Episode 14 RHS Chelsea Flower Show

$:/STARTFEED. Hello and welcome back to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show,

an event supported by M&G Investments. We have had a cracker

of a week here in the Royal Hospital grounds enjoying Chelsea's

centinary year. We have reached the floral finale with a burst of

sunshine. The show isn't over until the last Fatsia Japonica leaves the

ground. We have put together a smorg guess board of centinary

highlights, sit back and put your feet up and TUC into our flower --

tuck into our flower-filled highlight.

An RHS medal for Gold Fingers and others.

Chelsea for sale, we are in the thick of the mayhem as plants are

sold off to the highest bidder. That will be 15 Guineas for that!

Gnome Way, we will reveal why this cheeky imp is worth a million quid.

Plenty of centinary celebrations across the showground and the Great

Pavilion to mark the 100th anniversary. Roger Platts set

himself a mission-and-a-half, his design, Windows Through Time, aimed

to straddle 100 years of gardening in one plot. Joe caught up with him

on Sunday to see how he had fared. Roger a sumptious planting, of

course, as ever. You seem to have cheated the seasons beautifully how

has it been trying to condense 100 has it been trying to condense 100

years into a single garden. It is a challenge and I have been asked

this question a lot, how do you do that. I have really tried to take

it from the danger of giving a flavour of years ago, and a flavour

of being up-to-date. You are pointing that way and then that

way? I'm confused at this time. Does it work through the years and

the garden. We have the ruin wall and the pool beneath, that is

giving you a feeling of age and history. The gate from around that

period, so I picked that up, it was circa 1910. And then the rode den

drums which were very -- rhodedendrums popular in Victorian

times and what the Chelsea Flower Show was about when it started on

this site. More contemporary planting, this feels like a

traditional garden, the visitors will adore it, the planting is spot

on. The contemporary elements where is that, in the plants you have

chosen? We start with the design and material, and I have used, the

paving, for example, the sandstone paving, sawn rather than rustic.

That gives it a contemporary feel. We have run that through. We are

mixing the old and traditional bit with the contemporary. It is

blending it, which I hope, is the trick. Then finishing it off with

the sculpture, which is, in recent years, we have seen a lot of

caughtend steel structures. It is popular of now. And bringing the

planting into that. There I have used grasses, which have been

popular again in recent years. But together with those wild flower

planting, meadows, all that sort of side. You have had to distill it

and bring it into this garden. A fabulous job. Thank you very much.

Roger wasn't the only designer awarded a centinary gold medal, out

of the 15 show gardens ten hit the horticultural jackpot, a record

number for Chelsea. A bit controversial, some say they were

sprayed around like confetti, I thought that was harsh, there was a

great standard here. The standard has improved year-on-year, a lot of

designers know how to fill the gaps in and get a gold. I'm not saying

it has become fomulaic, some would criticise and say yes. Nine last

year, ten this year, a great spread of goals. Adam Frost, a lovely

garden, I feared for the apple trees, I hoped the blossom would

hold on. It was getting touch and go. The beehive seems to have

riveted all eyes on that. Huge quantity of plants he was worried

about, 100ms of planting and he has turned full-time designer, he's not

a landscaper now. He hadn't built that for him. He had to concentrate

on the planting. Poacher turned game keeper. Nigel has been trying

for a gold for a few years, Nigel Dunnett, with the backdrop of the

Gerkin. There is an environmental issue to deal in gardening, he

wants to put it together and show you can have a beautiful garden and

bring it all together. It is a great show garden. I know that Ulf

Nordjfell said he wanted to slightly reflect the centinary of

Chelsea with old and new and put a modern twist on it, of all the

modern gardens here, the avant- garde ones I found that appealing.

That is your sort of thing. I loved the stone they use, that is getting

very popular for the paving, it is light and bright. In Britain, where

we have dull days it reflects light very nicely. A lovely use of

sculpture. Christopher Bradley Hole was revered for that astonishing

garden that repaid close inspection. I kept going back to it time and

time again. It is not an outdoor room but a garden to be viewed in a

traditional Japanese style, a traditional Japanese garden. He

brought the Japanese art of garden making to the British landscape.

That is a very interesting concept. He has done it beautifully. Of the

other lovely Gold Medal-winning gardens any others? Kate Gould, she

did fantastic garden with recycled materials and brought those

together, concrete and rusty old metal, bits and pieces here and

there. Again put a designer touch on it. You think recycled garden a

mish-mash, Robert Myers did the same thing with wild native plant,

he showed how to manicure, tame them and put them in a very

contemporary space. I was very grateful for Michael Balston and

Marie-Louise Agius's curves, I liked that with the stream down the

middle and the glass screens. The massive rhodedendren, there was a

disparate element. It is a refreshing change, lots of squares.

And Jinny Blom just missed out a Silver-Gilt, a garden with a good

cause and strong message. People will remember it for whatever medal

it got. On Tuesday morning all the medal results were revealed, every

exhibitor had an excruciating wait to find out if they won a medal,

and crucially if it was the right colour. Nicki Chapman and James

Alexander Sinclair were on the early shift as the centinary

results were handed out. First bit of good news. Yes! Gold! Boom!

I don't want to look at it? A gold! Oh my good, awesome. Well done mate.

Gold! Best Artisan Garden. Thank you, thank you. Thank you. That's a

classic underreaction from Ishihara, as you would expect. Silver medal,

thank you very much indeed. Oh yeah. Get in there! Yeah! What a morning.

92 gold medals were awarded all together. Then the news broke that

flemgs Nursery had won Best in Show Award. We were there as the

exciting news was delivered. To be honest they didn't seem that

bothered. Excuse me guys, sorry, just one minute, can I take one

more minute. Joe needs to see you from the RHS! (screaming and

shouting). Oh dear! I think you feared for your body? I did my feet

had 20 grown men jumping up and down. What an amazing scene, they

couldn't have been happier. Reactions have been sensational,

people are so thrilled when they get a gold and Best in Show! It is

bonderful, going around the ground being with the RHS and handing

those out. When it is handed over their faces light up. Do you hand

out the other meddlias does anyone go off in a huff? It is like the

Oscar, they open it up and they see silver-gilt and silver, and you

know they will have a bad week. They look similar in the bad light.

I don't think I could do that, I would find it all too tense and too

ahhh. We had plenty of golds this year, lots of happy people. More

happiness than otherwise. You have been talking about things that I

just don't understand! I want them to listen in, go on what were you

talking about? We were talking about digital capabilities, the

garden, the Hafley brothers. You can hashtag snap on Twitter. But

the brothers were telling us that they have such a spike in #snap,

Twitter thought their account had been hacked and closed it down.

That's how many people wanted to sow their garden. It went out on to

TV and everyone hashtaging, and wanting to get a look at it day and

night and it went out. Are you with us. If you did anything when I was

younger involving hash you were looked up! I would like to say that

the Jam Garden Design, it's called Birdcolumny, they are change of

career girls, and they have got an award for this garden. It is great

when people realise in their 30s and 40s that what they want to do

is horticultural design and they change careers, it is very brave.

When I was at design college there was a lot of career-changers then.

It is a brave thing to do, you are in a comfortable job and you think

I want to do this as a job and work with plants. Good luck to them.

is what the actress Stephaine Cole calls "following your bliss", that

is a really good line. Something inside you, and gardening is a very

visceral thing. They are encouraging people to get involved

in health authority culture, we need more people involved. It is

the most wonderful thing to do, we don't always get we had and have to

weeding for the rest of our lives. It is stimulating. On medals days

it is not just about the gardening, the nurseries also received their

fair share of golds. Carol Klein was in her element as she took to

the most famous marquee in the world to see who struck gold.

must mean a gold again, congratulations. How many is that?

Jo 27! That's not a bad number is it. Your stand looks absolutely

fantastic, you couldn't have got anything else. Cheers and well done.

This knockout display of early bulbs is one of 62 gold medal

winners in the Great Pavilion this year. Let's go and take a look.

They have won gold here, no wonder. It is just an equisite stand packed

full of treasures, but what makes a gold. It is not just a question of

subjecttivity and what you like. Points are awarded for plants,

overall impression and endeavour. You know, all that creativity, use

of props, all those factors. And they all have to be perfect to win

a gold. I would everything on this stand, but this plant tipifies it

all, this is maianthemum, never exhibited before, utter perfection,

the whole thing is to die for. If Crug Farm plants were all about

green and trop pally, then Mil -- Millais nursery is all about colour.

They satisfy every criteria, and the plants are equisite, they are

all at the peak of their performance. You examine any

individual flower, it is impeccable, it is skwhrus wonderful. -- just

wonderful. Over the last 100 years Kelways

have won loads of gold medals, sadly, not this year. How do you

feel? We're really disappointed, we had put a huge amount of effort

into the stand. With us our judging is always affected by the flowers,

if they are open at the time of judging, if the sun is in or it is

cold they won't open it can lose us a grade or two grades of medals

sometimes. Two of the most difficult to deal with Iris and

peen knees, I think it is -- peonias, I think they are brillent.

The picture is beautiful and the story intriguing, this stand ticks

all the boxes you need for a Chelsea gold. It is not just about

ticking boxes, to win the coveted medal you have to have the certain

je ne sais quoi. 62 golds were won in the Great Pavilion, only one

went on to win the Diamond Jubilee Award. It is the equivalent to Best

in Show out in the garden. It was presented by the President of the

RHS to Peter Warmenhoven for the incredible amaryllis and alliums.

They have created a stand of beautiful artistry, something the

judges look for, as is the quality of plant material. What clifpl

clinchs it for the Dutchman is the wow factor.

The design of the stand is based on a film set. This silver structure

behind me is what the TV people call a lighting gantry. Where there

should be lights, amaryllis hang. That is a brave move, they are

normally house plant bulbs that look up at you. But here you look

up at them. It is the perfect way to compare all the different

varieties, of which there are new ones coming out every year. The

days when amaryllis were white or pillar box red are long gone. There

are so many types, you have bi- chloroforms like Apple Blossom, cut

petal types, Tango. Even doubles like white and green Nymph. Each

one kept hide demonstrated with a top-up of water down the stem every

night after the visitors have gone home. These are particularly

wonderful, they are displayed in boxing, which is away from the

normal method in circular tubs. I love this layer cake effect of one

flower on others. That is not natural. They grow in sun-soaked

borders on drifts. Still, the explosion of petals and the natural

beauty just shines through. The effect is one of effortless

perfection. But the work that goes into getting all yum species that

flour in different times in the summer all at once is just

incredible. That, combined with the innovative design and sheer plant

perfection is the reason why the Diamond Jubilee Award is so richly

deserved. They were astonishing, to mark

Chelsea's 100th anniversary, the RHS have shortlisted ten plants to

celebrate the ten decade of the show. Each of the plants has been

awarded the status of Plant of the Decade. All week we have asked you

to vote for the plant you think epitomises the Chelsea centinary.

The vote has now closed but we enlisted ten amateur gardeners to

champion each plant. All of the gardens were born in the same

decade his or her plant is representing. Here they are to

remind you. Hello. Today I have come down to represent a plant

called a saxifraga, it is called Tumbling Waters, it is one of the

hardest plants ever. They can just sit there, no great work attached

to that, is there. Give me a winning smile, that would be good.

Pierisformosa, it ages gracefully, even if you have it for 20 years it

will be worth looking at. One more big smile, please! The Russell

lupinus are loved by bees, plant them in your garden, they will

create a spectacular rainbow of beautiful colours. A really good-

value plant for your border. Straight down the lens. That bit!

Just give me a big smile, thanks. I'm representing This rhoddodendron,

you don't have to deadhead it or anything, it is great for a small

garden. I have seen you do a bigger smile than that. I like the iceberg

rose, it has memories of my dad. In fact I have the rose iceberg as a

standard in the middle of a bed, it is a lovely feature because it

flowers so pro-fusely in the summer. Cornus Eddie's White Bonder, they

come out in spring and the petals smother the plant. The most

fantastic plant to have in your borders. The erysimumis a fantastic

plant, I grew it lasty, even when everything else was devastated by

slugs and snails it kept going. A fantastic plant to grow.

The heuchera Palace Purple is well suited because it is great all year

round. It has a tropical feel to it, if you like that it will suit your

garden. I'm representing geranium Rozanne,

it is low maintenance and attracts many insects, including the hoover

fly and the delicate butterfly. I like the strept strept, because

it has streptocarcus, because it has lovely colours and it is an

Was it a surprise? It wasn't really a surprise, the results were spread

evenly over each decade. The runner-up just by a whisker was the

lupin, but the winner was geranium rozanne, a great garden plant.

Which decade? From the year 2000. good flowering plant? It just keeps

giving. I was a bit sad that erysimumdidn't make it? It was

difficult to choose, because the ten plants that made the final were

great. Do you think people vote for their decades? I think it is more

likely to be a recent decade. Saying that all the plants are so

popular. At the gardens all ten finalists are growing in the garden.

It is a good garden plant rather than something a bit iffy, they are

all good doers. And reloibl. Reliable. Adrian tipped that and

thought it had a Khan. He was on the show the other day, I don't

know if we swayed it by saying vote for it. It was so close, the lupin

must had -- have had a fan club there as well. Chelsea isn't just

home to award-winning plants, after the Second World War the Great

Pavilion became home to a stunning cut flower exhibit, from the woman

dubbed the Queen of floristry, Constance Spry. They are Chelsea

displays were legendary. During the early 60s Florence Vicky Smith was

a student of the Constance Spry school of floristry. For someone

who can't be aware of who Constance Spry, what influence did she have

on floristry? She suddenly made the world aware of what magnificent

things flowers were to bring into our home and enhance your home.

Look what you can make out of things out of the hedgerows, as

well as out of your garden. You know, these are wonderful live

things, so when people come into your homes there is a welcome, come

in, have a look at what's there. What did it mean to you to be

trained by her? Everything. All I wanted to do was to learn how to

arrange flowers beautifully and get the very, very best out of them. Do

bonderful weddings, balls. sounds so glamorous. What year are

we talking? 1960. You don't mind me asking that question do you?

Talking about these marvellous displays that you created, for your

career were there any highlights? Lots. Things like bouquets for

Princess Diana, she liked creams, yellows, greens, softly, sweetly

smelling flowers. For Princess Diana. Yes. Weren't you involved

with another royal wedding. helped do Princess Margaret's

wedding flowers, which was a fantastic thing to do as a student.

I remember making loads of garllands of flowers, we worked in

Churchill's underground offices, they paid us 10 shillings a day.

Bringing it up to the present day, beautiful exhibits, so much time

and effort has gone into it. What advice would you give to somebody

who wants to get into floristry today, either as a career or as a

passionate hobby? Always build your house on a firm foundation. Secure

base to it, good quality things to use. Cut your fresh flowers from

the garden early in the morning, clean their stems put them into

clean water. If you can possibly soak them for 24 hours before you

arrange them, please do. Always make your colours flow, just as

they do nowadays. Look here at this magnificent stand, that's what we

were always taught. There are different textures all the way, and

that's what gives awe wonderful display. Vicky, splendid advice,

thank you very much indeed. What a wonderful lady. Well the

floral art of arranging one's petals has evolved a great deal in

the last century. There is nowt wrong following the old ways. Nicky

was treated to a history lesson in flower arranging, and taught how to

achieve the 1950s Japanese flavour. Explain this? We have the Japanese

art of arranging flowers, it has been around since the 15th century.

Over 500 years. Buddhists were using it as a way of offering

flowers to the goods. You need to be a master of icibana. I'm not a

master, it is taught at many schools but we are going to do our

version. It goes back to the 16th century, what is the principle?

have our container, in there is what we call a kenzan, that is the

metal pin block that the flowers are secured in to. That is dropped

in, I have already prepared your container there. I'm doing a

ricker-style design, which means upright. All the standing flowers

are put together. We have a bit of a problem here because it is meant

to be done in total silence in way of respect of the materials. Let's

crack on and I won't talk much, how about that! What will I do?

going to do my one and then once I have done mine you can have a go.

don't want to run out of time, you know what they are like in the

evening, Alan will be taking the mickey out of me and Joe Swift will

take the Mickey out of me? Each year, you have got better as years

have gone on. Can I start on mine, long or short? Leave that one long.

It is something that we can all practice at home? Can you practice

it at home. It takes many years to complete the technique. Don't say

that, I have only just started. My design, there needs to be harmony

between the flowers, these two stroliciers are looking at each

other. Should mine look away at each other or together? What we

will do is call yours a moribana design. Known to the modern school

of icibana a bit more as freestyle. As you are new to the technique you

can do that. I love my flower arranging. I can't say I have

improved over the years. You are very patient with me. Look at that,

what are you using, talk us through? Which have birds of

paradise, or strellicia. I'm using spirea as foilage. You have tulips

and legustro, or known as privt, most people have a privt hedge.

nearly done, I will have to call Andy in and see what he thinks.

Denis you are the master at this, if you are not a master you are, in

my eyes. Andy, what do you think? If this TV thing doesn't work out I

reckon you have a job. There you go. That is amazing, you have done so

well! Now we're often given weird and wonderful floral arrangements

here at Chelsea, but never a hamper of knitted veg, Veg Out knit-a-long

workshop teaches people how to knit garden products at Battersea Power

Station Garden Centre. There is a catterpillar on there! What have we

got in there. I think that's meant to be that. Squash! We have a leek.

What's that? That is a globe artichoke. I'm a bit worried about

that. Which way up do they go. will keep it this way, because if I

put it the other way we will get letters. The beetroot is wonderful,

carrots, courgette. Knitting is so trendy, didn't you know that Alan.

If you would rather knit vegtables than grow them, then head along to

Battersea Power Station! Keep the real one out. Keep the real ones

out! The workshop is part of the Chelsea Fringe! With events going

on across London until the 9th of June, to find out more go to the

website. The whole Chelsea Fringe out there we don't know about. We

have been stuck in here all week. There is still plenty to come on

tonight's bumper-sized Chelsea Flower Show, an event supported by

M&G Investments. Coming up: Scandinavian surprise, comedienne

Sandi Toksvig tours Chelsea for inspiration. I identify with this

tree, we are in our mid-50s and round and both Bonn sighed many

years ago. We reveal which of the large show gardens you love the

most. The Chelsea plant of the centinary is, I'm making you wait

for it now. The big Chelsea sell- off begins as the Belmarshs the end

of the 100th show. For the last 99 years gnomes have been barred here

at Chelsea. The RHS deemed them far too tacky for the show. This year,

just for the centinary they were allowed in, what a time they have

had. I think this could end up being a case of "can open worms

everywhere" next year. Now they have had a taste of the

Chelsea high life, they will want to come back. They have been

raising money for a good cause, famous people have been painting

gnomes for a charity aiming to get gardening into goals. You have been

bidding for them on a well known auction site all week. Leading is

who, Elton John, how much now? �2,000. Laurence Llewelyn Bowen did

a bigger one than most, he painted this landscape that is glorious.

His is going for over �1,000 now. Still time to bid for all the other

little gnomes, those us lesser mortals, I don't know if Jones has

made it on there, it is dressed in the Arsenal strip, you can see why.

The auction for the gnomes end in the next few hours, you need to get

bidding if you want to own a famous gnome. Love them or hate them

gnomes have been around for more than a century, all thanks to man

who fell in love with them and brought them back to our shores. We

sent John Sergeant to delve deeper into the legendly garden fellows,

his journey took him to Lamport Hall in Lancashire.

Gnomes are very special, they are not just placed in a garden, they

have to live in a garden. We think of them as

quintessentially British but this little fellow is about as British

as brat wurst. His name is Lampey, and he was one of the first gnomes

to our shores. The Victorians were taken by fantasy and folly, and

Lampey and other friends from Germany proved to be just the

ticket. It is here at Lamport Hall in Northamptonshire where Lampey

and his brothers settled. Thanks to the eccentric obsession of its

owner, Sir Charles Isham. He was an interesting man, a non-smoking

vegetarian teetotaler, and most importantly a passionate gardener,

a particular fondness for this piece of architecture, his beloved

rockry. In true Victorian spirit he created his own folly. Complete

with dwarf confers and tiny plants. He called it an assemblage of small

caves, crevices, excavations and inequalities, carpeted and

encrusted with vegetation suited to the purpose. It was built right up

against the house so he could see it from his bedroom window. The

rockry made gnomeless until one summer during the holiday in

Germany Sir Charles alighted on a little band of tailsman. They were

lucky charms, taken into the local mines to protect their owners from

harm. For Sir Charles it was love at first sight. He wasted no time

in populateing his rockery with these magical little men. Men that

apparently he really believed came alive after sunset. He was

determined that his gnomes would have their shaing la, bridges,

water -- shangrila, bridges, waterfalls, everything, he

expressed his belief about them in his book Notes on scam gnomes. Had

they been magical they would never be admitted to the rockry. But he

says there is an amount of evidence they have not only been frequent

heard, but occasionally seen about certain mines and in the cottages

of miners. The lamb port gnomes became celebrities when the rockry

opened to the public in 1877, before long they were even featured

in Country Life Magazine. Fairies and gnomes entered the mainstream

of the 19th century romantic movement. By the turn of the

century colonies of gnomes were settling in follies and grottos

across the country. Since those heady days of Victorian celebrity,

gnomes have come down to earth, beautiful refined ceramics have

been transformed by plastic surgery. All too often now cartoon

characters have taken the place of those cheerful, dignified gnomes of

old. Even the fame of Sir Charles's own colony was short lived. On his

death in 1903 his two daughters are said to have shot the whole platoon

with air rifles. The only gnome survivor was Lampey, who fell into

a crevice where he lay undiscovered for many years. He was dusted down,

restored and treated with the respect he deserved. All he wants

now is to go to the Chelsea Flower Show, and if you think he's just a

nobody, be careful. This little known gnome is worth more than a

million pound! -- pounds! So we have Lampey to thank for all this

commotion, on Friday he joined us here at Chelsea after getting a

special invitation from the RHS. I notice he did actually have his

very own invitation? He did, it arrived two weeks ago, he was

delighted to come. He has won awards of his own, bless him?

has, in 1993 he won his very own Blue Peter badge and I brought it

along today. I'm not touching him, he's far too precious.

Are you a gnome fan? Gnome. I don't mind the history, but I find them,

I think it is a kid thing, I find them a little bit scary, frankly. A

bit creepy. I know you have one by the pond with the fishing rod.

have not. That was me sitting there that day, I had a red hat on! I

tell you what I really find a bit scary is that enormous dinosaur

thing with the naked woman on its back, would you want that in your

garden? I'm not sure I have seen it. It is so high up in the air you may

not have noticed it. One of the best thing about Chelsea is running

around the Great Pavilion and the gardens to get planting inspiration,

this year the Aquilegia seems to be one of the stars. Chris Beardshaw

went to find out why we should all love a granny's bonnet.

One of the most commonly grown forms is this, Aquilegia, alpina,

it originates from the apples, the mountainous regions of France.

Columbine is referred to here, that is the dove, here are the head of

five doves, the wings outsplayed and drinking from the same fountain.

This is one of a number of garden worthy plants, such as Aquilegia,

the Yellow Queen, from Mexico, what is unusual is the spur on the back

of the flower, the fact it turns slightly, it is more optimistic.

They can be peppered like little explosions, fire crackers,

throughout a border, enlivening them and bringing a sense of

animation, fun and informality. One of the peculiar things about

Aquilegia is if you introduce them into the garden you can be sure

they will cross and become hybrids, they are gre gairous and

promiscuous, which means if you have one you will find huge

variation in colours, textures and forms throughout your garden. But

occasionally a form arises that is relatively stable. That is typical

of the Barlow series, here with its petticoat, Pomazans and spur --

pom-poms and spurless bloom. The name comes from Charles Darwin's

granddaughter, a resolute and fiercesome woman. This plant

remains its essential double-nodded head characteristics, despite the

fact it will cross and seed throughout the garden. Aquilegia

have assisted in our gardens for over 400 years, partially because

of their promiscuity, but also because they produce huge

quantities of seed that blow into every crack and crevice where they

are able to grow. They are also fatastically amiable. Any area

where there is a reasonable amount of moisture in the soil, be it rich

on infertile. But here they are demonstrated wonderfully well. With

Iris sabirica and the wetland grass, they are also members of the

buttercup family, which means they contain toxins which deter slugs,

snails, rabbits and deer from grazing on them. One thing

guarantee is once you introduce them you will never be without them.

Oh my darling Columbine, one of the joys of gardens is sharing your

passion with others. We are a diverse lot, whether you prefer

your garden neat and tidy or wild and wonderful, they are much-loved

sanctuaries for us all. Comedienne and writer and presenter Sandi

Toksvig let us tag along her journey around the show. The sun

came out and she had a ball. I'm so happy because I'm at Chelsea. I'm

not entirely sure he's appropriately dressed. I need two

things, not to put my hand on his bottom, secondly, to find plants,

there is a third thing, I need to find somebody whose dress style is

a bit more my type of gardening. So basically it is right on the

beach, but we have got these white fences, so I want something to grow

up tall against that. Something that will contrast. Leaf vein dear,

but something a bit -- lavender, something a bit taller. This comes

from the west coast of America, it is hardy and will take everything

in. The black stems against the white fence will look fantastic.

And the white flowers. That is me sorted out with the tall stuff, now

for something fragrant. I really identify with this tree,

we are both a little bit round, in our mid-50s and both bonzaied a

really long time ago! Ahhh, the sun on my face, the sound of water,

happy people in the background and this, I love this. This is a living

wall. Now I never thought you should do anything with a wine

cooler other than put wine in it, that isn't even the best bit, I

love these. I really want to encourage the wildlife, little tiny

bugs and things into the garden, these holes are for solitary bees.

There is one bit of the garden I haven't understood, this is a

modern hide where you can look at birds, and here is the window where

you are supposed to look out and see the birds. I think I haven't

maybe understood how that works! That smells fantastic, what is that

one called? That is called Leah Tutu, a modern schrub rose. It is

not good for bees. I have this lovely rambler up here, the insects

and the bees will be attracted to the plant. Thanks a lot.

# Here comes the sun I have had the most brilliant day

at Chelsea, I have found all the plants I need for my garden and I'm

so excited about getting started. I found inspiration, I hope it will

turn out something like this. It looks classy, it is full of

glorious plants, it has great places for bugs to live. Having

said, there is one thing I didn't find, I started out with a naked

statue, I still haven't quite found the role model I'm looking for, for

how I ought to dress in the garden. You can't expect Chelsea is a to

provide everything, can you! I'm not sure rubbing a statue's

rear is appropriate at Chelsea, I don't know what the show is coming

to. I thought it was part of the Chelsea Fringe rather than the RHS

Chelsea. It is rock bottom as far as I'm concerned, "rock bottom"!

Never mind. The showground was awash with cull

sculpture this year, Marc Quinn's special low- commissioned centinary

orchid was unveiled to the crowds, after the show it will be auctioned

off to raise money to get young people more interested in garden.

On Thursday Mr Swift went to take a look at the garden statements

everyone was talking about. Sculpture has been used in the

garden for many years, adding a narrative, definition and visual

focal point too. Here at Chelsea there is so much inspiration, you

can see ideas of how you can use sculpture in your own garden. This

is Ulf Nordjfell's garden, a beautiful bronze, the master of

music and song in Greek mythology, it was made by Carl Mills. What I

like about it is the way it has the backdrop of a horn beam head. Don't

just fill in loads of plants and make it messy, make it sing out.

This is a classical sculpture in a classical garden.

Chris Beardshaw has used three figurive sculptures in his garden,

they all tell the story of living with arthritis. Two by a sculpture

called Anna Gillespie, one is absolutely absorbing, it is called

To The Limit. It has a great energy about it. It feels as if the wind

is blowing right across it. It is in weathered bronze and can be seen

right from the front of the garden, it uses the long path beautifully.

The siting of this piece at the end, with the yew backdrop at the end is

perfect. Her other piece is on the other side of the yew head, ajais

sant to the glass room. It is made of bronze but studded with wooded

ache corns which creates a an amazing texture. What I like is it

has no plants at all, it feels like a sculpture in an art gallery. The

third sculpture in this garden is this wire-worked piece, it was

commissioned specifically for the garden, it is called Libertine, it

reflects the freedom of the pain. I love the way it comes out of the

garden with these plants straddling it either side. You might think I

can do that, buying wire measure and chicken wire to have a go

yourself. If you want to take it on do an easier shape than that figure,

just for your first attempt! Of course sculpture in the garden

doesn't have to be cullpure at all, it can be something that looks

sculptural and sits among the planting, it can be homemade or

made from recycled materials, whatever. The designer here has

created a lovely beehive out of recycled material, a rusty old

wheel with bits of bamboo and different types of timber with

holes in it to create a habitat for the solitary bee. It is not only a

lovely sculptural forming for the wildlife, it is great for plants

too. Every year the RHS judges

deliberate, pro-casate and fine -- procrastinate and finally decide

the medals, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder, you at home

may not always agree. That is where the RHS People's Choice Award comes

in. You have a chance to decide which gardens you think are the

best. All week you have been voting for your favourite gardens. I can

now announce that you, the people, have made your decision. This is

the dramatic pause, the overall winner of Best Show garden was

Chris Beardshaw with his Arthritis Research UK garden. Chris has gone

home for a well-earned rest, as you can imagine he's absolutely

delighted. Keith Chapman accepted it on his behalf. Congratulations.

Would you believe Chris was earthing up his potatoes at home

when he found out. He has left his garden for weeks, he has been here

for a month. True gardener, he said he was chuffed because the planting

had been noticed, and it was about arthritis Research, a cause dear to

his heart. People kept asking me what the echiums were, that is what

did it. There was the figurive sculpture as well. It was a lovely

garden to be in, I like gardens like that. Chris will talk to me

about that garden later in the programme. Just after that award

was made the RHS announced the winner of your favourite small

garden, that went to, starts to burst with pride, the Welcome to

Yorkshire Artisan garden, called Le Jardin de Yorkshire. Thank you very

much, congratulations. The designer of the people's choice for small

gardens, Alastair Baldwin joins us now. There is your trophy, many

congratulations, chuffed? Over the moon, delighted to be here, but

representing the people of Yorkshire and it has been a great

honour. There is a lovely dry stone wall, I don't know if you are a

fan? All the small garden, particularly the artisans, there is

a lot of stone work there, yours is exceptional. You like it because it

is close to your heart. My home down Ilkley was engraved there. The

tour degrans is kicking off there? Its off in Leeds, and does stage

one on the way to Harrogate. Stage two leaves in York and finshes in

Sheffield. Very exciting. I love the fact that Tour de France is in

Yorkshire! We talked about the garden which is beautiful. I loved

the lady slipper orchid, a very rare flower? Very rare and grows in

North Yorkshire. There is a fantastic conservation programme in

the park to preserve it. They are working hard to preserve it. We

were lucky to have it in the garden and promote their work, it isth has

been the star of the show. Is it good for Yorkshire to have a

presence at the Chelsea Flower Show, does it matter? It does, it

promotes what a great region it is, but also there is something about

bringing a piece of Yorkshire down to London. We have had so many

visitors from Yorkshire to have a smile and a chat. A little bit of

home on the show? A little bit of home on the show. Including me.

Last year it was the sunken garden that scooped the people's choice

garden award, but Diarmuid Gavin also won a special award for Best

Creative Show Garden, with the pyramid of pensioners. This year he

was absent as a designer, but he couldn't resist dropping by to tell

us why for him Chelsea is a very special event. In 1995 I was

homeless, based in Dublin and I had an improbable dream, I wanted to

come to the Chelsea Flower Show to create a garden. I arrived with a

friend, �300 in our pockets, we went and bought a cheel barrow, two

shovels and two spades, and we walked them down Sloane Square, and

Royal Hospital Road and in through the gates of the Chelsea Flower

Show and parked it over there, and On this spot we started digging and

created our vision of paradise it was called To The Waters And The

Wild. We still have the waters and the wild for this Best in Show

garden. This spot in Chelsea is where I come back to, I like to see

what is happening in my place. In the last couple of years we

created the Irish Sky Garden, the one that flew up. And also the

multilevel garden. Sometimes you come to Chelsea that is all about

your own indelg begins, you want to create the biggest and the best --

indulgence and you want to create the biggest and the best and

whatever. I wasn't worried about gold, I suppose I wanted to change

the world. More than that, it is about how people smile and look at

what you have done and how they respond. And I gained acceptance

here, I will never forgot that. The garden in Chelsea, this year,

that's really invaded my head space, and will remain with me through

this, it is for the National Society for the Prevention of

Cruelty Skup to children. It is about what we have left behind.

Trees, fox gloves and bluebells, it is lazy and gorgeous and summer. It

is not the experience though of childhood that many people have or

can associate with. There is the lucky and the unlucky, this garden,

I think it is an important statement. Because it makes us

think. I think this is really wonderful, a

garden from the Potteries full of pottery. Lots of cool children and

-- schoolchildren and children from the hospices have got together to

make the bricks, and they have all been brought to London, sprouting

with flowers. Not only a beautiful display at

Chelsea, but it has brought the essence of a whole city from up

North Down to London. It is exuberant, it has a wonderful

structure, the whole garden is framed in this beautiful pergola

and this bronze, purple and white planting is gorgeous. Here we have

the passion of one city brought to another and I love it.

By tomorrow night we will have brought 11.5 hours of Chelsea

conference, if that wasn't enough, you will be pressing your red

button and have a further two hours. We have been taking an indepth look

at the show gardens and the exhibits in the Great Pavilion.

They have been doing an amazing job, we didn't want you to misout. Let

us bring Toby Buckland's sensory exploration of the Seeability

garden, and Tom Hard Dyke getting up close and personal with orchids.

Just for once don't press anything, # Let's give it up for the rain

# Heavy fallen in the hey low # Hours of holding the time

# Like a stone in the palm of your hand

# Bow your head Designer Darren Hawkes wants us to

see straight by not seeing straight. If that hasn't confused but nothing

will. His design is for those with impaired visibility. He uses block

planting, bold colours and sill low wets in his Seeability garden --

sill low wets in his Seeability garden. I wanted to create a garden

that worked on two levels, one to build a space that would be

exciting and arouse curiosity for people with an eye condition and

some sort of sight loss. On another level it was important that we

create a garden for fully-sighted people, that they could some how

experience or gain insight into how the outside world might be

experienced by someone with limited vision.

One of the things I was keen to explore is how, if your vision is

blurred or limited, it is no good doing a sort of beautiful tapestry

planting scheme because you will be lost. So I was looking at plants

with strong silhouette, and thinking about bold, contrasting

colours next to each other, even if one can't understand the shapes and

forms of the foilage, then the colour combinations would at least

stand out. The garden is both bold and provocative, two key words

synonymous with Tom Hard Dyke's tour today of the Great Pavilion.

He's on the hunt for the head Turners and the exotic at Chelsea

this year. One of the largest family of flowering plants in the

world are orchid. There are some 20,000 species, but most found in

the Tropics, the aristocrat of them all, the king of the orchid has to

be the slipper orchid. This is a cracking slipper orchid from the

Malaysian state in north eastern Borneo, in the middle of south-east

Asia. This particular orchid is extremely rare and highly prized.

Known from two sites in the wild. Pollinators are he seduced by the

slipper orchid flower. Wouldn't you be, look at the wonderfully

ornamental flower. As the ip sect goes into the pouch and around the

back of the flour after trying to engorge itself on the nectar it

gets stuck on the hairs. And the two packs of pollen stick to the

back of the insect has it flies away to pollinate another flower.

Orchids are a crafty bunch, take this one from Thailand, in the wild

these stems can be up to six, even seven-feet tall. Why is this? They

are crafty. They grow amongst rhoddodendron, and insects aren't

attracted just to the orchid flowers, they are attracted to the

rhoddodendron, which are heavily scented and full of nectar. Along

come a whole array of insects to pollinate the rhoddodendron, and

don't know the difference between the two flowers, and pollinate the

orchid as well, how cool is that? Deceptions can go even further, the

leafless tongue orchid in Australia is a sex mimic, its flowers look

and smell like a certain wasp, males are drawn in and fooled, as

they cop late with the plant the pollen is drawn on to their bodies.

Tropical plants come in all shapes and sizes, the good news for us

gardeners in the UK, is many exotic plants can be potted up in pots, or

are hardy enough to be planted outside. If you want more red

button coverage take a look on iPlayer straight after the show,

where sky rise greening is top of the agenda. Oh how we spoil you! As

gad gardeners we are constantly evolving and learningering we are

playing catch-up to all-knowing nature most of the time. Plants

have been cleverly adapting to our ever-changing world for millions of

years. On Thursday Carol went to the Great Pavilion to look among

the blooms to see how plants are geniuss when it comes to

pollination. Many involving complex exchanges with other animals. The

following film gets a tad racey I must warn you.

Here in the Great Pavilion it is flowers, flowers, flowers every

where we tend to think that flowers are just there for our delight and

deelecttation, but not a bit of it. In actual fact the two attract

pollinator -- they are to attract pollinators, it is all about floral

fornication. Plants like every life form on the planet, including us,

need to reproduce, in their case they need to spread the pollen from

the male bit on to the stigma, the female bit of another flower. It is

really vital to keep that gene pool as diverse as pos. What are they

going to do? They have got their roots firmly into the ground, they

can't get up and find a mate. Obviously somebody else is involved.

They employ the services of birds, bee, butterflies and even bats to

transfer pollen from one flower to another. If you are a flower and

you want to get pollinateed, you have to offer something in return.

Most of the time that's nectar, but in the case of diascia it is

something quite different. The pollinator for this plant is a very

specific sort of bee. It has very long front legs, and in the back of

the flower are these two spurs. They are filled with this precious

oil, the bee uses them both to feed its lava, and to build its nest. In

it goes with the long leg, deep into the flower, as it does so it

is dusted with pollen. Flies off, and both partners are happy. This

is the bird of paradise flower from staufr. In its native haunts there

are -- South Africa. In its native haunts there are loads of sun birds.

They fly down to the flower, looking for a nectar treat deep

within it. They land on this bit of the flower, and their weight opens

it up, exposing the pollen, their photoand feathers are dusted with

it. When they have drunk deep off they fly to another flower.

Look at this lovely paeonia, still dusted with pollen, but in the

centre the seed is beginning to set. You can tell sex has occurred! I'm

feeling a bit hot under the collar after that. I used to think that

sex was something posh people got their coal in. Last Sunday, such a

long time ago, Chris Beardshaw revealed from an early age that he

wanted to be a garden designer, but his plans were very nearly thwarted

in his early teen, when he was diagnosed with arthritis, a

debilitating condition with no known cure. The disease didn't stop

him fulfiling his lifelong ambition. He had a garden design dedicated to

the journey a new low- diagnosed sufferer has to take before life

goes forward. It clearly struck a chord when it was voted Best Garden

in the People's Choice Award. have put your heart and soul into

this garden like no other? It has been a very personal experience,

more personal than anything I have done, certainly in show gardens. It

is a case of opening up and admitting to people you have

arthritis. For many, many years, 20 or more years I have denied to the

outside world it existed. I have worked with you for that long, I

didn't know, there is no evidence of it. Does it make it harder to

make this garden or easier? Harder, I think. It is such a personal

thing. It is about the emotions that you feel on that route from

diagnosis, where you just think that the world is closing in, to

learning how to live with it. And I didn't accept, to anybody, that I

was struggling with arthritis. And I think in admitting it you

suddenly realise it will be helpful to people. If I had the help that

hopefully a show garden like this will provide I would have known

where to go to and what treatment are available. How has it affected

your life, there are lots of different forms of arthritis?

have an undiagnosed form because I gave up talking to consultants,

because I became an experiment. There are 200 different form, that

is one of the problems, it is such a diverse range, some are muscular

and skeltal, and some are to do with information and some to do

with age. It was very, very difficult to diagnose which one.

How does yours affect you? joints, all the soft tissue between

the joints disappears and the bones fuse together, every time you walk

it is like breaking your feet. hurt a lot? Especially when you

push a wheel barrow. It is the silly things, you get up from

weeding, you stand up and when it goes it is like breaking your toe.

People might be surprised to hear that of you, but they won't be

surprised at the standard of planting. We have come to expect

this from you, this wonderful bountiful explosion of flowers and

border, you have had fun doing this, haven't you? It has been great fun.

These are Boise rouse characters, they are unabash, -- boisterous

character, they are plants on steroids. To play with them in a

way where you don't want them to completely dominate but you want to

keep the energy and injection of pace has been a challenge, and it

is great. It is great tole challenge yourself at Chelsea. If

you play safe, in a way you are taking away the risk. I like

producing gardens that are really quite risky for me in terms of

delivering a product. In a former life Chris Beardshaw

was a lecturer at Pershore College, a passionate teacher of garden

design. It is the enthusiasm from people like him that inspires young

people to learn about horticulture and choose it as a career. We need

more of them, fewer and fewer people are coming into horticulture,

they need to understand the breath of this became, -- breadth of this

thing, lots of different places you can do that. There are lots of

colleges, this one is doing The Evolution of Fusions. The

University of Nottingham are highlighting the issue of foot

security. After ash dieback we are concerned about plant and animal

coming into the and making sure it is healthy. The University of

Reading are encouraging us to have more natural lawns and let flowers

come through. I like a natural lawn. Anything too manicured. You like

your stripes. I like wild flowers even more. I would just like to put

a shout out to the Chelsea fistic gardens, a stone's throw from here.

It is open when the show is over. Chelsea starts out with VIPs

sipping champagne and well known gardeners getting snatched through

the newly formed lupin. Then Her Majesty the Queen arrives

with her family to take a private tour of the show. But the mood

always changes come 4.00 today, manners and et the question are

hurled on to the com-- etiquette are hurled on to the compost heap

and everyone clamours to take home a little bit of chel sea. We were

joined by Nikki as the plant sell off began. What you might call the

beginning of the end. Ladies and gentlemen the Chelsea

sell-off is about to begin. 3-2-1. (bell rings) Who would like to buy

a little bit of Adam Frost's gold- I have been teaching growing at

schools, I'm going to take it to school for the school garden.

goes the money. You are not sure what it is called,

shall I tell you? Yes. It is called an Iris. It has a label here. Iris

deep black. You had to have something from

Chelsea is that right? No, hubby like them and I don't, I thought I

would treat him. That's his present? We are married 30 years in

a few weeks, this is it. Are you going to carry them on a train?

am. I'm going to attempt to carry them on the train. We moved in two

weeks ago. You realise they are onions. Oh shut up! Any more takers,

what would you like? �10, thank you very much.

Don't you think there is something male going on with the flowers?

don't know what you mean. You can't pick up on it? These tiny little

things here! How many giams? Three. How many would you like, just the

one? Do you know its variety? I don't

I'm afraid. It is a lovely old schrub rose, move on before they

tell me I'm wrong. How are you getting home? I will

take a taxi. I thought you might have been on your bike or

something! No. Any takers ladies and gentlemen? This is slave labour

here? I'm getting the children to carry them because I'm slightly

lazy. I want some of the fox gloves. You want the garden. I know you

from telly don't I? You do, have a nice day.

Hello, how are you doing, you got somethingam Rhyl Luis, you --

amaryllis, you don't have to carry them upside down? You do, they are

full of water. It is a modern schrub rose with a

lovely scent! Will that do. 15 gineas. You wanted height, it is

about 10-feet tall, how are you getting home? On the train. Have

you warned British Rail! What have you got there? It is a big bunch of

flowers which I really like. Green colour! Beautiful. A big bunch of

flowers, where will they go? Home. It has been an incredible week, it

seems to have gone by in the twinkling of an eye. We have met

some amazing people. And talked to everyone who is anyone in

horticulture, after the 11.5 hours of Chelsea coverage in week, we

hope you have taken away plenty of great inspiration for your own

guardp. But inevitably, not everything goes smoothly. We

thought we would share with you some moments that didn't go et

according to plan, and the moments -- quite according to the plan, and

it made Chelsea 2013 a centinary show to remember.

Standing at the very heart of the showground is the Great Pavilion,

one of the largest of its kind in the work, in the walk, in the

world! Don't read the instructions Alan, just read the words!

Then in 1988 a row of...there's a step there!

He keeps making me laugh, can you send him to the corner or something.

Then in 1988, oh...I've done it again! I better get an interview.

The question I have for you, when are we going to get a warm front!

HaHaHa. One of the plants can only go on to win the title of plant

(bottles breaking) that was the other nine!

I will be back tomorrow night at the BBC...on the BBC, oh bottoms!

You can do this, if you read those words on there!

How do you feel Dave? I'm a bit disappointed, Carol, it is a long

haul and no breakfasted today. and you are actually doing this for

real! Sorry, I beg your pardon. Very elegant pose! Where has he

gone? Disappeared. He's gone. Where did he go? Roger? I haven't any

hair to hide it in, what about a toupe! Yeah, I will ask Alan,

borrow his. Chelsea has grown over the decades,

and so have, you are worried about the wind!

This is the lowest table ever. Thank good I haven't got a low top

A spring garden, lots of fine green foilage emerging everywhere,

reminding us living in a cool temp receipt time, oh bottom!

# There is no business like palagonia business

# Like no. Perhaps we should just life it

there. Watch me! Tonight the gates close

for another year, there is so much to look forward to, if you want

more information on this years show on the website and follow the link.

We have highlights on BBC One tomorrow at 5.05, bringing you the