. > :11:25.in deciding one big award which will be handed out at the end of the
:11:26. > :11:31.flower show. Another potential recipient is first time Chelsea
:11:32. > :11:34.designer Matthew Childs, who we have been following all week. He has been
:11:35. > :11:38.showing us exactly what is involved. Today, we follow him as he
:11:39. > :11:40.goes in search of the hard structures he is bringing to his
:11:41. > :12:00.garden. Chelsea is fast approaching and we
:12:01. > :12:06.have got lots of landscaping elements still to finalise - the
:12:07. > :12:14.Arches in the garden, the sculpture, and one of the other key elements as
:12:15. > :12:20.well. I have travelled hundreds of miles to north Wales to find the
:12:21. > :12:30.boulders, which is a tip-off from my landscape expert. And I think this
:12:31. > :12:35.might be the place. I am now going to go and meet Gordon, the stone
:12:36. > :12:40.supplier. It is his job today to find us the perfect boulders in
:12:41. > :12:45.these fields behind. I have two say, I was expecting to be coming to a
:12:46. > :12:53.quarry, but we are in farmer's field. Basically, when they plough
:12:54. > :12:56.the field, they are unearthing these glacial boulders. At one time they
:12:57. > :13:01.would leave them and go around them, but now, they take them out of the
:13:02. > :13:08.ground and they go into various landscaping projects. Like the
:13:09. > :13:12.garden at Chelsea? Indeed. Most normal people go to garden centres
:13:13. > :13:15.to find stone for their gardens, but we are going to extraordinary
:13:16. > :13:21.lengths because we need stone which looks like it has been around for a
:13:22. > :13:26.while. We also want it to come from a sustainable source, where it is a
:13:27. > :13:32.waste material which needs a new home. I think we have got just
:13:33. > :13:37.perfect for your water feature. That is fantastic. It has got all of this
:13:38. > :13:42.moss and lichen on here which is what I want. It is the right size.
:13:43. > :13:50.Ideally, we are looking for about 1.3 metres by about 700. This
:13:51. > :13:54.boulder is absolutely perfect for a spot act the back of the garden. It
:13:55. > :13:58.is a slightly different shape and size to what I had in my head, but
:13:59. > :14:05.you have got to be flexible. I think it will work. I think we are going
:14:06. > :14:11.to go for it. Good. One down, three to go. I know that Gordon and his
:14:12. > :14:16.team will be able to find others, so, back to London to have a look at
:14:17. > :14:17.the archways, and see how they are getting on with the copper on
:14:18. > :14:38.those. And also, the sculpture. preparation for the garden but I
:14:39. > :14:43.think that a certain amount of adrenaline is good. That's what I
:14:44. > :14:47.have been told. We are on our way to make arches for the garden.
:14:48. > :14:50.Here they make all kinds of amazing props for the theatre and the film
:14:51. > :15:01.industry. Hi there! Good to see you. I can see
:15:02. > :15:05.that my art has not shrunk since the last time I saw you? No.
:15:06. > :15:17.This is the copper cladding for the structure? This is for that top of
:15:18. > :15:25.the arch. You can see how it works with the patinatition and colours.
:15:26. > :15:38.I am impressed with you, how you have managed to foldt and keep it
:15:39. > :15:43.patinated. That is the first meeting. It went
:15:44. > :15:48.well. Really happy with the air copper arches. The pat nation will
:15:49. > :15:56.be fantastic. So, on to the sculpture in Battersea with Peter.
:15:57. > :16:00.Peter's been working on it since September. I have not seen it yet.
:16:01. > :16:09.So it will be almost finished. Really exciting.
:16:10. > :16:16.Hey, Matthew, hi. Good to see you. Good to see you.
:16:17. > :16:19.I am eager to see Tranquility in her finished form.
:16:20. > :16:26.I hope you approve. I'm sure I will. That looks
:16:27. > :16:29.absolutely beautiful. The pool of metal, like a drop of water. That is
:16:30. > :16:35.fantastic. I think it works.
:16:36. > :16:38.I am bog coy not wanting to show the sculpture at the moment. Just
:16:39. > :16:41.because, with the show garden it is part of the magic for
:16:42. > :16:47.because, with the show garden it is to come to the show to see all of
:16:48. > :16:51.these new things. It is a brand new experience. It keep it is fresh. So
:16:52. > :16:55.we are keeping this a surprise for the big reveal at the show itself.
:16:56. > :17:00.Thank you very much. Cheers, thank you.
:17:01. > :17:03.Here are some of the hard landscaping structures taking shape.
:17:04. > :17:06.Here are some of the hard Matthew, they are going in. Does it
:17:07. > :17:10.look how you envisaged? Is it relating back to the original
:17:11. > :17:15.design? I am pleased to say that the picture I have been living with for
:17:16. > :17:20.months has been taking shapes. That is great. It is what you are aiming
:17:21. > :17:23.for. To have the image on site. So starting to take shape with the
:17:24. > :17:28.elements coming together. The arches work as a pair framing
:17:29. > :17:33.sections of the garden? Yes. It is so nice to see them in the garden.
:17:34. > :17:38.When you see them on their own in a workshop, you think, what are you
:17:39. > :17:42.doing? So with the copper arches, I now feel look right in the space.
:17:43. > :17:46.Also they divide up the space, giving me different rooms and the
:17:47. > :17:53.views through to Tranquility, down to the rest of the garden.
:17:54. > :17:57.The views through with the birch through in front which is masked and
:17:58. > :18:02.then obviously the boulders that came from North Wales.
:18:03. > :18:06.How was it shifting huge amounts of stone? They all have that
:18:07. > :18:12.presentable face. You have to get it right? It was a slightly tense day
:18:13. > :18:17.yesterday, trying to shift the really, really heavy elements in the
:18:18. > :18:23.garden. But as you say, they have lovely aspects, the moss and the
:18:24. > :18:27.liken. So you want to show that. But lots of shifting around and they are
:18:28. > :18:31.in place from North Wales to Chelsea, to here it is just a shame
:18:32. > :18:38.that they are so heavy. What about the sculpture, I notice
:18:39. > :18:45.she is very coyly hidden here? Are you waiting until the end of the
:18:46. > :18:49.week? We will give it until the end of the week to say here is the
:18:50. > :18:53.reveal. It has been so long in the making. It will be nice to keep it a
:18:54. > :18:58.secret. Now, developing ideas, when the standards are so high, it can be
:18:59. > :19:02.a challenge. In previous programmes we showed how the designers came up
:19:03. > :19:09.with their approaches. We are looking back to 2011, when Nigel
:19:10. > :19:18.Dunnett, visited Grave of the Unknown Warrior, in search of
:19:19. > :19:23.separation for his Chelsea design. -- Gravetye Manor.
:19:24. > :19:29.It is important to visit the gardens at Gravetye Manor but this is
:19:30. > :19:34.special. In Chelsea, we are trying to not copy but to capture the
:19:35. > :19:43.spirit and the ideas of the garden. I feel that a real living link, if
:19:44. > :19:59.you like, is here. I feel the presence of Robinson all around me.
:20:00. > :20:06.William Robinson was a Victorian horticulturalist. He had a big
:20:07. > :20:11.influence on British gardening. He started from humble beginnings,
:20:12. > :20:18.growing up in Ireland. He was born in April, 1848, spending his early
:20:19. > :20:22.years up until he was 20, as a jobbing gardener. He wrote many
:20:23. > :20:27.books but the one that we know the most is the Wild Garden. It
:20:28. > :20:32.encompassed a lot of his themes. Foremost of which was hardy plants.
:20:33. > :20:36.He wanted to grow plants that were really tough and survive on their
:20:37. > :20:45.own. But more than that, as he loved seeing plants in the wild and in
:20:46. > :20:50.their natural setting, he very much replicated that in the garden.
:20:51. > :20:56.That is a wonderful thing. We have these beautiful wild flowers here,
:20:57. > :21:02.growing up amongst the native wild flowers, the Speed the Butterwell,
:21:03. > :21:09.cups. Here they are flourishing. But they are pepped up, in halves, set
:21:10. > :21:29.off by the white Cammercias. It is a balance of what we have and what to
:21:30. > :21:34.add to it to really set it off. We are here in William Robinson's
:21:35. > :21:36.wild garden, a place where he spent many of his
:21:37. > :21:46.wild garden, a place where he spent trying out ideas it is a real test
:21:47. > :21:51.bad. They pocket hander chief tree is one he planted. It is from China.
:21:52. > :22:01.But it is combined with many others from around the world, so I can see
:22:02. > :22:05.azaleas, and rhododendrons amongst the native wild flowers and ferns.
:22:06. > :22:09.This is what he loved. Setting the plants within our own wild flowers
:22:10. > :22:13.in places where they look like they have been here forever. It is a
:22:14. > :22:18.contrast with the horticultural world he saw around him. All about
:22:19. > :22:22.the huge amounts of efforts, and here it pretty much looks after
:22:23. > :22:28.itself. The work and the ideas of William
:22:29. > :22:31.Robinson, although they are Victorian and 150 years on, they are
:22:32. > :22:35.as relevant now as then. Even more so. I think that you have to
:22:36. > :22:45.remember the person who started that all out.
:22:46. > :22:53.That same theme of naturalistic planting is one of the hallmarks of
:22:54. > :23:00.my in connection two guests, soon soon soon for their Himalayan Rock
:23:01. > :23:03.Garden. Built up here in the Fresh Gardens area. Tell me about the
:23:04. > :23:06.design. Well, the Himalayan Rock Garden, the
:23:07. > :23:14.him Leah are six different countries. We wanted to make a
:23:15. > :23:20.collage to connect the amazing flora and fauna. So there are different
:23:21. > :23:25.elements, the star planters, the water tower, the pavilion. So what
:23:26. > :23:29.we are hoping is that it will be a tapestry of colours and ideas.
:23:30. > :23:34.How are you interpreting the naturalistic theme? The way we work
:23:35. > :23:42.with the planting, it is broken into two halves. It is naturalistic, as
:23:43. > :23:47.James mentioned, we also have the motifs penulted by Marigolds, often
:23:48. > :23:50.used in Indian gardens, so naturalistic but with a quirky
:23:51. > :23:55.theme. How is the build going? I don't want
:23:56. > :24:00.to tempt feat but really well. The most amazing thing is seeing the
:24:01. > :24:05.plan coming to fruition. The sun is out. We had a tricky couple of first
:24:06. > :24:09.days. Concrete in the ground but it is mainly going to plan.
:24:10. > :24:13.We designed it and drew it, now the plan is turning into a reality. But
:24:14. > :24:19.it is going in the right direction. So, quietly confident! It sounds
:24:20. > :24:25.fantastic. Good luck to you both. Thank you. . Thank you.
:24:26. > :24:31.You remember a little earlier, I was tempting you with tales of
:24:32. > :24:37.installation art ises, hanging bulbs and sculptures and filling them with
:24:38. > :24:41.plant material, well, this is it. The I installation artists, you can
:24:42. > :24:47.just about see their feet on the gantry there. There are no sign of
:24:48. > :24:57.bulbs or sculptures. The progress, I think, it is fair to say it is slow!
:24:58. > :25:01.Here in the Great Pavilion, they are to welcome the menners inrimen and
:25:02. > :25:08.women to display their blooms next week. Also with them are the judges
:25:09. > :25:14.for contending in the Floral Arranging medals. One of the most
:25:15. > :25:20.keen recontested. The florists that bring their florals. The challenge
:25:21. > :25:24.to make a floral ball gown. We have been following a contender, Sarah
:25:25. > :25:28.Barrow as she got ready for her challenge.
:25:29. > :25:32.I love being surrounded by fresh flowers. The colour hits you
:25:33. > :25:36.immediately. I am like a child in a sweetie shop. There is so
:25:37. > :25:39.immediately. I am like a child in a choice. I just love putting flowers
:25:40. > :25:43.together. This is my favourite bit. When you have all of the flowers
:25:44. > :25:49.ready, and you can start to put it together. I am making a gorgeous
:25:50. > :25:54.bouquet you know that they will be thrilled to have. It will brighten
:25:55. > :25:59.up their day. Florists have the best job in the world, we can bring cheer
:26:00. > :26:04.to people that need it. My whole life, I have always dabbled
:26:05. > :26:10.in different things and felt, what am I doing? Finding floristry was a
:26:11. > :26:14.real passion. The seeds for my passion really
:26:15. > :26:18.started from when I was really tiny. My mum had a beautiful garden.
:26:19. > :26:24.I remember mum being in the garden all of the time. I always played
:26:25. > :26:27.with flowers. I used to watch mum doing the flowers. Every opportunity
:26:28. > :26:33.I would try to do something with flowers.
:26:34. > :26:38.I was opening a tearoom. I knew a little tiny tearoom in the middle of
:26:39. > :26:44.nowhere needed something else. I had a light bulb moment and thought, I
:26:45. > :26:48.know, I will be a florist. I applied to the local agriculture college, I
:26:49. > :26:53.asked hem to help it all started from there.
:26:54. > :26:57.This one is quite a natural bouquet. Look at the different colours and
:26:58. > :27:02.the textures going through here. The lime green is really bringing the
:27:03. > :27:07.piece alive. I am a real perfectionist in my work. Everything
:27:08. > :27:09.has to be just so... I don't always know what that is but when I have
:27:10. > :27:15.done it, I know I am happy with it. know what that is but when I have
:27:16. > :27:22.I graduated in 2011. The same year, the same May, I had gotten through
:27:23. > :27:26.to the RHS Chelsea finals of the UK Florist of the Year competition. It
:27:27. > :27:32.was unbelievable. The first year we had to make a jockey silk. That
:27:33. > :27:38.combined my life in one piece. The tailors I learned in my early
:27:39. > :27:42.with my floristry. Was extraordinary. We were watching
:27:43. > :27:49.the Chelsea programmes on the Monday night, and twitch Tichmarsh saying
:27:50. > :27:55."here we are at Chelsea, gardeners striving for years to get here... "
:27:56. > :28:00.it dawned on me then what a big deal it was. Then I got a silver medal.
:28:01. > :28:04.That was amazing. It was incredible.
:28:05. > :28:10.That was amazing. This year we have to make a fantasy
:28:11. > :28:15.floral dress to be worn at a crystal-themed ball. It is daunting.
:28:16. > :28:17.It is a very big task to do a whole dress out of flowers.
:28:18. > :28:22.It is a very big task to do a whole On my dress, I am going to include a
:28:23. > :28:26.lot of different techniques and materials. I have to make a
:28:27. > :28:31.structure, so I have to make a dress and then cover it with flowers. But
:28:32. > :28:36.I have to work out what flowers to buy and what goes with what. I
:28:37. > :28:40.cannot touch the flowers until the Monday of Chelsea week. They need to
:28:41. > :28:46.be fresh in. I need to condition them. Then I can build the structure
:28:47. > :28:57.with the flowers. I would like to use spray roses, peonies, maybe
:28:58. > :29:03.orchids, maybe not too mad, as they have have been seen a lot. Maybe
:29:04. > :29:08.Clematis. It could all be put on in the middle of the night on Wednesday
:29:09. > :29:13.night it is an evolving thing. Until I start to build the dress, I am not
:29:14. > :29:18.sure which way it will go. The worst thing about Chelsea is waiting for
:29:19. > :29:25.the results on the Result Day. We are all competing. We all become
:29:26. > :29:29.friends. I hate waiting for the results. On top of that, the public
:29:30. > :29:32.are looking at you. You are feeling sick with nerves. It is just the
:29:33. > :29:38.most gut-wrenching moment. I hate it. Obviously, I am hoping for a
:29:39. > :29:49.medal! I would love a Gold Medal! I will not lie. I would be absolutely
:29:50. > :29:53.ex-tatic. But 23 if I don't get to win a medal, I don't care. -- don't
:29:54. > :30:01.care. I have been to Chelsea three times. How amazing is that.
:30:02. > :30:03.Now we welcome a familiar face to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show
:30:04. > :30:13.coverage, Nicky Chapman. Hello. I am so excited, I have never
:30:14. > :30:18.been here for the build-up. Normally when I come here it is practically
:30:19. > :30:22.finished. To be here at this stage, the plants and the flowers have not
:30:23. > :30:26.even arrived. Yes, you get a sense of how this show is being staged,
:30:27. > :30:36.but of course, it is the flowers, you are a bit of a connoisseur. You
:30:37. > :30:41.are being very kind, I am my floral arrangements and designs are
:30:42. > :30:45.encouraging, every year they get a little bit at. But I am looking
:30:46. > :30:52.forward to plenty of floral displays, and I will be getting some
:30:53. > :30:56.tips. Every year I am getting better. By the end of the week, you
:30:57. > :31:01.will be an expert. What do you think is so special about Chelsea? We are
:31:02. > :31:05.all passionate about our gardens, but you do not have too have a
:31:06. > :31:11.garden to appreciate what Chelsea stands for. It is the catwalk, we
:31:12. > :31:16.get inspiration, and coming through, I felt my heart quicken. To see it
:31:17. > :31:21.behind the scenes, it is like being in the dressing room. This is
:31:22. > :31:30.everything that you never see. They are creating, aren't they? Already,
:31:31. > :31:34.the gardens are beginning to form, so by the end of the week, we will
:31:35. > :31:38.be nearly there. It will be perfection personified, I am hoping.
:31:39. > :31:45.I hope so, because it opens on Monday. Nicky and Andy Sturgeon will
:31:46. > :31:49.be presenting our afternoon coverage next week in this time slot. But it
:31:50. > :31:55.is not just the designers and exhibitors who are feeling the
:31:56. > :32:01.pressure, the team who are putting the whole event together are really
:32:02. > :32:07.up against it. Today, in the Chelsea Champions Spot, we are turning our
:32:08. > :32:14.attention to the person who is in charge of all the catering. I am in
:32:15. > :32:21.charge of the catering here at Chelsea Flower Show. I am
:32:22. > :32:29.responsible for providing food and drink for the 168,000 visitors who
:32:30. > :32:33.will be here jeering the week. We have three on-site restaurants,
:32:34. > :32:40.three public food courts, as well as looking after the exhibitors, and
:32:41. > :32:48.the RHS. We sell more than 70,000 tea and coffee, 120,000 cakes,
:32:49. > :32:54.13,000 sandwiches, as well as 15,000 glasses of champagne and more than
:32:55. > :32:59.45,000 canap?s throughout the showground. Today is really exciting
:33:00. > :33:04.because this is where everything starts for us. The full team is on
:33:05. > :33:10.site. We can see everything coming together, all of our planning, it is
:33:11. > :33:15.quite refreshing. To see the stuff you have ordered. We are gradually
:33:16. > :33:20.moving around the site making sure everything is in the place that it
:33:21. > :33:25.should be in. It is a ten day build moving into the show week. We will
:33:26. > :33:31.have more than 550 staff a day working at the show. Everything that
:33:32. > :33:35.is here, everything you see, has been ordered specifically for the
:33:36. > :33:40.show. Making sure there is power, working sure there is gas, enough
:33:41. > :33:52.space to move around. It is all carefully planned. This is the
:33:53. > :33:55.Brockbank Restaurant, with views across the showground. We will
:33:56. > :34:03.accommodate 1000 lunches on the first day of show week in this area.
:34:04. > :34:07.Looking a bit empty at the moment! We are getting all of our heavy kick
:34:08. > :34:12.in the kitchen, the ovens are in place, we need to get that in early.
:34:13. > :34:18.We have got 20 or so pallets of equipment arriving today. All of our
:34:19. > :34:22.cutlery and China and glassware has arrived, we are just unpacking
:34:23. > :34:30.those, and checking it all off to make sure everything is here. The
:34:31. > :34:37.brandy glasses, they are for the bar, thank you. Our executive head
:34:38. > :34:44.chef plans all of the menus, he works with his team of 55 chefs. Ben
:34:45. > :34:58.is very passionate about his food. In the Chelsea week we do about 3004
:34:59. > :35:06.course meals, plus 60,000 canapes on average. Chelsea is very special, it
:35:07. > :35:10.is the start of the summer social season. We are watching the weather
:35:11. > :35:18.forecast in the lead up, gauging what the weather is going to be. It
:35:19. > :35:27.has a huge impact. Hot drink sales, cold drink sales, depending on the
:35:28. > :35:31.temperature outside. Our planning for next year starts now. As soon as
:35:32. > :35:37.the show finishes, we are already planning for next year. You get so
:35:38. > :35:41.excited about picking it up again, and all the things you are going to
:35:42. > :35:48.do, all the things you are going to improve for future years. It is in
:35:49. > :35:56.my blood and I love being here. Good luck to Julianne 13 over the next
:35:57. > :35:59.week. Quite often, the challenge for growers coming to Chelsea lies in
:36:00. > :36:04.mass arching nature to bring plants and rumours to the show which are
:36:05. > :36:07.not normally in flower in May. For some, it is a case of advancing
:36:08. > :36:12.growth, but it happens in reverse as well, where plants have naturally
:36:13. > :36:19.gone over, but are still needed at their best. That is the challenge
:36:20. > :36:27.for daffodil grower Johnnie Walker, whom we visited back in 2008. I love
:36:28. > :36:33.to be out here early in the morning. They are looking particularly fresh
:36:34. > :36:40.then. Every variety has got something particular about it which
:36:41. > :36:46.you enjoy. I think my earliest memory is probably about five or six
:36:47. > :36:50.years old, going to the nursery with my father, and then, when I was ten
:36:51. > :36:57.years old, my father took me to Holland. From then on, it was bulbs
:36:58. > :37:04.all the way. My father came over in the early 1930s, during the
:37:05. > :37:09.depression in Holland. Everybody where he came from was involved in
:37:10. > :37:12.bold growing. He said, I will go to England, learn the language and see
:37:13. > :37:16.what I can find out there. Lincolnshire was a very big county,
:37:17. > :37:22.and this particular part of it was called South Holland. It is a very
:37:23. > :37:26.good silt soil, retaining moisture, well drained. It is ideal for
:37:27. > :37:34.daffodils, the best in the country, really. Of course, most people think
:37:35. > :37:40.of daffodils as yellow, partly because of the golden daffodils of
:37:41. > :37:43.Wordsworth. And then they think of Narcissus as the white and red. But
:37:44. > :37:51.technically, they are all the same genus. I grow somewhere in the
:37:52. > :37:56.region of 400 varieties. I cannot be specific, I lose count now and
:37:57. > :38:02.again. It is always difficult when people ask me which my it depends on
:38:03. > :38:09.which one I am picking. Everyone has got its merits. One of my favourites
:38:10. > :38:17.always is this one, it is a lovely, deep orange, and put that in front
:38:18. > :38:24.of an evergreen holly, it looks as though the place is on fire, it is
:38:25. > :38:28.superb. Producing daffodils for Chelsea at the end of May is very,
:38:29. > :38:31.very difficult. I do not know what possessed me ever to spend my time
:38:32. > :38:38.trying to beat nature in the way that we do. So, what we do, in
:38:39. > :38:42.August, we pick the bulbs out and put them intoam project controls
:38:43. > :38:47.store, at 20 Celsius. This makes them think that it is some, so they
:38:48. > :38:48.do not start growing. And then, straight after Christmas, we plugged
:38:49. > :38:53.them into trays, with some compost straight after Christmas, we plugged
:38:54. > :38:57.at the bottom, then they come into the cold store, which is the
:38:58. > :38:59.equivalent of winter. Then, three weeks before Chelsea, we put them in
:39:00. > :39:07.the glasshouse, we start praying, in weeks before Chelsea, we put them in
:39:08. > :39:11.there. This one has not got many shoots on it, I am a bit worried
:39:12. > :39:11.there. This one has not got many about this variety. When we look at
:39:12. > :39:16.this one, there about this variety. When we look at
:39:17. > :39:20.once they get into a bit of sunshine in the glasshouse, they will go like
:39:21. > :39:25.rockets, with a bit of luck. The wonderful thing about Chelsea is
:39:26. > :39:28.that lots of people come and talk to you, they want to know about
:39:29. > :39:31.daffodils, you can share your knowledge, and I am just passionate
:39:32. > :39:39.about daffodils, they are a wonderful flower.
:39:40. > :39:42.Well, Johnnie Walker will be back again showing off his daffodils next
:39:43. > :39:45.week. Full coverage of the whole event will be on BBC television
:39:46. > :39:49.across each day throughout the week. I am very much looking forward to
:39:50. > :39:55.being a part of the team to bring you Chelsea 2014. But will it be a
:39:56. > :39:58.vintage year? Only time will tell. If I was picking my favourites from
:39:59. > :40:02.the past, which would I choose? It is really tricky. But here are three
:40:03. > :40:14.of my highlights. This design from 1990, by Arabella
:40:15. > :40:24.Lennox Boyd, was a quintessentially English style, with a reserved and
:40:25. > :40:28.considered theatrical piece. Although many plants are not native
:40:29. > :40:34.to England, many have been adopted as essential ingredients.
:40:35. > :40:40.Architecture, stone art and landscape became harmonious in a
:40:41. > :40:44.delightful balance. This was 2004, a garden from Dan Persons. It was
:40:45. > :40:53.thought-provoking. It exempt five the work of a gardener content with
:40:54. > :40:57.a subtle narrative. I wanted to go into the landscape and use that as
:40:58. > :41:00.the inspiration, so that people could think about the landscape. It
:41:01. > :41:04.is something which is constantly being eroded in this country. Nature
:41:05. > :41:12.and artificial inclusions were seamlessly blended. The eye was
:41:13. > :41:19.massaged throughout the scheme. And my final choice, from 2005, the
:41:20. > :41:24.English gentleman of the show, the guardian of Julian Dowel, who
:41:25. > :41:29.captured the energy, spirit and accuracy of nature with such success
:41:30. > :41:35.that his garden convinced asked the entire show was constructed around
:41:36. > :41:38.it. For some, the skills involved went unnoticed, but for those who
:41:39. > :41:45.admire the minute details of gardening, this was a work of beauty
:41:46. > :41:52.and joy. That is just about it for today. I wish all the designers and
:41:53. > :41:55.exhibitors well, and I cannot wait to see the conclusion of their works
:41:56. > :42:00.over the next week. Tomorrow, Carol Klein will be here with her own
:42:01. > :42:21.Countdown To Chelsea. I hope you can join her. For now, goodbye.
:42:22. > :42:29.# Slowdown, you move too fast. # You've got to make the moment
:42:30. > :42:39.last. # Feeling groovy!
:42:40. > :42:47.# Hello, lamp post, I've come to watch your flowers growing.
:42:48. > :43:00.# Feeling groovy! # I've got no promises to keep.
:43:01. > :43:27.# A new era blooms
:43:28. > :43:30.at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, with a fresh crop of exciting
:43:31. > :43:34.young designers.