:00:38. > :00:42.$:/STARTFEED. Hello and welcome back to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show,
:00:42. > :00:48.an event supported by M&G Investments. We have had a cracker
:00:48. > :00:53.of a week here in the Royal Hospital grounds enjoying Chelsea's
:00:53. > :00:57.centinary year. We have reached the floral finale with a burst of
:00:57. > :01:02.sunshine. The show isn't over until the last Fatsia Japonica leaves the
:01:02. > :01:11.ground. We have put together a smorg guess board of centinary
:01:11. > :01:16.highlights, sit back and put your feet up and TUC into our flower --
:01:16. > :01:20.tuck into our flower-filled highlight.
:01:20. > :01:26.An RHS medal for Gold Fingers and others.
:01:26. > :01:34.Chelsea for sale, we are in the thick of the mayhem as plants are
:01:34. > :01:44.sold off to the highest bidder. That will be 15 Guineas for that!
:01:44. > :01:46.
:01:46. > :01:52.Gnome Way, we will reveal why this cheeky imp is worth a million quid.
:01:52. > :01:56.Plenty of centinary celebrations across the showground and the Great
:01:56. > :02:00.Pavilion to mark the 100th anniversary. Roger Platts set
:02:00. > :02:03.himself a mission-and-a-half, his design, Windows Through Time, aimed
:02:04. > :02:09.to straddle 100 years of gardening in one plot. Joe caught up with him
:02:09. > :02:13.on Sunday to see how he had fared. Roger a sumptious planting, of
:02:13. > :02:18.course, as ever. You seem to have cheated the seasons beautifully how
:02:18. > :02:20.has it been trying to condense 100 has it been trying to condense 100
:02:20. > :02:24.years into a single garden. It is a challenge and I have been asked
:02:25. > :02:30.this question a lot, how do you do that. I have really tried to take
:02:30. > :02:35.it from the danger of giving a flavour of years ago, and a flavour
:02:35. > :02:40.of being up-to-date. You are pointing that way and then that
:02:40. > :02:44.way? I'm confused at this time. Does it work through the years and
:02:44. > :02:47.the garden. We have the ruin wall and the pool beneath, that is
:02:47. > :02:57.giving you a feeling of age and history. The gate from around that
:02:57. > :03:03.period, so I picked that up, it was circa 1910. And then the rode den
:03:03. > :03:07.drums which were very -- rhodedendrums popular in Victorian
:03:07. > :03:11.times and what the Chelsea Flower Show was about when it started on
:03:11. > :03:17.this site. More contemporary planting, this feels like a
:03:18. > :03:20.traditional garden, the visitors will adore it, the planting is spot
:03:21. > :03:26.on. The contemporary elements where is that, in the plants you have
:03:26. > :03:32.chosen? We start with the design and material, and I have used, the
:03:32. > :03:36.paving, for example, the sandstone paving, sawn rather than rustic.
:03:36. > :03:40.That gives it a contemporary feel. We have run that through. We are
:03:40. > :03:45.mixing the old and traditional bit with the contemporary. It is
:03:45. > :03:52.blending it, which I hope, is the trick. Then finishing it off with
:03:52. > :03:55.the sculpture, which is, in recent years, we have seen a lot of
:03:55. > :04:02.caughtend steel structures. It is popular of now. And bringing the
:04:02. > :04:09.planting into that. There I have used grasses, which have been
:04:09. > :04:14.popular again in recent years. But together with those wild flower
:04:14. > :04:18.planting, meadows, all that sort of side. You have had to distill it
:04:18. > :04:23.and bring it into this garden. A fabulous job. Thank you very much.
:04:23. > :04:29.Roger wasn't the only designer awarded a centinary gold medal, out
:04:29. > :04:34.of the 15 show gardens ten hit the horticultural jackpot, a record
:04:34. > :04:37.number for Chelsea. A bit controversial, some say they were
:04:37. > :04:41.sprayed around like confetti, I thought that was harsh, there was a
:04:41. > :04:47.great standard here. The standard has improved year-on-year, a lot of
:04:47. > :04:52.designers know how to fill the gaps in and get a gold. I'm not saying
:04:52. > :04:56.it has become fomulaic, some would criticise and say yes. Nine last
:04:56. > :04:59.year, ten this year, a great spread of goals. Adam Frost, a lovely
:05:00. > :05:05.garden, I feared for the apple trees, I hoped the blossom would
:05:05. > :05:09.hold on. It was getting touch and go. The beehive seems to have
:05:09. > :05:14.riveted all eyes on that. Huge quantity of plants he was worried
:05:14. > :05:19.about, 100ms of planting and he has turned full-time designer, he's not
:05:19. > :05:26.a landscaper now. He hadn't built that for him. He had to concentrate
:05:26. > :05:33.on the planting. Poacher turned game keeper. Nigel has been trying
:05:33. > :05:37.for a gold for a few years, Nigel Dunnett, with the backdrop of the
:05:37. > :05:40.Gerkin. There is an environmental issue to deal in gardening, he
:05:40. > :05:45.wants to put it together and show you can have a beautiful garden and
:05:45. > :05:49.bring it all together. It is a great show garden. I know that Ulf
:05:49. > :05:54.Nordjfell said he wanted to slightly reflect the centinary of
:05:54. > :05:58.Chelsea with old and new and put a modern twist on it, of all the
:05:58. > :06:02.modern gardens here, the avant- garde ones I found that appealing.
:06:02. > :06:07.That is your sort of thing. I loved the stone they use, that is getting
:06:07. > :06:12.very popular for the paving, it is light and bright. In Britain, where
:06:12. > :06:17.we have dull days it reflects light very nicely. A lovely use of
:06:17. > :06:22.sculpture. Christopher Bradley Hole was revered for that astonishing
:06:22. > :06:28.garden that repaid close inspection. I kept going back to it time and
:06:28. > :06:31.time again. It is not an outdoor room but a garden to be viewed in a
:06:31. > :06:35.traditional Japanese style, a traditional Japanese garden. He
:06:35. > :06:39.brought the Japanese art of garden making to the British landscape.
:06:39. > :06:46.That is a very interesting concept. He has done it beautifully. Of the
:06:46. > :06:49.other lovely Gold Medal-winning gardens any others? Kate Gould, she
:06:49. > :06:53.did fantastic garden with recycled materials and brought those
:06:53. > :07:00.together, concrete and rusty old metal, bits and pieces here and
:07:00. > :07:04.there. Again put a designer touch on it. You think recycled garden a
:07:05. > :07:11.mish-mash, Robert Myers did the same thing with wild native plant,
:07:11. > :07:15.he showed how to manicure, tame them and put them in a very
:07:15. > :07:18.contemporary space. I was very grateful for Michael Balston and
:07:18. > :07:28.Marie-Louise Agius's curves, I liked that with the stream down the
:07:28. > :07:31.middle and the glass screens. The massive rhodedendren, there was a
:07:31. > :07:37.disparate element. It is a refreshing change, lots of squares.
:07:37. > :07:41.And Jinny Blom just missed out a Silver-Gilt, a garden with a good
:07:41. > :07:46.cause and strong message. People will remember it for whatever medal
:07:46. > :07:50.it got. On Tuesday morning all the medal results were revealed, every
:07:50. > :07:53.exhibitor had an excruciating wait to find out if they won a medal,
:07:53. > :07:56.and crucially if it was the right colour. Nicki Chapman and James
:07:57. > :08:06.Alexander Sinclair were on the early shift as the centinary
:08:07. > :08:19.
:08:19. > :08:29.results were handed out. First bit of good news. Yes! Gold! Boom!
:08:29. > :08:48.
:08:48. > :08:58.I don't want to look at it? A gold! Oh my good, awesome. Well done mate.
:08:58. > :09:12.
:09:12. > :09:17.Gold! Best Artisan Garden. Thank you, thank you. Thank you. That's a
:09:17. > :09:27.classic underreaction from Ishihara, as you would expect. Silver medal,
:09:27. > :09:39.
:09:39. > :09:46.thank you very much indeed. Oh yeah. Get in there! Yeah! What a morning.
:09:46. > :09:50.92 gold medals were awarded all together. Then the news broke that
:09:50. > :09:54.flemgs Nursery had won Best in Show Award. We were there as the
:09:54. > :09:59.exciting news was delivered. To be honest they didn't seem that
:09:59. > :10:09.bothered. Excuse me guys, sorry, just one minute, can I take one
:10:09. > :10:10.
:10:10. > :10:20.more minute. Joe needs to see you from the RHS! (screaming and
:10:20. > :10:31.
:10:31. > :10:35.shouting). Oh dear! I think you feared for your body? I did my feet
:10:35. > :10:38.had 20 grown men jumping up and down. What an amazing scene, they
:10:38. > :10:44.couldn't have been happier. Reactions have been sensational,
:10:44. > :10:47.people are so thrilled when they get a gold and Best in Show! It is
:10:47. > :10:54.bonderful, going around the ground being with the RHS and handing
:10:54. > :10:58.those out. When it is handed over their faces light up. Do you hand
:10:58. > :11:04.out the other meddlias does anyone go off in a huff? It is like the
:11:04. > :11:08.Oscar, they open it up and they see silver-gilt and silver, and you
:11:08. > :11:13.know they will have a bad week. They look similar in the bad light.
:11:13. > :11:17.I don't think I could do that, I would find it all too tense and too
:11:17. > :11:22.ahhh. We had plenty of golds this year, lots of happy people. More
:11:22. > :11:28.happiness than otherwise. You have been talking about things that I
:11:28. > :11:32.just don't understand! I want them to listen in, go on what were you
:11:32. > :11:42.talking about? We were talking about digital capabilities, the
:11:42. > :11:45.
:11:45. > :11:54.garden, the Hafley brothers. You can hashtag snap on Twitter. But
:11:54. > :11:57.the brothers were telling us that they have such a spike in #snap,
:11:57. > :12:03.Twitter thought their account had been hacked and closed it down.
:12:03. > :12:07.That's how many people wanted to sow their garden. It went out on to
:12:07. > :12:12.TV and everyone hashtaging, and wanting to get a look at it day and
:12:12. > :12:15.night and it went out. Are you with us. If you did anything when I was
:12:15. > :12:25.younger involving hash you were looked up! I would like to say that
:12:25. > :12:26.
:12:26. > :12:30.the Jam Garden Design, it's called Birdcolumny, they are change of
:12:30. > :12:35.career girls, and they have got an award for this garden. It is great
:12:35. > :12:39.when people realise in their 30s and 40s that what they want to do
:12:39. > :12:44.is horticultural design and they change careers, it is very brave.
:12:44. > :12:48.When I was at design college there was a lot of career-changers then.
:12:48. > :12:53.It is a brave thing to do, you are in a comfortable job and you think
:12:53. > :12:57.I want to do this as a job and work with plants. Good luck to them.
:12:57. > :13:03.is what the actress Stephaine Cole calls "following your bliss", that
:13:03. > :13:06.is a really good line. Something inside you, and gardening is a very
:13:06. > :13:10.visceral thing. They are encouraging people to get involved
:13:10. > :13:15.in health authority culture, we need more people involved. It is
:13:15. > :13:20.the most wonderful thing to do, we don't always get we had and have to
:13:20. > :13:25.weeding for the rest of our lives. It is stimulating. On medals days
:13:25. > :13:31.it is not just about the gardening, the nurseries also received their
:13:32. > :13:35.fair share of golds. Carol Klein was in her element as she took to
:13:35. > :13:40.the most famous marquee in the world to see who struck gold.
:13:40. > :13:47.must mean a gold again, congratulations. How many is that?
:13:47. > :13:57.Jo 27! That's not a bad number is it. Your stand looks absolutely
:13:57. > :14:00.
:14:00. > :14:05.fantastic, you couldn't have got anything else. Cheers and well done.
:14:05. > :14:12.This knockout display of early bulbs is one of 62 gold medal
:14:12. > :14:17.winners in the Great Pavilion this year. Let's go and take a look.
:14:17. > :14:23.They have won gold here, no wonder. It is just an equisite stand packed
:14:23. > :14:27.full of treasures, but what makes a gold. It is not just a question of
:14:27. > :14:32.subjecttivity and what you like. Points are awarded for plants,
:14:32. > :14:37.overall impression and endeavour. You know, all that creativity, use
:14:37. > :14:44.of props, all those factors. And they all have to be perfect to win
:14:44. > :14:50.a gold. I would everything on this stand, but this plant tipifies it
:14:50. > :14:56.all, this is maianthemum, never exhibited before, utter perfection,
:14:56. > :15:06.the whole thing is to die for. If Crug Farm plants were all about
:15:06. > :15:07.
:15:07. > :15:11.green and trop pally, then Mil -- Millais nursery is all about colour.
:15:11. > :15:16.They satisfy every criteria, and the plants are equisite, they are
:15:16. > :15:25.all at the peak of their performance. You examine any
:15:25. > :15:30.individual flower, it is impeccable, it is skwhrus wonderful. -- just
:15:30. > :15:34.wonderful. Over the last 100 years Kelways
:15:34. > :15:37.have won loads of gold medals, sadly, not this year. How do you
:15:38. > :15:42.feel? We're really disappointed, we had put a huge amount of effort
:15:42. > :15:46.into the stand. With us our judging is always affected by the flowers,
:15:46. > :15:51.if they are open at the time of judging, if the sun is in or it is
:15:51. > :15:56.cold they won't open it can lose us a grade or two grades of medals
:15:56. > :16:03.sometimes. Two of the most difficult to deal with Iris and
:16:03. > :16:07.peen knees, I think it is -- peonias, I think they are brillent.
:16:07. > :16:13.The picture is beautiful and the story intriguing, this stand ticks
:16:13. > :16:17.all the boxes you need for a Chelsea gold. It is not just about
:16:17. > :16:27.ticking boxes, to win the coveted medal you have to have the certain
:16:27. > :16:34.
:16:34. > :16:38.je ne sais quoi. 62 golds were won in the Great Pavilion, only one
:16:38. > :16:44.went on to win the Diamond Jubilee Award. It is the equivalent to Best
:16:44. > :16:54.in Show out in the garden. It was presented by the President of the
:16:54. > :17:02.
:17:02. > :17:05.RHS to Peter Warmenhoven for the incredible amaryllis and alliums.
:17:05. > :17:09.They have created a stand of beautiful artistry, something the
:17:09. > :17:16.judges look for, as is the quality of plant material. What clifpl
:17:16. > :17:20.clinchs it for the Dutchman is the wow factor.
:17:20. > :17:26.The design of the stand is based on a film set. This silver structure
:17:26. > :17:30.behind me is what the TV people call a lighting gantry. Where there
:17:30. > :17:34.should be lights, amaryllis hang. That is a brave move, they are
:17:34. > :17:38.normally house plant bulbs that look up at you. But here you look
:17:38. > :17:42.up at them. It is the perfect way to compare all the different
:17:42. > :17:46.varieties, of which there are new ones coming out every year. The
:17:46. > :17:54.days when amaryllis were white or pillar box red are long gone. There
:17:54. > :18:03.are so many types, you have bi- chloroforms like Apple Blossom, cut
:18:03. > :18:07.petal types, Tango. Even doubles like white and green Nymph. Each
:18:07. > :18:17.one kept hide demonstrated with a top-up of water down the stem every
:18:17. > :18:20.
:18:20. > :18:25.night after the visitors have gone home. These are particularly
:18:25. > :18:30.wonderful, they are displayed in boxing, which is away from the
:18:30. > :18:34.normal method in circular tubs. I love this layer cake effect of one
:18:34. > :18:39.flower on others. That is not natural. They grow in sun-soaked
:18:39. > :18:43.borders on drifts. Still, the explosion of petals and the natural
:18:43. > :18:49.beauty just shines through. The effect is one of effortless
:18:49. > :18:53.perfection. But the work that goes into getting all yum species that
:18:53. > :18:57.flour in different times in the summer all at once is just
:18:57. > :19:01.incredible. That, combined with the innovative design and sheer plant
:19:01. > :19:09.perfection is the reason why the Diamond Jubilee Award is so richly
:19:09. > :19:15.deserved. They were astonishing, to mark
:19:15. > :19:18.Chelsea's 100th anniversary, the RHS have shortlisted ten plants to
:19:18. > :19:21.celebrate the ten decade of the show. Each of the plants has been
:19:21. > :19:26.awarded the status of Plant of the Decade. All week we have asked you
:19:26. > :19:30.to vote for the plant you think epitomises the Chelsea centinary.
:19:30. > :19:33.The vote has now closed but we enlisted ten amateur gardeners to
:19:33. > :19:37.champion each plant. All of the gardens were born in the same
:19:37. > :19:44.decade his or her plant is representing. Here they are to
:19:44. > :19:52.remind you. Hello. Today I have come down to represent a plant
:19:52. > :19:55.called a saxifraga, it is called Tumbling Waters, it is one of the
:19:55. > :20:05.hardest plants ever. They can just sit there, no great work attached
:20:05. > :20:09.to that, is there. Give me a winning smile, that would be good.
:20:09. > :20:17.Pierisformosa, it ages gracefully, even if you have it for 20 years it
:20:17. > :20:21.will be worth looking at. One more big smile, please! The Russell
:20:21. > :20:25.lupinus are loved by bees, plant them in your garden, they will
:20:25. > :20:30.create a spectacular rainbow of beautiful colours. A really good-
:20:30. > :20:40.value plant for your border. Straight down the lens. That bit!
:20:40. > :20:43.
:20:43. > :20:47.Just give me a big smile, thanks. I'm representing This rhoddodendron,
:20:47. > :20:52.you don't have to deadhead it or anything, it is great for a small
:20:52. > :20:57.garden. I have seen you do a bigger smile than that. I like the iceberg
:20:57. > :21:01.rose, it has memories of my dad. In fact I have the rose iceberg as a
:21:01. > :21:11.standard in the middle of a bed, it is a lovely feature because it
:21:11. > :21:15.
:21:15. > :21:20.flowers so pro-fusely in the summer. Cornus Eddie's White Bonder, they
:21:20. > :21:30.come out in spring and the petals smother the plant. The most
:21:30. > :21:32.
:21:32. > :21:38.fantastic plant to have in your borders. The erysimumis a fantastic
:21:38. > :21:45.plant, I grew it lasty, even when everything else was devastated by
:21:45. > :21:50.slugs and snails it kept going. A fantastic plant to grow.
:21:50. > :21:54.The heuchera Palace Purple is well suited because it is great all year
:21:54. > :22:02.round. It has a tropical feel to it, if you like that it will suit your
:22:02. > :22:08.garden. I'm representing geranium Rozanne,
:22:08. > :22:18.it is low maintenance and attracts many insects, including the hoover
:22:18. > :22:18.
:22:18. > :22:26.fly and the delicate butterfly. I like the strept strept, because
:22:26. > :22:33.it has streptocarcus, because it has lovely colours and it is an
:22:33. > :22:38.Was it a surprise? It wasn't really a surprise, the results were spread
:22:38. > :22:46.evenly over each decade. The runner-up just by a whisker was the
:22:46. > :22:52.lupin, but the winner was geranium rozanne, a great garden plant.
:22:52. > :23:02.Which decade? From the year 2000. good flowering plant? It just keeps
:23:02. > :23:07.giving. I was a bit sad that erysimumdidn't make it? It was
:23:07. > :23:11.difficult to choose, because the ten plants that made the final were
:23:11. > :23:16.great. Do you think people vote for their decades? I think it is more
:23:16. > :23:21.likely to be a recent decade. Saying that all the plants are so
:23:21. > :23:26.popular. At the gardens all ten finalists are growing in the garden.
:23:26. > :23:35.It is a good garden plant rather than something a bit iffy, they are
:23:35. > :23:38.all good doers. And reloibl. Reliable. Adrian tipped that and
:23:38. > :23:46.thought it had a Khan. He was on the show the other day, I don't
:23:46. > :23:54.know if we swayed it by saying vote for it. It was so close, the lupin
:23:54. > :23:59.must had -- have had a fan club there as well. Chelsea isn't just
:24:00. > :24:07.home to award-winning plants, after the Second World War the Great
:24:07. > :24:12.Pavilion became home to a stunning cut flower exhibit, from the woman
:24:12. > :24:19.dubbed the Queen of floristry, Constance Spry. They are Chelsea
:24:19. > :24:25.displays were legendary. During the early 60s Florence Vicky Smith was
:24:25. > :24:29.a student of the Constance Spry school of floristry. For someone
:24:29. > :24:34.who can't be aware of who Constance Spry, what influence did she have
:24:34. > :24:38.on floristry? She suddenly made the world aware of what magnificent
:24:38. > :24:41.things flowers were to bring into our home and enhance your home.
:24:41. > :24:46.Look what you can make out of things out of the hedgerows, as
:24:46. > :24:49.well as out of your garden. You know, these are wonderful live
:24:49. > :24:54.things, so when people come into your homes there is a welcome, come
:24:55. > :25:00.in, have a look at what's there. What did it mean to you to be
:25:00. > :25:04.trained by her? Everything. All I wanted to do was to learn how to
:25:04. > :25:10.arrange flowers beautifully and get the very, very best out of them. Do
:25:10. > :25:15.bonderful weddings, balls. sounds so glamorous. What year are
:25:15. > :25:19.we talking? 1960. You don't mind me asking that question do you?
:25:19. > :25:25.Talking about these marvellous displays that you created, for your
:25:25. > :25:31.career were there any highlights? Lots. Things like bouquets for
:25:31. > :25:34.Princess Diana, she liked creams, yellows, greens, softly, sweetly
:25:34. > :25:40.smelling flowers. For Princess Diana. Yes. Weren't you involved
:25:40. > :25:44.with another royal wedding. helped do Princess Margaret's
:25:44. > :25:49.wedding flowers, which was a fantastic thing to do as a student.
:25:49. > :25:53.I remember making loads of garllands of flowers, we worked in
:25:53. > :25:56.Churchill's underground offices, they paid us 10 shillings a day.
:25:56. > :26:00.Bringing it up to the present day, beautiful exhibits, so much time
:26:00. > :26:06.and effort has gone into it. What advice would you give to somebody
:26:06. > :26:11.who wants to get into floristry today, either as a career or as a
:26:11. > :26:17.passionate hobby? Always build your house on a firm foundation. Secure
:26:17. > :26:21.base to it, good quality things to use. Cut your fresh flowers from
:26:21. > :26:25.the garden early in the morning, clean their stems put them into
:26:25. > :26:30.clean water. If you can possibly soak them for 24 hours before you
:26:30. > :26:35.arrange them, please do. Always make your colours flow, just as
:26:35. > :26:40.they do nowadays. Look here at this magnificent stand, that's what we
:26:40. > :26:45.were always taught. There are different textures all the way, and
:26:45. > :26:53.that's what gives awe wonderful display. Vicky, splendid advice,
:26:53. > :26:58.thank you very much indeed. What a wonderful lady. Well the
:26:58. > :27:05.floral art of arranging one's petals has evolved a great deal in
:27:05. > :27:11.the last century. There is nowt wrong following the old ways. Nicky
:27:11. > :27:15.was treated to a history lesson in flower arranging, and taught how to
:27:15. > :27:20.achieve the 1950s Japanese flavour. Explain this? We have the Japanese
:27:20. > :27:27.art of arranging flowers, it has been around since the 15th century.
:27:27. > :27:35.Over 500 years. Buddhists were using it as a way of offering
:27:35. > :27:39.flowers to the goods. You need to be a master of icibana. I'm not a
:27:40. > :27:46.master, it is taught at many schools but we are going to do our
:27:46. > :27:52.version. It goes back to the 16th century, what is the principle?
:27:52. > :27:56.have our container, in there is what we call a kenzan, that is the
:27:56. > :28:03.metal pin block that the flowers are secured in to. That is dropped
:28:03. > :28:07.in, I have already prepared your container there. I'm doing a
:28:07. > :28:11.ricker-style design, which means upright. All the standing flowers
:28:11. > :28:15.are put together. We have a bit of a problem here because it is meant
:28:15. > :28:21.to be done in total silence in way of respect of the materials. Let's
:28:21. > :28:28.crack on and I won't talk much, how about that! What will I do?
:28:28. > :28:31.going to do my one and then once I have done mine you can have a go.
:28:31. > :28:34.don't want to run out of time, you know what they are like in the
:28:35. > :28:38.evening, Alan will be taking the mickey out of me and Joe Swift will
:28:39. > :28:43.take the Mickey out of me? Each year, you have got better as years
:28:43. > :28:47.have gone on. Can I start on mine, long or short? Leave that one long.
:28:47. > :28:51.It is something that we can all practice at home? Can you practice
:28:51. > :28:57.it at home. It takes many years to complete the technique. Don't say
:28:58. > :29:04.that, I have only just started. My design, there needs to be harmony
:29:04. > :29:07.between the flowers, these two stroliciers are looking at each
:29:07. > :29:15.other. Should mine look away at each other or together? What we
:29:15. > :29:20.will do is call yours a moribana design. Known to the modern school
:29:20. > :29:24.of icibana a bit more as freestyle. As you are new to the technique you
:29:24. > :29:28.can do that. I love my flower arranging. I can't say I have
:29:28. > :29:33.improved over the years. You are very patient with me. Look at that,
:29:33. > :29:43.what are you using, talk us through? Which have birds of
:29:43. > :29:45.
:29:45. > :29:51.paradise, or strellicia. I'm using spirea as foilage. You have tulips
:29:51. > :29:55.and legustro, or known as privt, most people have a privt hedge.
:29:55. > :29:59.nearly done, I will have to call Andy in and see what he thinks.
:29:59. > :30:04.Denis you are the master at this, if you are not a master you are, in
:30:04. > :30:09.my eyes. Andy, what do you think? If this TV thing doesn't work out I
:30:09. > :30:15.reckon you have a job. There you go. That is amazing, you have done so
:30:15. > :30:25.well! Now we're often given weird and wonderful floral arrangements
:30:25. > :30:31.here at Chelsea, but never a hamper of knitted veg, Veg Out knit-a-long
:30:31. > :30:35.workshop teaches people how to knit garden products at Battersea Power
:30:35. > :30:44.Station Garden Centre. There is a catterpillar on there! What have we
:30:44. > :30:49.got in there. I think that's meant to be that. Squash! We have a leek.
:30:49. > :30:54.What's that? That is a globe artichoke. I'm a bit worried about
:30:54. > :30:59.that. Which way up do they go. will keep it this way, because if I
:30:59. > :31:03.put it the other way we will get letters. The beetroot is wonderful,
:31:04. > :31:10.carrots, courgette. Knitting is so trendy, didn't you know that Alan.
:31:10. > :31:19.If you would rather knit vegtables than grow them, then head along to
:31:19. > :31:24.Battersea Power Station! Keep the real one out. Keep the real ones
:31:24. > :31:29.out! The workshop is part of the Chelsea Fringe! With events going
:31:29. > :31:33.on across London until the 9th of June, to find out more go to the
:31:33. > :31:39.website. The whole Chelsea Fringe out there we don't know about. We
:31:39. > :31:43.have been stuck in here all week. There is still plenty to come on
:31:43. > :31:50.tonight's bumper-sized Chelsea Flower Show, an event supported by
:31:50. > :31:55.M&G Investments. Coming up: Scandinavian surprise, comedienne
:31:55. > :32:01.Sandi Toksvig tours Chelsea for inspiration. I identify with this
:32:01. > :32:06.tree, we are in our mid-50s and round and both Bonn sighed many
:32:06. > :32:10.years ago. We reveal which of the large show gardens you love the
:32:10. > :32:20.most. The Chelsea plant of the centinary is, I'm making you wait
:32:20. > :32:21.
:32:21. > :32:26.for it now. The big Chelsea sell- off begins as the Belmarshs the end
:32:26. > :32:32.of the 100th show. For the last 99 years gnomes have been barred here
:32:32. > :32:35.at Chelsea. The RHS deemed them far too tacky for the show. This year,
:32:35. > :32:41.just for the centinary they were allowed in, what a time they have
:32:41. > :32:47.had. I think this could end up being a case of "can open worms
:32:47. > :32:50.everywhere" next year. Now they have had a taste of the
:32:50. > :32:54.Chelsea high life, they will want to come back. They have been
:32:54. > :32:58.raising money for a good cause, famous people have been painting
:32:58. > :33:04.gnomes for a charity aiming to get gardening into goals. You have been
:33:04. > :33:09.bidding for them on a well known auction site all week. Leading is
:33:09. > :33:14.who, Elton John, how much now? �2,000. Laurence Llewelyn Bowen did
:33:14. > :33:22.a bigger one than most, he painted this landscape that is glorious.
:33:22. > :33:27.His is going for over �1,000 now. Still time to bid for all the other
:33:27. > :33:32.little gnomes, those us lesser mortals, I don't know if Jones has
:33:32. > :33:37.made it on there, it is dressed in the Arsenal strip, you can see why.
:33:37. > :33:42.The auction for the gnomes end in the next few hours, you need to get
:33:42. > :33:45.bidding if you want to own a famous gnome. Love them or hate them
:33:45. > :33:50.gnomes have been around for more than a century, all thanks to man
:33:50. > :33:55.who fell in love with them and brought them back to our shores. We
:33:55. > :34:00.sent John Sergeant to delve deeper into the legendly garden fellows,
:34:00. > :34:03.his journey took him to Lamport Hall in Lancashire.
:34:03. > :34:10.Gnomes are very special, they are not just placed in a garden, they
:34:10. > :34:15.have to live in a garden. We think of them as
:34:15. > :34:24.quintessentially British but this little fellow is about as British
:34:24. > :34:30.as brat wurst. His name is Lampey, and he was one of the first gnomes
:34:30. > :34:32.to our shores. The Victorians were taken by fantasy and folly, and
:34:32. > :34:40.Lampey and other friends from Germany proved to be just the
:34:40. > :34:45.ticket. It is here at Lamport Hall in Northamptonshire where Lampey
:34:45. > :34:53.and his brothers settled. Thanks to the eccentric obsession of its
:34:53. > :34:59.owner, Sir Charles Isham. He was an interesting man, a non-smoking
:34:59. > :35:06.vegetarian teetotaler, and most importantly a passionate gardener,
:35:06. > :35:11.a particular fondness for this piece of architecture, his beloved
:35:11. > :35:17.rockry. In true Victorian spirit he created his own folly. Complete
:35:17. > :35:23.with dwarf confers and tiny plants. He called it an assemblage of small
:35:23. > :35:27.caves, crevices, excavations and inequalities, carpeted and
:35:27. > :35:31.encrusted with vegetation suited to the purpose. It was built right up
:35:31. > :35:35.against the house so he could see it from his bedroom window. The
:35:35. > :35:39.rockry made gnomeless until one summer during the holiday in
:35:39. > :35:44.Germany Sir Charles alighted on a little band of tailsman. They were
:35:44. > :35:49.lucky charms, taken into the local mines to protect their owners from
:35:49. > :35:55.harm. For Sir Charles it was love at first sight. He wasted no time
:35:55. > :36:03.in populateing his rockery with these magical little men. Men that
:36:03. > :36:08.apparently he really believed came alive after sunset. He was
:36:08. > :36:17.determined that his gnomes would have their shaing la, bridges,
:36:17. > :36:22.water -- shangrila, bridges, waterfalls, everything, he
:36:22. > :36:26.expressed his belief about them in his book Notes on scam gnomes. Had
:36:26. > :36:31.they been magical they would never be admitted to the rockry. But he
:36:31. > :36:36.says there is an amount of evidence they have not only been frequent
:36:36. > :36:40.heard, but occasionally seen about certain mines and in the cottages
:36:40. > :36:44.of miners. The lamb port gnomes became celebrities when the rockry
:36:44. > :36:49.opened to the public in 1877, before long they were even featured
:36:49. > :36:53.in Country Life Magazine. Fairies and gnomes entered the mainstream
:36:53. > :36:58.of the 19th century romantic movement. By the turn of the
:36:58. > :37:05.century colonies of gnomes were settling in follies and grottos
:37:05. > :37:09.across the country. Since those heady days of Victorian celebrity,
:37:09. > :37:14.gnomes have come down to earth, beautiful refined ceramics have
:37:14. > :37:18.been transformed by plastic surgery. All too often now cartoon
:37:18. > :37:27.characters have taken the place of those cheerful, dignified gnomes of
:37:27. > :37:32.old. Even the fame of Sir Charles's own colony was short lived. On his
:37:32. > :37:38.death in 1903 his two daughters are said to have shot the whole platoon
:37:38. > :37:44.with air rifles. The only gnome survivor was Lampey, who fell into
:37:44. > :37:49.a crevice where he lay undiscovered for many years. He was dusted down,
:37:49. > :37:53.restored and treated with the respect he deserved. All he wants
:37:53. > :37:57.now is to go to the Chelsea Flower Show, and if you think he's just a
:37:57. > :38:07.nobody, be careful. This little known gnome is worth more than a
:38:07. > :38:11.million pound! -- pounds! So we have Lampey to thank for all this
:38:11. > :38:15.commotion, on Friday he joined us here at Chelsea after getting a
:38:15. > :38:19.special invitation from the RHS. I notice he did actually have his
:38:19. > :38:23.very own invitation? He did, it arrived two weeks ago, he was
:38:23. > :38:31.delighted to come. He has won awards of his own, bless him?
:38:31. > :38:35.has, in 1993 he won his very own Blue Peter badge and I brought it
:38:35. > :38:42.along today. I'm not touching him, he's far too precious.
:38:42. > :38:47.Are you a gnome fan? Gnome. I don't mind the history, but I find them,
:38:47. > :38:51.I think it is a kid thing, I find them a little bit scary, frankly. A
:38:51. > :38:55.bit creepy. I know you have one by the pond with the fishing rod.
:38:55. > :39:03.have not. That was me sitting there that day, I had a red hat on! I
:39:03. > :39:07.tell you what I really find a bit scary is that enormous dinosaur
:39:07. > :39:14.thing with the naked woman on its back, would you want that in your
:39:14. > :39:18.garden? I'm not sure I have seen it. It is so high up in the air you may
:39:18. > :39:22.not have noticed it. One of the best thing about Chelsea is running
:39:22. > :39:25.around the Great Pavilion and the gardens to get planting inspiration,
:39:25. > :39:35.this year the Aquilegia seems to be one of the stars. Chris Beardshaw
:39:35. > :39:37.
:39:37. > :39:47.went to find out why we should all love a granny's bonnet.
:39:47. > :39:56.One of the most commonly grown forms is this, Aquilegia, alpina,
:39:56. > :40:02.it originates from the apples, the mountainous regions of France.
:40:02. > :40:06.Columbine is referred to here, that is the dove, here are the head of
:40:06. > :40:13.five doves, the wings outsplayed and drinking from the same fountain.
:40:13. > :40:17.This is one of a number of garden worthy plants, such as Aquilegia,
:40:17. > :40:21.the Yellow Queen, from Mexico, what is unusual is the spur on the back
:40:21. > :40:25.of the flower, the fact it turns slightly, it is more optimistic.
:40:25. > :40:29.They can be peppered like little explosions, fire crackers,
:40:29. > :40:36.throughout a border, enlivening them and bringing a sense of
:40:36. > :40:40.animation, fun and informality. One of the peculiar things about
:40:40. > :40:44.Aquilegia is if you introduce them into the garden you can be sure
:40:44. > :40:47.they will cross and become hybrids, they are gre gairous and
:40:47. > :40:53.promiscuous, which means if you have one you will find huge
:40:53. > :40:57.variation in colours, textures and forms throughout your garden. But
:40:57. > :41:06.occasionally a form arises that is relatively stable. That is typical
:41:06. > :41:12.of the Barlow series, here with its petticoat, Pomazans and spur --
:41:12. > :41:17.pom-poms and spurless bloom. The name comes from Charles Darwin's
:41:17. > :41:21.granddaughter, a resolute and fiercesome woman. This plant
:41:21. > :41:28.remains its essential double-nodded head characteristics, despite the
:41:28. > :41:32.fact it will cross and seed throughout the garden. Aquilegia
:41:32. > :41:35.have assisted in our gardens for over 400 years, partially because
:41:35. > :41:40.of their promiscuity, but also because they produce huge
:41:40. > :41:44.quantities of seed that blow into every crack and crevice where they
:41:44. > :41:49.are able to grow. They are also fatastically amiable. Any area
:41:49. > :41:55.where there is a reasonable amount of moisture in the soil, be it rich
:41:55. > :41:59.on infertile. But here they are demonstrated wonderfully well. With
:41:59. > :42:04.Iris sabirica and the wetland grass, they are also members of the
:42:04. > :42:10.buttercup family, which means they contain toxins which deter slugs,
:42:10. > :42:15.snails, rabbits and deer from grazing on them. One thing
:42:15. > :42:19.guarantee is once you introduce them you will never be without them.
:42:19. > :42:22.Oh my darling Columbine, one of the joys of gardens is sharing your
:42:22. > :42:26.passion with others. We are a diverse lot, whether you prefer
:42:26. > :42:34.your garden neat and tidy or wild and wonderful, they are much-loved
:42:34. > :42:40.sanctuaries for us all. Comedienne and writer and presenter Sandi
:42:40. > :42:50.Toksvig let us tag along her journey around the show. The sun
:42:50. > :42:51.
:42:51. > :42:54.came out and she had a ball. I'm so happy because I'm at Chelsea. I'm
:42:54. > :42:58.not entirely sure he's appropriately dressed. I need two
:42:58. > :43:03.things, not to put my hand on his bottom, secondly, to find plants,
:43:03. > :43:10.there is a third thing, I need to find somebody whose dress style is
:43:10. > :43:13.a bit more my type of gardening. So basically it is right on the
:43:13. > :43:19.beach, but we have got these white fences, so I want something to grow
:43:19. > :43:25.up tall against that. Something that will contrast. Leaf vein dear,
:43:25. > :43:29.but something a bit -- lavender, something a bit taller. This comes
:43:29. > :43:32.from the west coast of America, it is hardy and will take everything
:43:33. > :43:37.in. The black stems against the white fence will look fantastic.
:43:37. > :43:43.And the white flowers. That is me sorted out with the tall stuff, now
:43:43. > :43:48.for something fragrant. I really identify with this tree,
:43:48. > :43:55.we are both a little bit round, in our mid-50s and both bonzaied a
:43:55. > :43:59.really long time ago! Ahhh, the sun on my face, the sound of water,
:43:59. > :44:04.happy people in the background and this, I love this. This is a living
:44:04. > :44:07.wall. Now I never thought you should do anything with a wine
:44:07. > :44:11.cooler other than put wine in it, that isn't even the best bit, I
:44:12. > :44:17.love these. I really want to encourage the wildlife, little tiny
:44:17. > :44:20.bugs and things into the garden, these holes are for solitary bees.
:44:20. > :44:25.There is one bit of the garden I haven't understood, this is a
:44:25. > :44:29.modern hide where you can look at birds, and here is the window where
:44:29. > :44:36.you are supposed to look out and see the birds. I think I haven't
:44:36. > :44:46.maybe understood how that works! That smells fantastic, what is that
:44:46. > :44:47.
:44:47. > :44:52.one called? That is called Leah Tutu, a modern schrub rose. It is
:44:52. > :45:02.not good for bees. I have this lovely rambler up here, the insects
:45:02. > :45:04.
:45:04. > :45:09.and the bees will be attracted to the plant. Thanks a lot.
:45:09. > :45:13.# Here comes the sun I have had the most brilliant day
:45:13. > :45:16.at Chelsea, I have found all the plants I need for my garden and I'm
:45:17. > :45:20.so excited about getting started. I found inspiration, I hope it will
:45:20. > :45:24.turn out something like this. It looks classy, it is full of
:45:24. > :45:27.glorious plants, it has great places for bugs to live. Having
:45:28. > :45:32.said, there is one thing I didn't find, I started out with a naked
:45:33. > :45:39.statue, I still haven't quite found the role model I'm looking for, for
:45:39. > :45:43.how I ought to dress in the garden. You can't expect Chelsea is a to
:45:43. > :45:46.provide everything, can you! I'm not sure rubbing a statue's
:45:46. > :45:51.rear is appropriate at Chelsea, I don't know what the show is coming
:45:51. > :45:56.to. I thought it was part of the Chelsea Fringe rather than the RHS
:45:56. > :46:00.Chelsea. It is rock bottom as far as I'm concerned, "rock bottom"!
:46:00. > :46:04.Never mind. The showground was awash with cull
:46:04. > :46:09.sculpture this year, Marc Quinn's special low- commissioned centinary
:46:09. > :46:13.orchid was unveiled to the crowds, after the show it will be auctioned
:46:13. > :46:17.off to raise money to get young people more interested in garden.
:46:17. > :46:25.On Thursday Mr Swift went to take a look at the garden statements
:46:25. > :46:30.everyone was talking about. Sculpture has been used in the
:46:30. > :46:33.garden for many years, adding a narrative, definition and visual
:46:33. > :46:39.focal point too. Here at Chelsea there is so much inspiration, you
:46:40. > :46:45.can see ideas of how you can use sculpture in your own garden. This
:46:45. > :46:50.is Ulf Nordjfell's garden, a beautiful bronze, the master of
:46:50. > :46:55.music and song in Greek mythology, it was made by Carl Mills. What I
:46:55. > :46:59.like about it is the way it has the backdrop of a horn beam head. Don't
:46:59. > :47:09.just fill in loads of plants and make it messy, make it sing out.
:47:09. > :47:10.
:47:10. > :47:14.This is a classical sculpture in a classical garden.
:47:14. > :47:19.Chris Beardshaw has used three figurive sculptures in his garden,
:47:19. > :47:24.they all tell the story of living with arthritis. Two by a sculpture
:47:24. > :47:28.called Anna Gillespie, one is absolutely absorbing, it is called
:47:28. > :47:32.To The Limit. It has a great energy about it. It feels as if the wind
:47:33. > :47:37.is blowing right across it. It is in weathered bronze and can be seen
:47:37. > :47:43.right from the front of the garden, it uses the long path beautifully.
:47:43. > :47:49.The siting of this piece at the end, with the yew backdrop at the end is
:47:49. > :47:54.perfect. Her other piece is on the other side of the yew head, ajais
:47:54. > :48:00.sant to the glass room. It is made of bronze but studded with wooded
:48:00. > :48:07.ache corns which creates a an amazing texture. What I like is it
:48:07. > :48:11.has no plants at all, it feels like a sculpture in an art gallery. The
:48:11. > :48:17.third sculpture in this garden is this wire-worked piece, it was
:48:17. > :48:22.commissioned specifically for the garden, it is called Libertine, it
:48:22. > :48:26.reflects the freedom of the pain. I love the way it comes out of the
:48:26. > :48:31.garden with these plants straddling it either side. You might think I
:48:31. > :48:37.can do that, buying wire measure and chicken wire to have a go
:48:37. > :48:44.yourself. If you want to take it on do an easier shape than that figure,
:48:44. > :48:50.just for your first attempt! Of course sculpture in the garden
:48:50. > :48:54.doesn't have to be cullpure at all, it can be something that looks
:48:55. > :48:59.sculptural and sits among the planting, it can be homemade or
:48:59. > :49:04.made from recycled materials, whatever. The designer here has
:49:04. > :49:07.created a lovely beehive out of recycled material, a rusty old
:49:07. > :49:14.wheel with bits of bamboo and different types of timber with
:49:14. > :49:16.holes in it to create a habitat for the solitary bee. It is not only a
:49:16. > :49:22.lovely sculptural forming for the wildlife, it is great for plants
:49:22. > :49:28.too. Every year the RHS judges
:49:28. > :49:32.deliberate, pro-casate and fine -- procrastinate and finally decide
:49:32. > :49:37.the medals, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder, you at home
:49:37. > :49:40.may not always agree. That is where the RHS People's Choice Award comes
:49:40. > :49:44.in. You have a chance to decide which gardens you think are the
:49:44. > :49:48.best. All week you have been voting for your favourite gardens. I can
:49:48. > :49:54.now announce that you, the people, have made your decision. This is
:49:54. > :49:59.the dramatic pause, the overall winner of Best Show garden was
:49:59. > :50:04.Chris Beardshaw with his Arthritis Research UK garden. Chris has gone
:50:04. > :50:14.home for a well-earned rest, as you can imagine he's absolutely
:50:14. > :50:17.
:50:17. > :50:21.delighted. Keith Chapman accepted it on his behalf. Congratulations.
:50:21. > :50:25.Would you believe Chris was earthing up his potatoes at home
:50:26. > :50:31.when he found out. He has left his garden for weeks, he has been here
:50:31. > :50:37.for a month. True gardener, he said he was chuffed because the planting
:50:37. > :50:43.had been noticed, and it was about arthritis Research, a cause dear to
:50:43. > :50:47.his heart. People kept asking me what the echiums were, that is what
:50:47. > :50:50.did it. There was the figurive sculpture as well. It was a lovely
:50:50. > :50:52.garden to be in, I like gardens like that. Chris will talk to me
:50:52. > :50:56.about that garden later in the programme. Just after that award
:50:56. > :51:03.was made the RHS announced the winner of your favourite small
:51:03. > :51:12.garden, that went to, starts to burst with pride, the Welcome to
:51:12. > :51:18.Yorkshire Artisan garden, called Le Jardin de Yorkshire. Thank you very
:51:18. > :51:24.much, congratulations. The designer of the people's choice for small
:51:24. > :51:29.gardens, Alastair Baldwin joins us now. There is your trophy, many
:51:29. > :51:32.congratulations, chuffed? Over the moon, delighted to be here, but
:51:32. > :51:36.representing the people of Yorkshire and it has been a great
:51:36. > :51:39.honour. There is a lovely dry stone wall, I don't know if you are a
:51:39. > :51:43.fan? All the small garden, particularly the artisans, there is
:51:43. > :51:50.a lot of stone work there, yours is exceptional. You like it because it
:51:50. > :51:56.is close to your heart. My home down Ilkley was engraved there. The
:51:56. > :52:01.tour degrans is kicking off there? Its off in Leeds, and does stage
:52:01. > :52:05.one on the way to Harrogate. Stage two leaves in York and finshes in
:52:05. > :52:10.Sheffield. Very exciting. I love the fact that Tour de France is in
:52:10. > :52:15.Yorkshire! We talked about the garden which is beautiful. I loved
:52:15. > :52:20.the lady slipper orchid, a very rare flower? Very rare and grows in
:52:20. > :52:23.North Yorkshire. There is a fantastic conservation programme in
:52:23. > :52:27.the park to preserve it. They are working hard to preserve it. We
:52:27. > :52:31.were lucky to have it in the garden and promote their work, it isth has
:52:31. > :52:34.been the star of the show. Is it good for Yorkshire to have a
:52:34. > :52:38.presence at the Chelsea Flower Show, does it matter? It does, it
:52:38. > :52:42.promotes what a great region it is, but also there is something about
:52:42. > :52:45.bringing a piece of Yorkshire down to London. We have had so many
:52:45. > :52:49.visitors from Yorkshire to have a smile and a chat. A little bit of
:52:49. > :52:54.home on the show? A little bit of home on the show. Including me.
:52:54. > :52:59.Last year it was the sunken garden that scooped the people's choice
:52:59. > :53:02.garden award, but Diarmuid Gavin also won a special award for Best
:53:02. > :53:07.Creative Show Garden, with the pyramid of pensioners. This year he
:53:07. > :53:13.was absent as a designer, but he couldn't resist dropping by to tell
:53:13. > :53:18.us why for him Chelsea is a very special event. In 1995 I was
:53:18. > :53:23.homeless, based in Dublin and I had an improbable dream, I wanted to
:53:23. > :53:29.come to the Chelsea Flower Show to create a garden. I arrived with a
:53:29. > :53:33.friend, �300 in our pockets, we went and bought a cheel barrow, two
:53:34. > :53:36.shovels and two spades, and we walked them down Sloane Square, and
:53:36. > :53:46.Royal Hospital Road and in through the gates of the Chelsea Flower
:53:46. > :53:51.
:53:51. > :53:58.Show and parked it over there, and On this spot we started digging and
:53:58. > :54:01.created our vision of paradise it was called To The Waters And The
:54:01. > :54:06.Wild. We still have the waters and the wild for this Best in Show
:54:06. > :54:11.garden. This spot in Chelsea is where I come back to, I like to see
:54:11. > :54:17.what is happening in my place. In the last couple of years we
:54:17. > :54:25.created the Irish Sky Garden, the one that flew up. And also the
:54:25. > :54:29.multilevel garden. Sometimes you come to Chelsea that is all about
:54:29. > :54:33.your own indelg begins, you want to create the biggest and the best --
:54:33. > :54:35.indulgence and you want to create the biggest and the best and
:54:36. > :54:39.whatever. I wasn't worried about gold, I suppose I wanted to change
:54:39. > :54:44.the world. More than that, it is about how people smile and look at
:54:44. > :54:54.what you have done and how they respond. And I gained acceptance
:54:54. > :54:59.here, I will never forgot that. The garden in Chelsea, this year,
:54:59. > :55:06.that's really invaded my head space, and will remain with me through
:55:06. > :55:11.this, it is for the National Society for the Prevention of
:55:11. > :55:16.Cruelty Skup to children. It is about what we have left behind.
:55:16. > :55:21.Trees, fox gloves and bluebells, it is lazy and gorgeous and summer. It
:55:21. > :55:25.is not the experience though of childhood that many people have or
:55:25. > :55:27.can associate with. There is the lucky and the unlucky, this garden,
:55:28. > :55:37.I think it is an important statement. Because it makes us
:55:37. > :55:45.think. I think this is really wonderful, a
:55:45. > :55:48.garden from the Potteries full of pottery. Lots of cool children and
:55:48. > :55:51.-- schoolchildren and children from the hospices have got together to
:55:51. > :55:56.make the bricks, and they have all been brought to London, sprouting
:55:56. > :55:59.with flowers. Not only a beautiful display at
:55:59. > :56:04.Chelsea, but it has brought the essence of a whole city from up
:56:04. > :56:08.North Down to London. It is exuberant, it has a wonderful
:56:08. > :56:13.structure, the whole garden is framed in this beautiful pergola
:56:13. > :56:18.and this bronze, purple and white planting is gorgeous. Here we have
:56:18. > :56:25.the passion of one city brought to another and I love it.
:56:25. > :56:30.By tomorrow night we will have brought 11.5 hours of Chelsea
:56:30. > :56:34.conference, if that wasn't enough, you will be pressing your red
:56:34. > :56:37.button and have a further two hours. We have been taking an indepth look
:56:37. > :56:44.at the show gardens and the exhibits in the Great Pavilion.
:56:44. > :56:49.They have been doing an amazing job, we didn't want you to misout. Let
:56:49. > :56:53.us bring Toby Buckland's sensory exploration of the Seeability
:56:53. > :57:03.garden, and Tom Hard Dyke getting up close and personal with orchids.
:57:03. > :57:10.
:57:10. > :57:20.Just for once don't press anything, # Let's give it up for the rain
:57:20. > :57:24.# Heavy fallen in the hey low # Hours of holding the time
:57:24. > :57:34.# Like a stone in the palm of your hand
:57:34. > :57:51.
:57:51. > :57:56.# Bow your head Designer Darren Hawkes wants us to
:57:56. > :58:01.see straight by not seeing straight. If that hasn't confused but nothing
:58:01. > :58:07.will. His design is for those with impaired visibility. He uses block
:58:07. > :58:17.planting, bold colours and sill low wets in his Seeability garden --
:58:17. > :58:21.sill low wets in his Seeability garden. I wanted to create a garden
:58:21. > :58:25.that worked on two levels, one to build a space that would be
:58:25. > :58:31.exciting and arouse curiosity for people with an eye condition and
:58:31. > :58:36.some sort of sight loss. On another level it was important that we
:58:36. > :58:41.create a garden for fully-sighted people, that they could some how
:58:41. > :58:48.experience or gain insight into how the outside world might be
:58:48. > :58:52.experienced by someone with limited vision.
:58:52. > :58:57.One of the things I was keen to explore is how, if your vision is
:58:57. > :59:01.blurred or limited, it is no good doing a sort of beautiful tapestry
:59:02. > :59:05.planting scheme because you will be lost. So I was looking at plants
:59:05. > :59:10.with strong silhouette, and thinking about bold, contrasting
:59:10. > :59:15.colours next to each other, even if one can't understand the shapes and
:59:15. > :59:21.forms of the foilage, then the colour combinations would at least
:59:21. > :59:25.stand out. The garden is both bold and provocative, two key words
:59:25. > :59:34.synonymous with Tom Hard Dyke's tour today of the Great Pavilion.
:59:34. > :59:39.He's on the hunt for the head Turners and the exotic at Chelsea
:59:39. > :59:44.this year. One of the largest family of flowering plants in the
:59:44. > :59:49.world are orchid. There are some 20,000 species, but most found in
:59:49. > :59:57.the Tropics, the aristocrat of them all, the king of the orchid has to
:59:57. > :00:02.be the slipper orchid. This is a cracking slipper orchid from the
:00:02. > :00:06.Malaysian state in north eastern Borneo, in the middle of south-east
:00:06. > :00:12.Asia. This particular orchid is extremely rare and highly prized.
:00:13. > :00:18.Known from two sites in the wild. Pollinators are he seduced by the
:00:18. > :00:22.slipper orchid flower. Wouldn't you be, look at the wonderfully
:00:22. > :00:26.ornamental flower. As the ip sect goes into the pouch and around the
:00:26. > :00:32.back of the flour after trying to engorge itself on the nectar it
:00:32. > :00:37.gets stuck on the hairs. And the two packs of pollen stick to the
:00:37. > :00:43.back of the insect has it flies away to pollinate another flower.
:00:43. > :00:49.Orchids are a crafty bunch, take this one from Thailand, in the wild
:00:49. > :00:53.these stems can be up to six, even seven-feet tall. Why is this? They
:00:53. > :00:57.are crafty. They grow amongst rhoddodendron, and insects aren't
:00:57. > :01:01.attracted just to the orchid flowers, they are attracted to the
:01:01. > :01:05.rhoddodendron, which are heavily scented and full of nectar. Along
:01:05. > :01:09.come a whole array of insects to pollinate the rhoddodendron, and
:01:09. > :01:18.don't know the difference between the two flowers, and pollinate the
:01:18. > :01:24.orchid as well, how cool is that? Deceptions can go even further, the
:01:24. > :01:30.leafless tongue orchid in Australia is a sex mimic, its flowers look
:01:30. > :01:37.and smell like a certain wasp, males are drawn in and fooled, as
:01:37. > :01:41.they cop late with the plant the pollen is drawn on to their bodies.
:01:41. > :01:47.Tropical plants come in all shapes and sizes, the good news for us
:01:47. > :01:56.gardeners in the UK, is many exotic plants can be potted up in pots, or
:01:56. > :02:00.are hardy enough to be planted outside. If you want more red
:02:00. > :02:06.button coverage take a look on iPlayer straight after the show,
:02:06. > :02:09.where sky rise greening is top of the agenda. Oh how we spoil you! As
:02:09. > :02:12.gad gardeners we are constantly evolving and learningering we are
:02:12. > :02:16.playing catch-up to all-knowing nature most of the time. Plants
:02:16. > :02:20.have been cleverly adapting to our ever-changing world for millions of
:02:20. > :02:25.years. On Thursday Carol went to the Great Pavilion to look among
:02:25. > :02:34.the blooms to see how plants are geniuss when it comes to
:02:34. > :02:39.pollination. Many involving complex exchanges with other animals. The
:02:39. > :02:41.following film gets a tad racey I must warn you.
:02:41. > :02:45.Here in the Great Pavilion it is flowers, flowers, flowers every
:02:45. > :02:51.where we tend to think that flowers are just there for our delight and
:02:51. > :02:55.deelecttation, but not a bit of it. In actual fact the two attract
:02:55. > :03:05.pollinator -- they are to attract pollinators, it is all about floral
:03:05. > :03:11.
:03:11. > :03:17.fornication. Plants like every life form on the planet, including us,
:03:17. > :03:24.need to reproduce, in their case they need to spread the pollen from
:03:24. > :03:28.the male bit on to the stigma, the female bit of another flower. It is
:03:28. > :03:31.really vital to keep that gene pool as diverse as pos. What are they
:03:31. > :03:41.going to do? They have got their roots firmly into the ground, they
:03:41. > :03:47.can't get up and find a mate. Obviously somebody else is involved.
:03:47. > :03:54.They employ the services of birds, bee, butterflies and even bats to
:03:54. > :03:58.transfer pollen from one flower to another. If you are a flower and
:03:58. > :04:04.you want to get pollinateed, you have to offer something in return.
:04:04. > :04:07.Most of the time that's nectar, but in the case of diascia it is
:04:07. > :04:13.something quite different. The pollinator for this plant is a very
:04:13. > :04:18.specific sort of bee. It has very long front legs, and in the back of
:04:18. > :04:25.the flower are these two spurs. They are filled with this precious
:04:25. > :04:30.oil, the bee uses them both to feed its lava, and to build its nest. In
:04:30. > :04:40.it goes with the long leg, deep into the flower, as it does so it
:04:40. > :04:44.
:04:44. > :04:49.is dusted with pollen. Flies off, and both partners are happy. This
:04:49. > :04:54.is the bird of paradise flower from staufr. In its native haunts there
:04:55. > :04:58.are -- South Africa. In its native haunts there are loads of sun birds.
:04:58. > :05:03.They fly down to the flower, looking for a nectar treat deep
:05:03. > :05:08.within it. They land on this bit of the flower, and their weight opens
:05:08. > :05:18.it up, exposing the pollen, their photoand feathers are dusted with
:05:18. > :05:19.
:05:19. > :05:26.it. When they have drunk deep off they fly to another flower.
:05:26. > :05:34.Look at this lovely paeonia, still dusted with pollen, but in the
:05:34. > :05:39.centre the seed is beginning to set. You can tell sex has occurred! I'm
:05:39. > :05:43.feeling a bit hot under the collar after that. I used to think that
:05:43. > :05:46.sex was something posh people got their coal in. Last Sunday, such a
:05:46. > :05:50.long time ago, Chris Beardshaw revealed from an early age that he
:05:50. > :05:55.wanted to be a garden designer, but his plans were very nearly thwarted
:05:55. > :06:01.in his early teen, when he was diagnosed with arthritis, a
:06:01. > :06:05.debilitating condition with no known cure. The disease didn't stop
:06:05. > :06:11.him fulfiling his lifelong ambition. He had a garden design dedicated to
:06:11. > :06:15.the journey a new low- diagnosed sufferer has to take before life
:06:15. > :06:19.goes forward. It clearly struck a chord when it was voted Best Garden
:06:19. > :06:23.in the People's Choice Award. have put your heart and soul into
:06:23. > :06:27.this garden like no other? It has been a very personal experience,
:06:27. > :06:30.more personal than anything I have done, certainly in show gardens. It
:06:30. > :06:33.is a case of opening up and admitting to people you have
:06:33. > :06:37.arthritis. For many, many years, 20 or more years I have denied to the
:06:37. > :06:41.outside world it existed. I have worked with you for that long, I
:06:41. > :06:45.didn't know, there is no evidence of it. Does it make it harder to
:06:45. > :06:48.make this garden or easier? Harder, I think. It is such a personal
:06:48. > :06:51.thing. It is about the emotions that you feel on that route from
:06:51. > :06:57.diagnosis, where you just think that the world is closing in, to
:06:57. > :07:02.learning how to live with it. And I didn't accept, to anybody, that I
:07:02. > :07:07.was struggling with arthritis. And I think in admitting it you
:07:07. > :07:10.suddenly realise it will be helpful to people. If I had the help that
:07:10. > :07:13.hopefully a show garden like this will provide I would have known
:07:13. > :07:18.where to go to and what treatment are available. How has it affected
:07:18. > :07:21.your life, there are lots of different forms of arthritis?
:07:21. > :07:24.have an undiagnosed form because I gave up talking to consultants,
:07:24. > :07:29.because I became an experiment. There are 200 different form, that
:07:29. > :07:31.is one of the problems, it is such a diverse range, some are muscular
:07:31. > :07:35.and skeltal, and some are to do with information and some to do
:07:35. > :07:40.with age. It was very, very difficult to diagnose which one.
:07:40. > :07:44.How does yours affect you? joints, all the soft tissue between
:07:44. > :07:49.the joints disappears and the bones fuse together, every time you walk
:07:49. > :07:53.it is like breaking your feet. hurt a lot? Especially when you
:07:53. > :07:56.push a wheel barrow. It is the silly things, you get up from
:07:56. > :08:00.weeding, you stand up and when it goes it is like breaking your toe.
:08:00. > :08:04.People might be surprised to hear that of you, but they won't be
:08:04. > :08:09.surprised at the standard of planting. We have come to expect
:08:09. > :08:13.this from you, this wonderful bountiful explosion of flowers and
:08:13. > :08:19.border, you have had fun doing this, haven't you? It has been great fun.
:08:19. > :08:23.These are Boise rouse characters, they are unabash, -- boisterous
:08:23. > :08:27.character, they are plants on steroids. To play with them in a
:08:27. > :08:30.way where you don't want them to completely dominate but you want to
:08:30. > :08:33.keep the energy and injection of pace has been a challenge, and it
:08:33. > :08:38.is great. It is great tole challenge yourself at Chelsea. If
:08:38. > :08:41.you play safe, in a way you are taking away the risk. I like
:08:41. > :08:51.producing gardens that are really quite risky for me in terms of
:08:51. > :08:55.
:08:55. > :09:00.delivering a product. In a former life Chris Beardshaw
:09:00. > :09:04.was a lecturer at Pershore College, a passionate teacher of garden
:09:04. > :09:07.design. It is the enthusiasm from people like him that inspires young
:09:07. > :09:11.people to learn about horticulture and choose it as a career. We need
:09:11. > :09:16.more of them, fewer and fewer people are coming into horticulture,
:09:16. > :09:22.they need to understand the breath of this became, -- breadth of this
:09:22. > :09:28.thing, lots of different places you can do that. There are lots of
:09:28. > :09:34.colleges, this one is doing The Evolution of Fusions. The
:09:34. > :09:37.University of Nottingham are highlighting the issue of foot
:09:37. > :09:41.security. After ash dieback we are concerned about plant and animal
:09:41. > :09:45.coming into the and making sure it is healthy. The University of
:09:45. > :09:51.Reading are encouraging us to have more natural lawns and let flowers
:09:51. > :09:55.come through. I like a natural lawn. Anything too manicured. You like
:09:55. > :10:02.your stripes. I like wild flowers even more. I would just like to put
:10:02. > :10:12.a shout out to the Chelsea fistic gardens, a stone's throw from here.
:10:12. > :10:13.
:10:13. > :10:16.It is open when the show is over. Chelsea starts out with VIPs
:10:16. > :10:19.sipping champagne and well known gardeners getting snatched through
:10:19. > :10:23.the newly formed lupin. Then Her Majesty the Queen arrives
:10:23. > :10:27.with her family to take a private tour of the show. But the mood
:10:27. > :10:33.always changes come 4.00 today, manners and et the question are
:10:33. > :10:38.hurled on to the com-- etiquette are hurled on to the compost heap
:10:38. > :10:43.and everyone clamours to take home a little bit of chel sea. We were
:10:44. > :10:50.joined by Nikki as the plant sell off began. What you might call the
:10:50. > :11:00.beginning of the end. Ladies and gentlemen the Chelsea
:11:00. > :11:05.
:11:05. > :11:15.sell-off is about to begin. 3-2-1. (bell rings) Who would like to buy
:11:15. > :11:22.
:11:22. > :11:27.a little bit of Adam Frost's gold- I have been teaching growing at
:11:27. > :11:33.schools, I'm going to take it to school for the school garden.
:11:33. > :11:38.goes the money. You are not sure what it is called,
:11:38. > :11:45.shall I tell you? Yes. It is called an Iris. It has a label here. Iris
:11:46. > :11:49.deep black. You had to have something from
:11:50. > :11:55.Chelsea is that right? No, hubby like them and I don't, I thought I
:11:55. > :12:00.would treat him. That's his present? We are married 30 years in
:12:00. > :12:06.a few weeks, this is it. Are you going to carry them on a train?
:12:06. > :12:16.am. I'm going to attempt to carry them on the train. We moved in two
:12:16. > :12:25.weeks ago. You realise they are onions. Oh shut up! Any more takers,
:12:25. > :12:27.what would you like? �10, thank you very much.
:12:27. > :12:32.Don't you think there is something male going on with the flowers?
:12:32. > :12:40.don't know what you mean. You can't pick up on it? These tiny little
:12:40. > :12:45.things here! How many giams? Three. How many would you like, just the
:12:45. > :12:52.one? Do you know its variety? I don't
:12:52. > :12:55.I'm afraid. It is a lovely old schrub rose, move on before they
:12:55. > :12:59.tell me I'm wrong. How are you getting home? I will
:12:59. > :13:08.take a taxi. I thought you might have been on your bike or
:13:08. > :13:12.something! No. Any takers ladies and gentlemen? This is slave labour
:13:12. > :13:18.here? I'm getting the children to carry them because I'm slightly
:13:18. > :13:23.lazy. I want some of the fox gloves. You want the garden. I know you
:13:23. > :13:29.from telly don't I? You do, have a nice day.
:13:29. > :13:33.Hello, how are you doing, you got somethingam Rhyl Luis, you --
:13:33. > :13:42.amaryllis, you don't have to carry them upside down? You do, they are
:13:42. > :13:47.full of water. It is a modern schrub rose with a
:13:48. > :13:52.lovely scent! Will that do. 15 gineas. You wanted height, it is
:13:52. > :14:01.about 10-feet tall, how are you getting home? On the train. Have
:14:01. > :14:06.you warned British Rail! What have you got there? It is a big bunch of
:14:07. > :14:16.flowers which I really like. Green colour! Beautiful. A big bunch of
:14:17. > :14:18.
:14:18. > :14:22.flowers, where will they go? Home. It has been an incredible week, it
:14:22. > :14:26.seems to have gone by in the twinkling of an eye. We have met
:14:26. > :14:30.some amazing people. And talked to everyone who is anyone in
:14:30. > :14:34.horticulture, after the 11.5 hours of Chelsea coverage in week, we
:14:34. > :14:37.hope you have taken away plenty of great inspiration for your own
:14:37. > :14:42.guardp. But inevitably, not everything goes smoothly. We
:14:42. > :14:49.thought we would share with you some moments that didn't go et
:14:49. > :14:59.according to plan, and the moments -- quite according to the plan, and
:14:59. > :15:01.
:15:01. > :15:05.it made Chelsea 2013 a centinary show to remember.
:15:05. > :15:08.Standing at the very heart of the showground is the Great Pavilion,
:15:08. > :15:18.one of the largest of its kind in the work, in the walk, in the
:15:18. > :15:20.
:15:20. > :15:27.world! Don't read the instructions Alan, just read the words!
:15:27. > :15:32.Then in 1988 a row of...there's a step there!
:15:32. > :15:42.He keeps making me laugh, can you send him to the corner or something.
:15:42. > :15:45.
:15:45. > :15:51.Then in 1988, oh...I've done it again! I better get an interview.
:15:51. > :15:57.The question I have for you, when are we going to get a warm front!
:15:57. > :16:01.HaHaHa. One of the plants can only go on to win the title of plant
:16:01. > :16:11.(bottles breaking) that was the other nine!
:16:11. > :16:21.I will be back tomorrow night at the BBC...on the BBC, oh bottoms!
:16:21. > :16:26.You can do this, if you read those words on there!
:16:26. > :16:30.How do you feel Dave? I'm a bit disappointed, Carol, it is a long
:16:30. > :16:40.haul and no breakfasted today. and you are actually doing this for
:16:40. > :16:48.
:16:48. > :16:58.real! Sorry, I beg your pardon. Very elegant pose! Where has he
:16:58. > :16:59.
:16:59. > :17:05.gone? Disappeared. He's gone. Where did he go? Roger? I haven't any
:17:05. > :17:10.hair to hide it in, what about a toupe! Yeah, I will ask Alan,
:17:10. > :17:16.borrow his. Chelsea has grown over the decades,
:17:17. > :17:21.and so have, you are worried about the wind!
:17:21. > :17:27.This is the lowest table ever. Thank good I haven't got a low top
:17:27. > :17:34.A spring garden, lots of fine green foilage emerging everywhere,
:17:34. > :17:40.reminding us living in a cool temp receipt time, oh bottom!
:17:40. > :17:44.# There is no business like palagonia business
:17:44. > :17:53.# Like no. Perhaps we should just life it
:17:53. > :17:57.there. Watch me! Tonight the gates close
:17:57. > :18:05.for another year, there is so much to look forward to, if you want
:18:05. > :18:10.more information on this years show on the website and follow the link.
:18:11. > :18:17.We have highlights on BBC One tomorrow at 5.05, bringing you the