Episode 10 RHS Chelsea Flower Show

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show has been setting the trends and pushing

the boundaries of gardening across the globe.

Each year the designs and ideas and important messages delivered

through the plants here can ignite a spark that sets the health

authorityy cultural world alight. With the next big ideas waiting to

be discovered, today it is our mission to find them. Coming up:

Healthy Chelsea. Andy Sturgeon discovers the flowers that can help

you bloom. This is a insignificant member of

the pea family and could change the the pea family and could change the

world. Alys Fowler tracks down the fruit

and veg to spice up your five a day. The interesting thing about this

garden is the way they are growing their vegetable.

Back to drum and basics, DJ Goldie reveals his passion for gardening.

Me, a drum and base man. Vegetables. Can you believe it?

Welcome to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show supported by M&G Investments.

Today, Chris, we are talking about trends here at Chelsea, aren't we?

One of the trends that has been bucked, being British, when the sun

comes out, it comes out rarely, we never know what to wear.

It is glorious. People have been clever. There is fantastic

millinery going on. All the flowers in those hats. Do you know, I could

see you wearing one of those? Rhododendrons, find me a hat and

I'll wear it! We don't know what to wear, do we,

but we're not complaining. Please don't complain.

Every green fingered enthusiast knows what positive effect

gardening can have on on your wellbeing. It is a message a number

of designers are keen to share through the design and planting of

their gardens. Andy Sturgeon went to discover why it is time to wake

In my experience of designing gardens, plants and the gardens

themselves can have a really positive effect on the people who

experience them and it is not just the act of gardening, it is the

place that you create and the plants which occupy it that can

have a very therapeutic effect on all of us and this year at Chelsea,

all of us and this year at Chelsea, there are some great examples.

The World Vision Garden is has a ripple pool.

The plants are chosen from a very limited pallet as are the materials.

The iron path path feeds you into the heart of the garden. It is not

a maze so you can't get lost. It relaxes you into a a zen-like state

and gives you a chance to pause and reflect.

You don't need to dash out and buy a dozen tree ferns or an expensive

garden. This garden from Slovenia is a

living farm scene. All the plants have me have medcinal uses. This

has a tap root which can be used to improve your eyesight. There are

strawberries packed full of vitamins. This plant doesn't look,

but it is a useful plant. It is good for treating stomach

complaints and it is an affro disyack -- aphrodisiac I hear.

In this garden, this flower is known as the ever lasting flower as

it never fades or wilts even after it has been cut down and dried. The

oil from the plants is a very powerful healer. 100 times more

effective than arnica and it grows last. This little plant from

southern Africa can cure all ailments. It is good for arthritis,

dysentery and bronchitis and there is a possibility that it can treat

cancer and HIV. This little member of the pea family could change the

If you wish you could spend more time in your outdoor sanctuary,

this could be it. It is aimed to solve some of the stresses of

working 9am to 5pm by being surd surrounded by the most planting.

You can make your own brew by picking your own infusion at this

herbal tea bar before going into a meeting under this canopy. I could

do with a cuppa! This idea is all about enhancing a more positive

wellbeing. But you don't need a huge space like this to uncover the

benefits. Carol is is discovering that plants alone can be a feast

through our senses. They determine the way we feel from moment to

moment and how could you feel anything, but joyous surrounded by

this display. Hyacinths are valued for their

colour, but it is for their scent that they are especially valued.

The great thing about growing them, is you don't need a garden. You can

grow them in pots and containers and you can carry them around so

you can enjoy the perfume wherever you are in the house and what's

soil, but what they need is the thinnest, gravelly soil and sun

because that's what brings out the aroma and the scent in their leaves,

but the majority of the herbs here are grown specifically for the way

they stimulate our sense of taste. Drop a couple of the leaves of this

plant into your ice cream and it will favour it perfectly. But it is

not just leave leaves that we eat. Quite a lot of flowers are edible

too. Mm, it tastes just like primrose.

You never think of going to a garden centre and asking for a

plant you can touch. And yet so many plants have this wonder

tactile quality -- wonderful tactile quality. Don't just look at

this, feel it, it is soft and fluffy. It is almost like having a

pet beside you! And all these plants around me have got such

texture, this prickly rosemary, and this soft little plant down here.

You are surrounded by all this wonderful sensation. It is

delightful. This garden is a feast for all the

senses including sound as the breeze breeze breeze breeze wafts

gently. Whether you have got a window box, or a garden or a plot

outside, being aware of how plants stimulate your sense brings

enjoying the floral feast. Bees are the drinking up the nectar.

According to the Bumble Bee Conservation Trust, this garden is

getting their attention. Every year designers in the large and small

show gardens, are pushing the garden to use as an extra room.

Chris has been to take a look. Any hard work. This is what we get paid

to do, to sit down and look at gardens. At least, it is what we

should get paid to do. The seat is an instrumental part of the design.

It is the starting point. You don't create a garden and plonk a piece

of furniture in, you create the garden around the furniture and

that draws out of the house, even on a cold, damp day, wrap up warm.

Bring a warm drink out and you can sit and relax. It is important that

the seat faces something you want to look at. That may sound

straightforward, but so many of us put a seat down wherever is

convenient. In this garden, these seats face a perfect reflective

pool. The materials you choose should suit the design and style.

The ratten is soft. It is very informal and it nestles perfectly

in this wonderful, wild flower meadow. As the sun rises high and

the temperatures start to soar, there is nothing more relaxing than

sitting in an old-fashioned swing seat. The shape, whilst also being

contemporary, is really clever. The slatted nature of this seat affords

a certain degree of protection from the sun's rays as you drift to

sleep and while you drift asleep, if you allow your hand to dangle,

you get the most wonderful fragrance from the the thyme. This

is a contrast to the formal structures around the corner. Most

of the community dining and seating in front of the main screen.

One of the exciting things about the modern blend of architectural

furniture for the gafrden is -- garden is fashion conscious garden

no longer have to put up with a seat which clashes with the rest of

their scheme. These come in a range of colours, shapes and textures and

styles. It means your seat can blend perfectly with your planting

behind in just the same way as your text tiles and -- textiles can be

choreographed inside, that can be achieved outside. These are

wonderful because we have a sweet sculptural appearance when you're

inspiration. If you are look for anything, architectural or

furniture wise. The most important thing when you are buying your

furniture, try it out. You have got to be able to relax in it and these

chairs may look like 1950s cheese graters, but actually when you're

in them, they are really rather good. That's the point of a garden.

It isn't about slavishly toiling away all the time, it is much more

about allowing yourself the time and the patience to kick back and

to be in the gardens. The brilliant thing about plastic

is it can be manufactured into almost any shape.

Featuring water. I will be learning how to make a splash with a

portable pond. And can he dig it? Yes, he can! We

find out why DJ musician Goldie goes back to his green roots.

I practically lived in Miami and the first thing I saw was palm

trees and my have they grown. Chelsea Chelsea has continued on

the grow your own ethos and 2012 is no exception. Anyone with a little

space can have a go. If you fancy being more adventurous, Alys Fowler

ventured out to discover if there is anything more exotic on the

lot more exciting at Chelsea because there is some truly by tsar

and interesting edibles like this lily. You can actually eat the bulb,

roast it much like you would a potato. It is full of starch.

Clearly, it is an extravagant plant because it will be more expensive

than the potato, but it is so pretty and if you have a container

somewhere sunny and free draining soil, it is worth a try.

Unusual edibles can be difficult to identify. If you don't know what it

is, please don't eat it. This is quite a quirky one. It is

the world's only edible lupin and you eat the seeds which are rich in

protein and they do this a lot in Bolivia, but there is a big but

because it has a lengthy and complicated process to take it from

something that's poisonous to something that's edible. So

although I think it is pretty and I would like to have a go at trying

it, I will stick with something you bean. It is a broad bean. It has

these beautiful flowers. If your broad beans are this tall, it is

time to pinch out the tips. You just take this top bit off. That

discourages the black flies 678 --. Don't waste it. You steam it in a

little butter and you have something for diner. You may not

guess what this is - this is a cucumber, although it looks like a

lemon. Its name says as much. It is a heritage variety. It looks like a

lemon. Cucumbers get a bad wrap. They are easy to grow. They are

very suited to our climate. The plant does not want to actually sit

in wet ground. It hates wet feet. So long as you don't overwater it,

I guarantee you'll get lots of these. You could eat your way back

and forth across this garden, because there's so much to choose

from. The really interesting thing is the way they are growing their

vegetables. These runner beans are being grown up a shepherd's crook.

And the beetroot, grown in an old chest, is just perfect for this

little garden. This year's Chelsea hasn't just

been about unusual edibles. It's been about showing you how to grow

vegetables, wherever you are - even if it is four floors up in a

Pyramid, just proving you can grow your five a day, wherever you are.

This year, the large show gardens are awash with water features. It's

a myth you need a huge garden space. I am joined by Linda Smith from

waterside nursery. She will show us how to make a display. Walking

around Chelsea, you see these very impressive water features, you

think not only do they look amazing, but they will cost a fortune. How

can we bring that back into our own home? We need to make them smaller,

more in size with our gardens. Something like the portal feature

of the small container pond would be more in keeping with most

people's size of garden. Do you need fresh running water or

electricity? No, you could fill from a water butt and electricity

isn't essential, unless you want the little dribbling sound of water.

You can get it from a solar fountain. You would fill it with

water and add some plants. I can see these containers here,

different sizes and colours. It looks like some recycling going on.

Any container will work? Absolutely. What are the keys then if you want

to make your own aqua garden? your container ready to work. Think

about the depth of water. The plants are quite different in what

they like. Some will come from the bottom but most won't. Staging -

engineering - a little shelf. That will bring the pots up to the right

level. A couple of inches above the basket. And it can stop them from

falling over. If you lock them into the grid it will stop them waving

marigold. A nice, bright start to the season. Then perhaps a foliage

plant to give us interest later. That's Houttuynita.

Are these low main tapbs once they go in? They have a -- maintenance

once they go in? They have a habit for water, you can take the stems

out and that will keep them in control. How do we stop the water

from stagnating? This is an oxygenating plant. Submerge it

halfway down and that stem work will be releasing oxygen into the

water. That keeps the water fresh. If you did not want to see it, any

tricks to keep it fresh? Some of the oxygenating plants will live

underneath the water and you will never see them again once you put

them in. I have one here. You can get it from any nursery?

Oxygenating plants. We like the native ones. We steer away from the

vigorous non-natives. Drop a bunch in. It will go underneath the water.

You don't need to look at it. can work in light and some shade?

Major sunshine for things like water lillies, iris. But shady

plants are useful, because they give you nice structures so you can

then have more foliage interest in structured plants. That will go in

shade. Thank you very much indeed. Thank you.

There's a real fashion for natural materials in Chelsea show gardens.

The one thing that many of these gardens rely on is plastic. Usually

you cannot see it, but this year some of the gardens have turned

have used it in a decorative style. The sun shines through it. It is

like a display slide in a laboratory or something. It fits

contemporary look. In Tony Smith's garden he has taken acrylic tubes,

which are usually used in shop displays to catch the light. It

shows you can take something ordinary and turn it into something

magical. And there's a plaquetyal element

here too. Artificial grass can make the perfect substitute for places

where you cannot grow real lawn. On the Fresh Garden, 200 metres of

blue string are the main event, creating drama. It is inexpensive,

durable and makes the perfect is it can be manufactured into

almost any shape. So, even when you are doing something practical,

there's no need to overlook the aesthetic.

Unfortunately, the environmental credentials of plastic are not very

good, but here in the Rooftop Workplace of Tomorrow, they have

found a way to recycle plastic plant pots, which could not be done

before and they have turned them into these amazing planters and

pieces of furniture. It looks like stone, but when you get up close

you can see the plastic in there. It just goes to show that plastic

can be fantastic! Who would have thought that

musician, DJ and artist Goldie was hiding another passion. A little

known love of gardening and especially growing his own

vegetables and this is his first time to Chelsea. So, Goldie,

welcome. It's fantastic. You have picked the most perfect day. I feel

like a newbie. I am in this garden, which is the World Vision Garden.

It is stunning. This is amazing. The whole ethos is kindness,

radiating. We are surrounded by radiating. We are surrounded by

palms. You love palms? I do. long have you been into garden. It

is a big-kept secret. It's out there now. The wife, about five or

six years ago said your garden is like a bomb site. She started to

put jd ideas into my head. We put - - started to put ideas into my head.

We put some time into it. When I was young I didn't like olives, now

I love them. I am getting more mature, as I'm getting older.

are appreciating the finer things of life? It is like that. When I

potter around the garden - who would have thought! It is very

green, your garden. Do you have any flowers? Not really. I have a lot

of ferns and stuff. The whole purpose of coming here today was to

look at ideas. For me, it is a great blueprint, it is ready to

work more with it. Because it is pimple and minimal - I don't like

claustrophobia. So lots of clean lines. The problem I have, I think

that stuff that lasts through the winter. Other palms are doing well.

They have survived? The variation... For me I have not seen this palm,

for me it is kind of palm-fern. Your face is radiating. I want to

see the gardens. It is like your first time anywhere, you want to do

it right and have a good look. will get great advise. And this

Pyramid - is this the bad boy of gardening. He wants to stand out.

He's the gardening version of me. Ask him nicely and you can go down

the shoot. You are passionate about growing vegetables. The mother-in-

law, who is Japanese, she always says "you must grow your own

vegetables." It has been a God send. Last year, we had a great year -

tomatoes, beans, courgettes. They are not yellow or from a

supermarket - although it is fresh, they are fresher. It lasts so long.

I was doing a deal, where I was exchanging to the local store - I

am exchanging goods against goods. Trade? Goldie's golden courgettes.

I can see the title right now. You kindly gave us a tour of your

garden a few weeks ago. Can we take a sneaky peak. A little one. Every

year I've had a fantastic crop of vegetables. Me, goldy, drum and

brass man! What's the world coming to! It was beautiful, and this year

the frost came and killed it. can joining Alan on the terrace at

8pm, BBC Two. You will have a wander around the show gardens. You

will let us have a tag along? Thanks goldy.

-- Goldie. Now, after extensive research after

which seat I should take home - and hard work it was too - I have

finally decided on this - a rather nice canvass cocoon. It may look

like canvass hanging from a tree, but this is inspired by the

designer's visit to Mexico, where he saw the weaver bird, a discrete

individual, modest, like myself, who likes to retreat from the

madening crowd, build a nest in a tree and relax. You look very snug

in there. Stay where you are. cannot get up, to be honest.

this a palm or a tree fern? These are palms. The difference between

palms and ferns, very simple, it is a very lin yar leaf on a fern.

Ferns have spores, whereas palms have fruits and then flowers.

think we may have got it wrong. If you see him, can you set it

straight. That's all we have time for now. You can join Alan and

Rachel for more trendsetting Chelsea tonight at 8pm when they

will talk to Jo Thompson about parking the first ever caravan on

Main Avenue. We will be back Main Avenue. We will be back

tomorrow at 12.30pm D if you want it 24-7, log on to our website,