:00:36. > :00:47.Good evening, it has been a day of excitement and anticipation. We have
:00:48. > :00:53.had royalty and VIP guests. And they have provided a lot of colour. So,
:00:54. > :00:59.too, have the plants in the gardens and we are surrounded by beautiful
:01:00. > :01:06.plants and superb gardens. Across the week on the BBC, we will bring
:01:07. > :01:11.the very best of the event, supported by M in the, showcasing
:01:12. > :01:19.the efforts of designers from all over the world. Coming up. Carol
:01:20. > :01:26.Klein immerses herself in the heady fragrance of a Chelsea favourite.
:01:27. > :01:30.She looks at the latest raises. Benedict Cumberbatch investigates
:01:31. > :01:38.the world of gardening as he takes his mother on an adventure through
:01:39. > :01:44.the showground. And Monday at Chelsea is full royalty. Designers
:01:45. > :01:51.and exhibitors stand to as the Royal family embark on their tour.
:01:52. > :02:01.What sort of feedback are you getting from the street? It has been
:02:02. > :02:05.hot. Some people have had to plant again, because the plants are
:02:06. > :02:10.building. You leave them for a few hours without watering and they will
:02:11. > :02:18.wilt in front of your eyes. If it remains hot, it will be a problem. I
:02:19. > :02:22.think we have rain coming. And the style of plants, a lot of
:02:23. > :02:33.naturalistic planting. Nothing too graphic, apart from del Buono, but
:02:34. > :02:38.the rest is soft. A lot of people have referred to the fact that how
:02:39. > :02:43.similar the planting is across completely different gardens, and
:02:44. > :02:48.yet they cannot talk to each other. There is always purple. It is that
:02:49. > :02:56.time of year. They do not talk to each other. It is probably to do
:02:57. > :03:02.with... What we need from gardens is comfort, relaxing, we do not want
:03:03. > :03:10.energy, necessarily. What I have found from the older generation of
:03:11. > :03:14.designers, they have gone for graphics, they have got more
:03:15. > :03:19.structure. And there are formal gardens, as well. That has almost
:03:20. > :03:27.separated them into age groups, which sounds strange. That is
:03:28. > :03:32.interesting. There are a number of new and young designers. There will
:03:33. > :03:37.be a definite edge to the show and see in new talent seize the
:03:38. > :03:42.opportunity to design large gardens at Chelsea is thrilling. Earlier, I
:03:43. > :03:47.went down main avenue to meet David and Harry Rich. At 23, David is the
:03:48. > :03:53.youngest ever designer of a large show gardens.
:03:54. > :04:04.You must be the youngest designers at Chelsea. But, your garden will
:04:05. > :04:10.stand scrutiny. What is the theme? It is based on the night sky. We
:04:11. > :04:16.come from the Brecon Beacons. One of five places in the world to see
:04:17. > :04:22.stars at night, it is very clear. That was the main inspiration for
:04:23. > :04:28.the garden. Trying to capture the night sky. There is a lot of black
:04:29. > :04:35.in the garden. And the black backdrop creates a starry atmosphere
:04:36. > :04:39.with the brass discs. It is ambitious to make a garden, which is
:04:40. > :04:48.about lights, based upon a night sky. The theme is strong and there
:04:49. > :04:53.are elements that show that in the garden, but we wanted to create a
:04:54. > :04:58.usable garden. We did not want to dominate with the theme and it would
:04:59. > :05:04.not be useful in the day. How did you select the plants? We wanted
:05:05. > :05:11.them to echo the feeling of the Milky Way. We tried to work out how
:05:12. > :05:18.we could do that because it is vast. We have a lot of soft planting.
:05:19. > :05:27.Things such as ragged robin. Everything with a starry effect, a
:05:28. > :05:33.floating effect to, movement. We wanted to create a naturalistic
:05:34. > :05:41.space. And what does the ponds represent? The empty space of a
:05:42. > :05:49.black hole. The trees overhanging. And the stones? Do they add an
:05:50. > :05:54.effect, do they have a meaning? May have meaning. We wanted to make them
:05:55. > :06:01.like meteors that had crashed into the garden. And to add gravity to
:06:02. > :06:07.the space. We wanted to use large boulders and trees to lend building
:06:08. > :06:12.into the garden, so it was not too isolated. This is your first big
:06:13. > :06:22.garden at Chelsea, was it a big step up? Definitely. It was more than we
:06:23. > :06:29.thought, maybe. We have taken on the challenge and we are pleased with
:06:30. > :06:33.how it turned out. People are talking about youth coming into
:06:34. > :06:39.Chelsea. Have you been welcomed with open arms, do you feel like the
:06:40. > :06:44.junior members? We probably feel like the junior members, but
:06:45. > :06:52.everybody has been good to us and helpful. If we had questions, needed
:06:53. > :06:57.to borrow a hammer. It has been a great experience. It is lovely to be
:06:58. > :07:05.part of the show. Are you both gardeners, or, you designers? We
:07:06. > :07:12.sway on the side of designers more. We helped to build the garden. We do
:07:13. > :07:20.design, also builds, but not necessarily garden. Perhaps that
:07:21. > :07:26.will come. Yes we will mature into gardening. I am slowly getting there
:07:27. > :07:32.because I am three years older. Another new designer at Chelsea is
:07:33. > :07:40.Hugo Bugg. His garden explores water conservation, which is an issue for
:07:41. > :07:44.all of us and it is the gardener's responsibility to deal with the
:07:45. > :07:52.water that lands on the plot, and try to put it back into the water
:07:53. > :07:57.table. He has taken that theme. He created a fantastic contemporaries
:07:58. > :08:03.stylised, geometric garden. I really like it. I like the way angles Scott
:08:04. > :08:10.through the plot. Not one of them is rectangular to the boundary. We have
:08:11. > :08:16.this river of iris running along. It is confident planting, using a
:08:17. > :08:23.single plant. And the water I am surrounded by runs through the
:08:24. > :08:29.plot. It transports you away, as every garden should. I like the
:08:30. > :08:35.surface because it represents parched earth. It is concrete. It
:08:36. > :08:40.has been granted but under the water it has been left pretty much
:08:41. > :08:45.untouched. Under the bridge, it is used in a different form with
:08:46. > :08:50.separate pieces of stone. The same material used differently shows
:08:51. > :08:57.innovation. And a strong geometric form that draws the eye into the
:08:58. > :09:02.centre of the garden. He had a tricky job of trying to hide the
:09:03. > :09:10.floral marquee. So he has used alders. They can cope with dry and
:09:11. > :09:16.wet and they are native. And you step onto the rusty, steel bridge.
:09:17. > :09:21.Weathered by water over the years and you can hear the waterfall that
:09:22. > :09:24.runs underneath where you stand. From here, you get a different
:09:25. > :09:32.perspective with rivers and plants running through. The Euphorbias and
:09:33. > :09:38.a plant I have seen at Chelsea a few times. The upright heads the purple
:09:39. > :09:44.flowers looking good against irises and the sea of grasses. He has done
:09:45. > :09:49.a fantastic job. I have followed Hugo Bugg's career over the years
:09:50. > :09:55.and it makes me feel proud that he has come to Chelsea and Don himself
:09:56. > :10:01.proud. Well done. It is good to see a garden seating
:10:02. > :10:07.solutions for an important issue, even when the rain is beating down,
:10:08. > :10:14.it does not feel like it is one in the UK. I have two previous Chelsea
:10:15. > :10:19.gold medallists with me. Perhaps you could give advice on how the viewers
:10:20. > :10:24.will make their choice. You know what it is like. What do you look
:10:25. > :10:27.will make their choice. You know for? You have to fall in love
:10:28. > :10:34.first time. You are captivated. first time. You are captivated.
:10:35. > :10:40.cannot take your eyes off it. You have two allow for the fact that
:10:41. > :10:47.with time, you will tire, especially if there is a veneer of planting. As
:10:48. > :10:49.you move around the garden and interrogate further, you see a
:10:50. > :10:56.complexity with the planting. Which you see with Hugo Bugg of initially,
:10:57. > :11:00.it is dramatic. The more deeply you look, the more the combinations
:11:01. > :11:01.reveal themselves. You have to live with the
:11:02. > :11:08.reveal themselves. You have to live it like that and you cannot go too
:11:09. > :11:14.far wrong. That is tricky with a show garden which must have the wow
:11:15. > :11:16.factor. People should look for innovation. Something we have not
:11:17. > :11:22.seen before. Cleve West, his innovation. Something we have not
:11:23. > :11:28.is exquisite. It seems he looked at every plant and looked
:11:29. > :11:33.is exquisite. It seems he looked at will put you there, and choosing
:11:34. > :11:39.another plant that complements it. It is the same with Patrick's
:11:40. > :11:43.garden. When you see it, it is a series of plants that have a
:11:44. > :11:51.comfortable dialogue between one another. Holistically, they produce
:11:52. > :11:55.a beautiful effect. Finally, do you think a garden can be successful if
:11:56. > :12:02.part of it is not as good as the rest? No, it must work cohesively,
:12:03. > :12:11.it must be a properly considered design. It has to be perfect? No
:12:12. > :12:14.pressure! We are showing you the gardens you can vote for on the red
:12:15. > :12:20.button. Go to the website for details on voting. The show is also
:12:21. > :12:26.the place where it is in the two is choose to introduce new plants. This
:12:27. > :12:38.year, a range of exciting roses. Carol Klein has been to see them.
:12:39. > :12:43.The roses the Queen of flowers. It is official that she is Britain's
:12:44. > :12:49.favourite flower. And, every year at Chelsea, Rose growers launch their
:12:50. > :13:01.brand-new roses. There are things that have never been seen before.
:13:02. > :13:20.This is exquisite. It is a debutante. Simple peach. Gloriously
:13:21. > :13:25.placed petals. Gold in the centre. It is perfect for pollinating
:13:26. > :13:34.insects. They can zoom in, land on the flat pad, feast, fly off, and it
:13:35. > :13:39.is pollinated. And the stamens remain for weeks.
:13:40. > :13:48.is pollinated. And the stamens hips. It means the birds can also
:13:49. > :13:53.take their fill. Every year, Peter Beale's roses have something new to
:13:54. > :14:06.show us. And this time there is one named after Laurence Llewelyn Bowen.
:14:07. > :14:10.Frilly cuff. It is a modern shrub rose. It is good in a container.
:14:11. > :14:23.When the first flowers have finished, it has back buds. They
:14:24. > :14:31.keep going. It has a citrus centre, the fragrance, which is unusual.
:14:32. > :14:41.I think this rose is knockout. It might be a Dubya -- debutante, but
:14:42. > :14:58.it is decadent. It is aptly named. I would love it in my garden. This is
:14:59. > :15:05.delicious. This is Lady of the Lake, a newcomer on David Austin's stand.
:15:06. > :15:10.She has got beautiful, exquisite perfume, and this lacks,
:15:11. > :15:14.old-fashioned sort of habit. Ramblers are over in a couple of
:15:15. > :15:20.weeks, but this one goes on a flowering continuously. Ramblers are
:15:21. > :15:28.usually quite wild, but not this one, it can be contained. It grows
:15:29. > :15:31.to about ten feet. It could not be classified as a climbing rose
:15:32. > :15:38.because its flowers are too small, but this is just the sort of rows
:15:39. > :15:43.you want to be in a month. Simple pitch, frilly cuffs and lady of the
:15:44. > :15:54.lake all display something unique and really special. I want them all.
:15:55. > :16:07.I know you have only been here a day, and there is a whole week to
:16:08. > :16:12.go. You are stuck here all week. That is great. What are you really
:16:13. > :16:19.looking forward to seeing this week? Where we are. They have excelled
:16:20. > :16:25.themselves. They come out with something fresh. I love this, but I
:16:26. > :16:33.love the bit on the other side as well. The white garden is stunning,
:16:34. > :16:38.it is like Narnia. It is perfect. You feel you are in a dream and
:16:39. > :16:43.there is a touch of blue from the ceanothus and it takes you to the
:16:44. > :16:50.other side. I will stick my neck out on that one, it is not a risk. Is
:16:51. > :16:55.there anything else? There are some surprising things. There is a
:16:56. > :17:01.wonderful display of daffodils but they are bulbs and it is all formed
:17:02. > :17:08.to make a mobile. I wonder what it was. But there is a glorious
:17:09. > :17:16.Amaryllis hanging down and your eyes are taken with that and you look at
:17:17. > :17:23.them. But the best one is garlic. It is not even in flower. It is sinuous
:17:24. > :17:34.and glorious. It is so sculptural. You have seen quite a lot already. I
:17:35. > :17:40.like the iris. I love the iris as well, I am a big fan. Everybody is
:17:41. > :17:45.using them and it must have been difficult to get them right this
:17:46. > :17:50.year. Last year it was the opposite, everybody was out with a
:17:51. > :17:56.hairdryer. I don't need a hairdryer, I know you do. You are not getting
:17:57. > :18:02.out of here. Cleve West is a returning designer and he is back
:18:03. > :18:07.with a garden heavenly influenced by the earthly paradise gardens created
:18:08. > :18:12.by the Persians. It provides a retreat from the stresses of modern
:18:13. > :18:14.life. But the inspiration does not come from the Middle East, but the
:18:15. > :18:33.hills of rural Wales. Paradise for me is a garden where
:18:34. > :18:39.you can feel safe. It is a place where time stands still for a little
:18:40. > :18:43.while at least. This garden is my personal take on the Paradise
:18:44. > :18:50.Garden, the very first gardens that were ever made. I am getting out of
:18:51. > :18:56.my comfort zone. I don't do formal gardens as a rule, but I have got
:18:57. > :19:00.interested in celebrating the intelligence of mankind and
:19:01. > :19:09.mathematics and the divine order. It is a celebration of the cosmos in a
:19:10. > :19:12.way. This garden is north of Abergavenny and it belongs to Jeremy
:19:13. > :19:19.Swift and his way of gardening is inspirational to me. What I love
:19:20. > :19:23.about this garden is it is set deep in the Black Mountains and you have
:19:24. > :19:28.got this Persian garden which is completely at odds with its
:19:29. > :19:31.surroundings, but in a way to Persian gardens were completely at
:19:32. > :19:36.odds with their environment. Persian gardens were completely at
:19:37. > :19:41.desert landscape, very dry and arid and hot and harnessing water,
:19:42. > :19:48.planting trees, having shade. It was a cool, green space to come into
:19:49. > :19:50.planting trees, having shade. It was surroundings. That is very powerful.
:19:51. > :19:54.This surroundings. That is very powerful.
:19:55. > :19:59.to me over the years and for the Chelsea garden there will be some
:20:00. > :20:07.parallels because it is an enclosed space at Chelsea and if you look at
:20:08. > :20:09.this Persian garden there is an enclosed space and there are lots of
:20:10. > :20:19.different layers and it holds your interest. The Persian influence
:20:20. > :20:25.extended east as far as India and West as far as southern Spain and
:20:26. > :20:29.North Africa. What happened in southern Spain is a tremendously
:20:30. > :20:34.good example of an Islamic garden. It gives us a wonderful impression
:20:35. > :20:47.of the management of water in an enclosed space. It is on a scale
:20:48. > :20:52.which is quite remarkable. One of my favourite features of this garden is
:20:53. > :20:59.this giant turtle which Jeremy has made in the woodland. It is
:21:00. > :21:03.fantastic, I love it. In Chelsea I have got some tortoise gargoyles, a
:21:04. > :21:08.very personal touch from my point of view. My first gardening experience
:21:09. > :21:12.was planting potatoes and view. My first gardening experience
:21:13. > :21:18.something hard and it turned out to be
:21:19. > :21:24.its owner and it ended happily. I have always
:21:25. > :21:26.its owner and it ended happily. I symbolic of my slow journey into the
:21:27. > :21:33.world of garden design. It fitted in nicely. He was the first
:21:34. > :21:39.professional garden person to come and see this garden. He came and
:21:40. > :21:42.liked what he saw and has been a great friend ever since and has been
:21:43. > :21:55.often and he has helped us enormously. The garden at Chelsea,
:21:56. > :22:03.with all the distractions of the press, the traffic, flowers and
:22:04. > :22:09.people, I am hoping that little of enclosure will stop you for a second
:22:10. > :22:13.to look at that and really enjoy the space. You feel the atmosphere, look
:22:14. > :22:18.at the plant, listen to the water and take the whole thing in and be
:22:19. > :22:28.transported in time for just a brief moment.
:22:29. > :22:35.Your aim was to create an incredibly tranquil space in the middle of
:22:36. > :22:40.Chelsea, have you achieved it? I think we have. For me, anyway, when
:22:41. > :22:49.you walk into this space you feel relaxed. It is beautiful, I can tell
:22:50. > :22:54.you are pleased with yourself. It draws you into the centre and the
:22:55. > :22:59.sunken garden. The tranquillity creates more privacy and gives you
:23:00. > :23:05.somewhere to sit and away to look at the plants differently. Going down
:23:06. > :23:10.does two things. It raises the plant level so you feel more enclosed and
:23:11. > :23:23.it makes the space feel bigger. I was panicking this was not going to
:23:24. > :23:30.be big enough. Which bit? This area. It feels differently when you are
:23:31. > :23:34.designing it and I am relieved. And with the change of light it comes
:23:35. > :23:45.across during the day. Tell me about the planting. This is next to the
:23:46. > :23:49.Euphorbia. It is singing out. I have not seen it at Chelsea for a while,
:23:50. > :23:56.but for some reason it was really spot on this year and it is really
:23:57. > :23:59.vibrant. But the planting in front is very different. I wanted to
:24:00. > :24:06.create a nod to the desert environment, which is the reason why
:24:07. > :24:10.paradise gardens were created in the first place, and try to make that
:24:11. > :24:15.transition to the more cooler aspect of the garden. It is a challenge,
:24:16. > :24:22.but I think it works. It works beautifully. You have got a bit of
:24:23. > :24:28.yellow and a bit of white which breaks up the cooler colours of the
:24:29. > :24:37.purple and the blue. We had lots of fun with the poppies, clashing pink
:24:38. > :24:41.and orange together. You have got your tortoise scheme sculpture with
:24:42. > :24:48.the water and I hear you did a bit of carving all by yourself. I was
:24:49. > :24:53.marooned on an island in Gloucester, carving away on some bath limestone.
:24:54. > :24:59.It is the tree of life and I carved the roots as a metaphor for the fact
:25:00. > :25:07.that the roots of our gardens lie in those ancient paradise gardens. Have
:25:08. > :25:12.the judges been around? Yes, it is all over now. Best of luck. It is
:25:13. > :25:18.lovely to see how other gardens have had such an influence on gardens at
:25:19. > :25:24.the show. Could your own garden be just as inspiring? If you think it
:25:25. > :25:31.could be, send us a picture. We will be taking a look at them later in
:25:32. > :25:35.the week. Monday at Chelsea is known for the
:25:36. > :25:41.celebrities who come to enjoy the gardens and who are looking for
:25:42. > :25:44.inspiration. New to this year's coverage of Chelsea is an invitation
:25:45. > :25:50.we are issuing two special guests and their mothers to have a look. I
:25:51. > :25:59.would like to welcome Benedict Cumberbatch and his mother Wanda
:26:00. > :26:03.Ventham. Do you come often? No, I have been only three times before
:26:04. > :26:09.and the last trip was three years ago and it was very crowded. Here I
:26:10. > :26:14.am again and I love it. It is only when it is very crowded that you
:26:15. > :26:23.can't get up close to the places you want to see. But today it has been
:26:24. > :26:29.wonderful. Are you a keen gardener? Yes, but only an amateur gardener. I
:26:30. > :26:34.started off with a balcony and then we were lucky to get a cottage 25
:26:35. > :26:40.years ago. I have to hand it to my husband, he does all the donkey work
:26:41. > :26:50.and I sit back and say what colours I would like? Does Benedict help?
:26:51. > :26:56.No, he does not. No, I give them all the credit. When he was little I got
:26:57. > :27:05.him on the balcony to deadhead petunias. Do you need that sense of
:27:06. > :27:11.being away to engage with it? At all. What is remarkable about any
:27:12. > :27:16.kind of outdoor space in London is the immediate sense of calm and
:27:17. > :27:22.contemplation it gives you. It is vital in what I do and the pace of
:27:23. > :27:27.life at the moment. I am not far from Hampstead Heath which is a
:27:28. > :27:34.wonderful, wild, ancient woodland and it is one of the many beautiful
:27:35. > :27:40.London lungs, as they are called, a great park that we have. It is so
:27:41. > :27:45.far removed from London there are times when you hardly see a plane or
:27:46. > :27:51.anybody else within ten minutes. But even in a small space to be able to
:27:52. > :27:57.be outside... Yellow mac you spent your early life in Kensington
:27:58. > :28:02.Gardens. Yes, which was a very beautiful wild garden. That was my
:28:03. > :28:07.abiding memory, being told will you just get out of that. You could not
:28:08. > :28:15.understand you were not allowed to pick the flowers. Between you, you
:28:16. > :28:27.have got a roof garden, Hampstead Heath and a cottage garden. You had
:28:28. > :28:32.a look around earlier. It is brilliant bringing my mother here
:28:33. > :28:39.because gardening has been part of my life. My mum had a balcony until
:28:40. > :28:46.I was 12, but that was flooded with geraniums and it is nice to share
:28:47. > :28:56.such a British occasion as well. The pale, salmon pink is beautiful. It
:28:57. > :29:02.is stunning. I have always thought of Gladio like as being very... Very
:29:03. > :29:10.camp. But that is wonderfully subtle. Salmon pate. It is stunning.
:29:11. > :29:19.Too big for our garden. Yes, way too big. Does this bring back memories?
:29:20. > :29:27.Yes, even the driftwood. big. Does this bring back memories?
:29:28. > :29:32.me of Granny's garden. She collected beautiful things from the beach and
:29:33. > :29:37.mixed it with bamboo. Something formalised with something organic.
:29:38. > :29:44.Could you not have a tiny one in a tub? Know because it is so
:29:45. > :29:49.overexposed on the roof terrace. The little ones are beautiful, but what
:29:50. > :29:53.is great is when they are uniform. I could not do something as flashy and
:29:54. > :30:00.wild as this. I need something more organised. I thought it would be
:30:01. > :30:14.romantic blowing in the breeze. I need a bigger roof terrace. Look at
:30:15. > :30:18.these. They are beautiful. I can only grow little ones because we are
:30:19. > :30:35.in a frost spot. We have to keep taking care of them. And Lulu pins.
:30:36. > :30:38.These are amazing. -- lupins. I love those. I did not
:30:39. > :30:48.These are amazing. -- lupins. I love called Persian slippers. Old man's
:30:49. > :30:52.fingers is the ruder term for them. I choose blue and white because I
:30:53. > :31:13.like white at night. As the light goes... It is like a highlight.
:31:14. > :31:30.This wonderful topiary. So simple. My blue. It is so lovely and simple.
:31:31. > :31:40.A shaded seat the two. It is quite cold. It is lovely. What did you
:31:41. > :31:43.think? It is wonderful. Thank you very much for bringing me along. I
:31:44. > :31:47.would never very much for bringing me along. I
:31:48. > :31:54.you. And one day you will have a garden like this. One day!
:31:55. > :31:58.This year Chelsea is garden like this. One day!
:31:59. > :32:00.in remembering those who lost their lives in the First World War.
:32:01. > :32:05.in remembering those who lost their 100 years since the outbreak. The
:32:06. > :32:10.devastating affect spread into the world of horticulture. The head of
:32:11. > :32:17.show development is with me to talk about this. How was Chelsea
:32:18. > :32:23.affected? Chelsea to begin with was not affected. In 1914, the show had
:32:24. > :32:28.happened when war broke out. In 1915, there were fewer exhibitors,
:32:29. > :32:32.but it was in 1916, with conscription, we saw the biggest
:32:33. > :32:39.change, with the lack of the floral marquee. The younger men were not
:32:40. > :32:42.available to pull up the campus. As little as that. In the Times
:32:43. > :32:48.newspaper there was a comment they had gone to the Navy and the RHS
:32:49. > :32:52.could not put up the pavilion will stop the show is stopped. It was
:32:53. > :32:55.also in reaction to the public outcry, that we were still holding
:32:56. > :33:05.what was seen as a frivolous horticultural show. Did the RHS take
:33:06. > :33:10.any part in the war effort? In 1915, the first fundraising happened. They
:33:11. > :33:16.had an eight and half year old little boy, a viscount, as the
:33:17. > :33:21.fundraiser, with his Shetland pony. Those events allowed the RHS to buy
:33:22. > :33:26.seeds and saplings and mature trees that were sent to France and
:33:27. > :33:31.Belgium, which had been devastated, the countryside and gardens,
:33:32. > :33:38.completely devastated. The Red Cross took those in 1990 when the war
:33:39. > :33:42.ended. The shows started again in 1920. There was no committee, they
:33:43. > :33:49.had lost so many young men, there was not the expertise. It was a
:33:50. > :33:56.great tragedy. It meant the shows committee was formed in 1921, which
:33:57. > :34:02.is the team of today. 100 years later, 2014, there are exhibits in
:34:03. > :34:05.the Great Pavilion that place remembrance at the centre of the
:34:06. > :34:15.display. Andy Sturgeon found out more.
:34:16. > :34:21.There are references to the effect of war had in gardening in 1914
:34:22. > :34:29.Britain in exhibits throughout the Great Pavilion.
:34:30. > :34:44.The gardeners have gone on, and environmental charity garden is a
:34:45. > :34:50.garden on two sides, the Edwardian kitchen garden with vegetables, and
:34:51. > :34:55.on this side, mother nature has taken over. It has become wild. The
:34:56. > :35:03.cabbages and onions are going to seed. I can see there is a weed,
:35:04. > :35:07.which is creeping into my own garden. I have been away for a few
:35:08. > :35:13.weeks. It does not take long to take hold, the birds bring it in. There
:35:14. > :35:20.are nettles, also, which is not so bad, because it is a sign of fertile
:35:21. > :35:25.soil. Dandelions, borage, wonderful plants. It is rather beautiful. The
:35:26. > :35:35.wildlife love it and I actually prefer it.
:35:36. > :35:41.Birmingham City council's exhibit marks 100 years since the start of
:35:42. > :35:49.the First World War. They joined forces with the Royal British Legion
:35:50. > :36:01.and varied exhibit tells the story of the First World War.
:36:02. > :36:08.This is incredible. Everywhere I look, something is going on. Can you
:36:09. > :36:11.talk us through the elements. Everything tries to relate to
:36:12. > :36:21.something earning did during the war. The whistles, a Birmingham
:36:22. > :36:28.-based company, providing whistles for officers to blow for the troops
:36:29. > :36:31.going over the top. We have a hospital train for the injured
:36:32. > :36:38.troops, bringing them back from the front line to Birmingham will stop
:36:39. > :36:42.the bicycle, a re-creation of a folding bike created the soldiers,
:36:43. > :36:48.who when they got stuck, folded it up and put it on their back, to
:36:49. > :36:53.continue their work. And the centrepiece, wonderful poppies. They
:36:54. > :36:58.are the focal point of the display. It is emotive and thought-provoking.
:36:59. > :37:10.Thank you very much. Tomorrow night we will look at one
:37:11. > :37:15.of the show gardens that commemorates the First World War and
:37:16. > :37:22.visiting the Somme that inspired the design.
:37:23. > :37:28.This evening, the young talent in the showcase garden category has
:37:29. > :37:40.been noted. In the past few years, the highly esteemed Japanese
:37:41. > :37:41.designer Ishihara has excelled. Toby Butler and visited two Gardens to
:37:42. > :38:05.find out more. -- Toby Buckland. Ishihara's Gardens are
:38:06. > :38:12.extraordinary. I think about them as Faberge eggs, perfect from every
:38:13. > :38:17.angle. The back is also planted. This is based on a concept we do not
:38:18. > :38:25.have in the English language, the idea of paradise on earth. It is the
:38:26. > :38:30.idea of creating paradise and channelling it into plants, rocks,
:38:31. > :38:41.pebbles, to create tranquillity. There are elements you would expect
:38:42. > :38:48.- acers, and this. It is shaped like the table top. The signature is the
:38:49. > :38:54.lack could pebbles and the Moss. It is not just these gardens that are
:38:55. > :38:59.popular. He has become part of the fabric of Chelsea. He is lovely.
:39:00. > :39:04.When he won the gold medal and got top honours for the partisan garden,
:39:05. > :39:17.you could hear the cheering across the showground. -- Artisans garden.
:39:18. > :39:26.Every year, he arrives from Japan with an entourage of gardeners. One
:39:27. > :39:36.of them has risen up to create a garden design at Chelsea all of his
:39:37. > :39:42.own. It is Japanese. It celebrates porcelain, a traditional pottery in
:39:43. > :39:46.Japan. It is used as edging around the garden. And in the tiles,
:39:47. > :39:52.depicting changing seasons. Symbolism runs through the garden
:39:53. > :39:59.stop there are five steps leading up to the teahouse, three of these
:40:00. > :40:04.beautifully painted balls, representing continuity. You do not
:40:05. > :40:09.often see herbaceous plants in Japanese gardens, but they come and
:40:10. > :40:22.go, with the changing seasons, with the balls shining
:40:23. > :40:32.Your garden is wonderful. You must be proud. What is it like working up
:40:33. > :40:42.the road from the old master? It is like Star Wars. Just joking. We help
:40:43. > :40:45.each other. The detail of the garden is wonderful. I am sure you will
:40:46. > :40:53.please the crowds at Chelsea for many years to come. Thank you, I
:40:54. > :40:56.hope so. Gardeners can become obsessed with
:40:57. > :41:01.the weather, but you would be forgiven this year for packing up
:41:02. > :41:05.your gardening tools and taking up snorkelling as this winter was the
:41:06. > :41:11.wettest since records began. For some nurseries, the weather has been
:41:12. > :41:15.a godsend. Somerset grower Jane Lindsay is hoping her national
:41:16. > :41:25.collection of climbers might bring her a first Chelsea gold.
:41:26. > :41:33.For a lot of people in Somerset on the levels it has been terrific
:41:34. > :41:39.leave wet and we have seen huge amounts of rain. But for us with
:41:40. > :41:43.plants under cover, the light levels have been good and we have saved
:41:44. > :41:52.money on heating, it has been warm, so, at the moment, quite happy. We
:41:53. > :41:57.hold the national collection of passion flowers. We are lucky to
:41:58. > :42:04.have the national collection of jasmine and we also have others. It
:42:05. > :42:12.has been interesting because some plants, they would flower later, but
:42:13. > :42:16.some have flowered earlier and will be over for Chelsea, which is the
:42:17. > :42:21.excitement of doing shows, you do not know until the day which plants
:42:22. > :42:23.you are taking. And some of the public will be seeing climbers they
:42:24. > :42:34.have not A favourite we normally take our
:42:35. > :42:37.wisteria, but because of the good light levels and the warm start to
:42:38. > :42:48.the year, they flowered exceptionally early. This wisteria
:42:49. > :42:50.is a deeper blue at its best. If I shake it, you can see how far
:42:51. > :43:08.advanced it is. This is Clematis, which, this time
:43:09. > :43:14.last year, was coming into bud and was perfect for Chelsea. It
:43:15. > :43:19.performed well. This year, the flowers and the seed heads have been
:43:20. > :43:26.and gone. It will not be out for another year.
:43:27. > :43:35.This jasmine is probably the largest flower of all of the hardy jasmine.
:43:36. > :43:39.Bright yellow flowers. Last year, it went to Chelsea. Already, the
:43:40. > :43:45.flowers are coming out. I really do not think that will be going to the
:43:46. > :43:49.show, which is a great shame. But with the amount of climbers we
:43:50. > :43:54.have, it is an opportunity to send things people have not seen before
:43:55. > :44:00.at Chelsea. Even though this is sad, the future is bright because
:44:01. > :44:09.other climbers will be going. For the first time at Chelsea we hope to
:44:10. > :44:13.show passion flowers. This is a good all-round performer. At the moment,
:44:14. > :44:21.because we are still getting cooler nights, the flowers are not at their
:44:22. > :44:26.best. Hopefully, in the next three weeks, they will burst into bloom
:44:27. > :44:32.and this flower will be a deep purple and for the week of Chelsea
:44:33. > :44:37.it will be at its best. Another example of plants being further
:44:38. > :44:46.forward is this jasmine. Normally, it would be low, but because of the
:44:47. > :44:50.warmth, it shot away. We have to decide whether to prune the shoots
:44:51. > :44:54.back, to get more flower buds, or whether to go with what we have.
:44:55. > :45:07.Whatever decision we make, we hope it will be a mass of flowers. This
:45:08. > :45:12.is actually a perennial and is probably six weeks ahead of what it
:45:13. > :45:19.should be. The buds are coming on at an alarming rate. Hopefully in a few
:45:20. > :45:25.weeks this will be a mass of flour. Every time we do a flower show we go
:45:26. > :45:30.for a gold medal, but Chelsea is always the one that has eluded us
:45:31. > :45:34.and this year as confident as I am with the warm weather, you never
:45:35. > :45:39.know until that morning when you go and see what the medal card is. But
:45:40. > :45:47.fingers crossed this is the winning year. I was really worried you were
:45:48. > :45:54.not going to have any plans at all. We were worried. Everything flowered
:45:55. > :46:03.early. It has been faster as been fantastic. The plans have been nice
:46:04. > :46:07.and warm. What are your new plants? We have got one that is in six weeks
:46:08. > :46:13.early and it is the first time it has been here. It is a perennial
:46:14. > :46:19.climber and is very good in semi-shade. It has got beautiful
:46:20. > :46:27.trumpets on it. This passion flower has caught my eye. She is beautiful.
:46:28. > :46:37.She is hardy and quite happy in semi-shade. She is quite vigorous.
:46:38. > :46:43.And a bit more subtle. Now you have been growing this arch for many
:46:44. > :46:50.years. This is the first time it has been out. We planted it three years
:46:51. > :46:55.ago. It is an incredibly popular plant. You have got one with a
:46:56. > :47:06.yellow flower. It is hardier than the white one. It is a true climber.
:47:07. > :47:13.I think it is sweet scented. Is it after sun or in semi-shade? They do
:47:14. > :47:19.well in semi-shade or in sand, as long as the roots are happy. Have
:47:20. > :47:26.you got a gold in Chelsea? No, we have not, it is the one that has
:47:27. > :47:31.eluded us. How are you feeling this year? We have put every bit of
:47:32. > :47:39.effort in, so it is fingers crossed when the medal card come out. This
:47:40. > :47:44.could be her year. And we are all waiting in anticipation of who will
:47:45. > :47:48.be receiving a gold medal tomorrow. But Monday is the day when her
:47:49. > :47:52.Majesty the Queen makes her annual trip to the show and Carol went to
:47:53. > :47:57.see what the atmosphere in the great Pavilion was like.
:47:58. > :48:00.Of course the atmosphere is absolutely electric. Everybody is
:48:01. > :48:03.anticipating the royal visit absolutely electric. Everybody is
:48:04. > :48:08.they have been polishing the stands and finishing things off and
:48:09. > :48:14.they have been polishing the stands looks beautiful. Thank you, Carol.
:48:15. > :48:20.And so do you. I always try to dress to match the plants. It is exciting
:48:21. > :48:24.when you have got the opportunity to show her Majesty and members of the
:48:25. > :48:29.royal party around and show them what you have done. I like to find
:48:30. > :48:39.time for a crafty glass of champagne. Very best of luck. I will
:48:40. > :48:48.pour you one. Are you ready for what might be the great event? Yes,
:48:49. > :48:51.looking forward to it. Have you been practising your curtsy? Our
:48:52. > :48:59.headmaster used to make as barrel and curtsy a lot. Good preparation
:49:00. > :49:06.for this great moment. I hope she comes. I have met her a couple of
:49:07. > :49:12.times and it is thrilling. I would love to see her. I made her Google
:49:13. > :49:25.wants. Do you want to practice your bow? That will do. -- I made her
:49:26. > :49:34.giggle once. I curtsy to your stand. Thank you, Carol. Welcoming her
:49:35. > :49:39.Majesty the Queen and his Royal Highness Prince Philip are some
:49:40. > :49:42.important members of the RHS Council, including the president,
:49:43. > :49:53.who will be escorting her Majesty around the show. And first, guess
:49:54. > :49:58.who? It is Alan Titchmarsh. I think they are quite well acquainted, so I
:49:59. > :50:07.expect they have got quite a few things to catch up on. Alan, what
:50:08. > :50:14.did her Majesty like about your garden? She said it was great fun.
:50:15. > :50:19.She was talking about the importance of scaling the garden. She is a very
:50:20. > :50:28.knowledgeable gardener and is not often given credit for it. I see her
:50:29. > :50:34.every now and again and she said, he is always doing something
:50:35. > :50:41.different, so that was all right. Her Majesty had quite a lot to say
:50:42. > :50:44.to you. She was talking about the English countryside and rock water
:50:45. > :50:58.and what it was all about, really cool. I think she thought it was
:50:59. > :51:00.cool. And now her Majesty has moved inside into the great Pavilion to
:51:01. > :51:10.see some of the floral exhibits. inside into the great Pavilion to
:51:11. > :51:15.Jean Hillier, you have gifted the Queen one of your wonderful books. I
:51:16. > :51:23.thought the Queen would be interested in a page showing a
:51:24. > :51:31.photograph of her mother. It is a wonderful story. Thank you. So this
:51:32. > :51:37.is the last garden the Queen is going to visit today, Cleeve West's
:51:38. > :51:47.garden, and it has been a wonderful day to day and it feels like it is
:51:48. > :51:54.going to be a fantastic week. I suppose the great uncontrollable has
:51:55. > :52:01.done you proud, the weather is good. It is absolutely glorious, we
:52:02. > :52:07.could not ask for more. When you arrive at kick off so to speak, what
:52:08. > :52:13.is your biggest concern? The weather is the worry, not so much at the
:52:14. > :52:16.show, but before the show. Whether the nurseryman in the pavilion or
:52:17. > :52:22.the designers in the gardens, whether it is a cold spring or a hot
:52:23. > :52:27.spring, the protection of the plans is tantamount to everyone. That is
:52:28. > :52:29.the biggest concern. Are the plans all right? The plants are the stars
:52:30. > :52:35.of the show and we need to make sure all right? The plants are the stars
:52:36. > :52:38.they are well looked after. How do you feel about the
:52:39. > :52:39.they are well looked after. How do what everybody initially comes to
:52:40. > :52:56.see. Are they what everybody initially comes to
:52:57. > :52:59.know we say this a lot, but I think they are stunning. The weather has
:53:00. > :53:01.been in our favour. Last year was a challenge, this year has been great.
:53:02. > :53:07.What is great about this year is the variety of the gardens. You have got
:53:08. > :53:14.some younger designers. Does that involve compromises? Has that been a
:53:15. > :53:20.problem for the RHS? Not at all. We have been very keen to encourage
:53:21. > :53:26.more young people into horticulture, whether it is designers, breeders or
:53:27. > :53:30.botanical scientists. To have these young designers in their 20s, the
:53:31. > :53:36.vast majority have been through some of our other shows. They have gone
:53:37. > :53:44.through Cardiff, Hampton Court, Hatton Park. They are experienced.
:53:45. > :53:52.They might only be in their 20s. Those of us who are a little older,
:53:53. > :53:57.in your 20s, I know Bill Gates started his empire in his 20s, but
:53:58. > :54:03.they are supremely talented. They have not flown in from a planet and
:54:04. > :54:08.come down. They have been to normal selection panels and have got here
:54:09. > :54:13.on their talent and merit. Do you think they have had to compromise
:54:14. > :54:20.their innovation in order to go for gold? Have they had to temper
:54:21. > :54:25.themselves? I do not think there is any sign of that. It could have been
:54:26. > :54:31.an issue. But if you look at the different gardens, we have got a
:54:32. > :54:36.very talented lady in the fresh gardens and a group of young men in
:54:37. > :54:41.the Maynard new gardens and they have all done such different things.
:54:42. > :54:46.There is nothing about them that is formulaic or they have played safe.
:54:47. > :54:52.You can sense the exuberance in their gardens. They have gone for a
:54:53. > :54:57.very unusual things. It is a great way to start the new century. It is
:54:58. > :55:05.the first year of the next century and that is why we were so lucky to
:55:06. > :55:08.have lots of young talent. I hope we are starting that trend of younger
:55:09. > :55:16.people wanting to come into horticulture. The RHS judges have
:55:17. > :55:19.made their decisions and first thing tomorrow designers and exhibitors
:55:20. > :55:24.will know the medals that have been awarded. We thought we would share
:55:25. > :55:31.some of our own personal predictions with you.
:55:32. > :55:36.It is a difficult choice, but my favourite has to be Cleeve West's
:55:37. > :55:43.vision of paradise. The design is sublime and the planting is out of
:55:44. > :55:48.this world. It is very close, but I have to go for the Daily Telegraph
:55:49. > :55:53.garden. It is the perfect show garden. Everything is impeccable.
:55:54. > :56:02.The design flows, a lovely use of colour. I have a soft spot for two.
:56:03. > :56:07.One is no man's land and the other is the garden for Help For Heroes. I
:56:08. > :56:13.think they are beautifully done and they have a passion and a story
:56:14. > :56:17.which touches the heart. If I had to stick my neck out, because I like
:56:18. > :56:28.plants so much, I would say Best in show, would have to go to Cleeve
:56:29. > :56:37.West. It is a really tough call, but the garden I think will win best in
:56:38. > :56:42.show is Tomasso del Buono's Daily Telegraph garden. I love the
:56:43. > :56:48.Euphorbia, the green and the fennel and the lawn is spectacular, it is
:56:49. > :56:54.supreme. We have got a lot of different views and opinions here,
:56:55. > :56:58.but what do you think? All week we will be asking you to pick the
:56:59. > :57:02.garden that you think stands head and shoulders above the rest. On
:57:03. > :57:08.Thursday between midday and midnight you will be able to vote. Then you
:57:09. > :57:24.can preview the first five gardens by pressing the button. Gold medals,
:57:25. > :57:30.Cleeve West, Tomasso del Buono. And I think one of the youngsters might
:57:31. > :57:35.get a gold medal and I think it could be Hugo because I think he
:57:36. > :57:39.might have edged it. The youngsters tend to try and cram too much in the
:57:40. > :57:46.garden, they are too excited and they have not been refined enough.
:57:47. > :57:51.Put your head on the block. The judges have done a points system and
:57:52. > :58:01.it is not so subjective. I don't know. I am not going to say.
:58:02. > :58:05.Luciana. You made me do it. Join us tomorrow on BBC Two tomorrow night
:58:06. > :58:12.when we will be bringing you a full report of the day's medals. You can
:58:13. > :58:15.join Nicky Chapman and Andy Sturgeon tomorrow afternoon at three o'clock
:58:16. > :58:23.for a first look at the winning exhibits.