:00:32. > :00:38.Hello and welcome back to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, supported by
:00:39. > :00:41.M Investments. After last year's centenary celebrations, this event
:00:42. > :00:48.is stepping firmly into the 21st century. But how fresh and forward
:00:49. > :00:52.thinking are the ideas here? We'll be taking a closer look at some of
:00:53. > :00:56.the gardens to find out. As well as seeing how young blood is
:00:57. > :00:58.pushing the limits here at Chelsea, we'll be looking at how global
:00:59. > :01:06.exploration past and present has shaped the way we garden today. But
:01:07. > :01:13.also on the show: We'll take a walk with designer Jo Thompson through
:01:14. > :01:16.some of London's secret gardens. James Wong discovers a Victorian
:01:17. > :01:26.carrying case that revolutionised our gardening heritage. It looks
:01:27. > :01:31.like a greenhouse but is really like an escape pod from a sharesship. And
:01:32. > :01:35.design duo Thomas Heatherwick and Dan Pearson will be giving us an
:01:36. > :01:46.alternative look at what Chelsea has to offer. It's hard to believe that
:01:47. > :01:51.that's a real plant at all. It was medals day yesterday but there was
:01:52. > :01:57.one special medal awarded today, sunflower award, given to Alan
:01:58. > :02:02.Titchmarsh for his garden and also for 50 years in gardening. 50 years
:02:03. > :02:07.in horticultural, congratulations Alan. You must be running out of
:02:08. > :02:10.room on your lapel for another badge. Congratulations. What's
:02:11. > :02:19.interesting is that the newspapers have been full not of experience and
:02:20. > :02:25.age but youth. I know! And too many young men and not enough young women
:02:26. > :02:30.designers. He's a bit of a rock star of the guardening world. That's
:02:31. > :02:36.great, but what does it mean to him? Is it going to make his career? He's
:02:37. > :02:42.made an impact here, won a gold medal. People cut their teeth at
:02:43. > :02:46.Chelsea and have moved on from there. You have to set up a
:02:47. > :02:50.business, a design practice, to get out there and get work. This is just
:02:51. > :02:57.a starting point I think. Would it not have been a bit better if you
:02:58. > :03:03.had got a silver gilt like the Rich brothers and then there wouldn't be
:03:04. > :03:07.that weight of expectation. The Rich brothers will want to come back and
:03:08. > :03:11.get that gold, as they are hungry for it, as you can see. It is like
:03:12. > :03:15.investing in a football team, do we want to win it next season or the
:03:16. > :03:19.year after? You've got an opportunity to win this year and get
:03:20. > :03:25.that gold medal you are going to take it, aren't you? You would
:03:26. > :03:31.certainly take it I would if I got the chance. Two of the gardens here
:03:32. > :03:35.take elements from a part of the world rarely visited in inspiration
:03:36. > :03:40.for garden design. While it is tempting for designers to look at
:03:41. > :03:44.the formality of Italian gardens or the quintessential English cottage
:03:45. > :03:48.garden, two designers have taken a fresh approach. They've looked to
:03:49. > :03:54.the northern hemisphere. This garden is called the Extending? Space,
:03:55. > :03:58.designed by Nicole Fischer and Daniel Auderset. It is conceptual,
:03:59. > :04:04.in so much as they've based it upon an area of Switzerland call called
:04:05. > :04:07.the Pfyn Forest, this is a natural pine forest, but they are
:04:08. > :04:13.disappearing. This garden is, if you like, a hymn to the qualities of
:04:14. > :04:18.that environment. Pines and firs in gem have become untrendy in gardens.
:04:19. > :04:22.I can remember when I was a child that dwarf pines were used
:04:23. > :04:27.everywhere, and now they seem dated. To bring that to Chelsea is quite
:04:28. > :04:31.brave really. And unlike a lot of other gardens. I have to say, I
:04:32. > :04:35.think it works completely brilliantly. I think this is a
:04:36. > :04:41.beautiful garden. It is one that grows on you. Having seen it for few
:04:42. > :04:47.days and walked past it, it gets better and better. They've got pine
:04:48. > :04:55.wood for this pergola, with details, way it tucks in behind the yew hedge
:04:56. > :05:00.and grows out of it. The extending space makes you feel better. They've
:05:01. > :05:06.got Scots pine, dwarf pines. This sense of pines being something that
:05:07. > :05:13.are subtle and sophisticated and not a bit naff is quite knew. I haven't
:05:14. > :05:22.seen it at Chelsea for ages. The planting is light and delicate. The
:05:23. > :05:31.sweet woodruff, the grasses, that lovely white geranium, and the
:05:32. > :05:36.viburnum, the white foxgloves. These are combining not in an aggressive
:05:37. > :05:40.way but to give the place a balanced delicate feel. The hard land
:05:41. > :05:43.scaling, with the granite from Switzerland, with it is beautifully
:05:44. > :05:50.done. One of the pieces of hard landscaping that I love is the
:05:51. > :05:54.patina of the copper of this wall. I remember years ago colouring copper
:05:55. > :05:58.and trying it out. You get this beautiful blue. We think of copper
:05:59. > :06:03.as having a Greaney colour, but it picks up with the blues of the
:06:04. > :06:08.foliage of the Pennines. What you end up -- foliage of the pines. What
:06:09. > :06:12.you end up with is a celebration of a part of Europe that's
:06:13. > :06:15.disappearing. Looking after wildlife, taking responsibility for
:06:16. > :06:20.it but bringing it into the garden, creating a garden that's cool, calm
:06:21. > :06:37.and beautiful. It got a silver gilt. I would have given it a gold.
:06:38. > :06:46.This Norse garden, or the Viking garden as everyone is calling it
:06:47. > :06:53.here at Chelsea, represents a Viking King as el travels across Europe.
:06:54. > :07:00.The rune stones are convention conventional stepping stones. The
:07:01. > :07:08.runic symbol for an R means to journey or to travel. We've got a
:07:09. > :07:15.backdrop created by two different species of northern European
:07:16. > :07:21.confers, so we've got the pine and the larch as well. Larch is used for
:07:22. > :07:25.garden use. We make fences and garden furniture out of it. It's
:07:26. > :07:33.fantastic for outdoors, because it will last forever. This boat, well,
:07:34. > :07:38.the Nords were clever. They created their boats out of it. That prow is
:07:39. > :07:46.incredibly authentic and just how they would have looked. The
:07:47. > :07:53.perennial planting represents the sea as the boat carves its way
:07:54. > :08:03.through it. We've got foamy and frothy planting. This plant is one
:08:04. > :08:11.that everyone is asking about. And then is Anchusa. It punches light
:08:12. > :08:15.and sings out in a garden like this. Sadie got a silver gilt. I would
:08:16. > :08:20.have liked to see these pools of water that represent the sea a
:08:21. > :08:26.little larger and bolder. A bit more confident.
:08:27. > :08:31.I've learned something here. Thousands of years ago in effect
:08:32. > :08:41.these Vikings were doing Viking graffiti across Europe. I think this
:08:42. > :08:46.one says, "Joe woz here." . ". There's a piece of horticultural
:08:47. > :08:51.wisdom from Joe. Sophie Walker's Cave Pavilion is a
:08:52. > :08:54.modern interpretation of what was a revolutionary Victorian invention.
:08:55. > :08:59.Hit a huge effect on so many people's lives. This design caught
:09:00. > :09:03.the attention of a regular to Chelsea, James Wong. It has prompted
:09:04. > :09:12.him to head off on his own journey to find out more about it.
:09:13. > :09:17.One of the gardens that I'm most excited about checking out at this
:09:18. > :09:21.year's Chelsea has to be Sophie Walker's. The great thing about her
:09:22. > :09:25.garden is it celebrates this age-old tradition of British plant hunters
:09:26. > :09:29.but looks optimistically towards its future. I've come here to Cornwall
:09:30. > :09:44.to look at a piece of horticultural cutting edge technology from 200
:09:45. > :09:47.years ago. Here at the Tregothnan estate they've been collecting
:09:48. > :09:51.plants as part of their heritage tore hundreds of years. As a result
:09:52. > :10:02.this part of Cornwall is a horticultural hot spot. Even classic
:10:03. > :10:07.old school favourites like this beautiful rhododendron come from the
:10:08. > :10:11.high him layia, places like Tibet and Bhutan. Incredibly hostile
:10:12. > :10:16.regions for Victorian plant hunters to get through. Only one in 20
:10:17. > :10:27.plants ever made it back to the UK alive. Something was needed to
:10:28. > :10:35.ensure their safe passage. 200 years ago Tregnothnan imported its first
:10:36. > :10:40.camellias to Britain. This is otherwise known as tea. If you can't
:10:41. > :10:45.go a day without your daily cuppa you can thank the Wardian case.
:10:46. > :10:52.Every plantation in India and Africa all descend from plants brought over
:10:53. > :10:55.in Wardian Cases. Jonathan Jones the garden's director
:10:56. > :11:00.is about to offer me my first ever view of the genius piece of
:11:01. > :11:08.industrial technology that is the Wardian Case. I've heard so much
:11:09. > :11:13.about these and I didn't imagine it to look like this. This is a hefty
:11:14. > :11:17.piece of kit. Yes, the original Wardian Case, we think the world's
:11:18. > :11:23.only surviving example, this was found in an old shed. One of the
:11:24. > :11:30.gardening team said, have you seen our ar it hutch?" These were
:11:31. > :11:39.invented by Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward in 1894. Hence Wardian Case. Yes, it
:11:40. > :11:43.was after Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward. I don't think this will be stuck on
:11:44. > :11:48.the back of a mule going up to the top of the Himalayas. This is the
:11:49. > :11:53.type of thing that would be on board ship. Yes, exactly. I think they
:11:54. > :12:02.would have had rucksacks and get near to port and then use these. For
:12:03. > :12:09.it to go to the West Coast of America, it has to go from a item
:12:10. > :12:14.Pratt region to the roasting hot tropics, freezing through the
:12:15. > :12:19.Antarctic and back up. This must have changed the game. That was
:12:20. > :12:23.tough for the sailors but for the plants it could have been death.
:12:24. > :12:31.Water was a rare commodity on board ship? Yes, before they set off they
:12:32. > :12:37.had a really good soak and that was it until they got back to Falmouth
:12:38. > :12:42.or London. Condensation would form on the inside, trickle down in the
:12:43. > :12:47.morning and go around again in a closed case. There is less glass
:12:48. > :12:50.than you would imagine, but there's shading. I think on the decks of the
:12:51. > :12:54.ship it was bright. There is would have been those all over, so the
:12:55. > :13:00.light would have been filtered, no direct sun. Almost as sealed as they
:13:01. > :13:05.could get. It looks like a greenhouse but it is really like an
:13:06. > :13:11.escape pod on a spaceship, supporting life and keeping
:13:12. > :13:17.everything ticking along inside. It would be so easy to dismiss the
:13:18. > :13:20.Wardian Case as some kind of dusty historical relic, but what you've
:13:21. > :13:25.got to remember is at the time it was like the most pioneering
:13:26. > :13:31.ground-breaking invention ever. It has changed the world you and I live
:13:32. > :13:36.in today. Sophie Walker's garden and its 21st century reimagining of the
:13:37. > :13:41.idea promises to carry on that idea. Sophie, explain how you go to
:13:42. > :13:46.Victorian relic to something that's so cutting edge, out of a sci-fi
:13:47. > :13:53.film. Traditional techniques and tools have got to be used in garden
:13:54. > :13:58.design today, so the Wardian Case change changed the case of planting
:13:59. > :14:01.forever, and it is why we have begged plants today. I want to say
:14:02. > :14:06.new plants today can make new design. We've got to push the
:14:07. > :14:10.boundaries. That's exactly it. I've never seen a garden brave enough at
:14:11. > :14:15.Chelsea to only show itself from one side. I love that three sides of it
:14:16. > :14:19.are voyeuristic. It is like the shower scene in the Hitchcock film.
:14:20. > :14:24.You can see beyond it but you want to get to see it. That's a brave
:14:25. > :14:27.move for you. It is either brave oar stupid. It uses traditional
:14:28. > :14:33.techniques. This is a walled garden, the framed view. It is totally! Why
:14:34. > :14:35.Chelsea, this is your first time ever at Chelsea, why here, why
:14:36. > :14:42.nowhere else? We have to make new design. I want
:14:43. > :14:46.to push the boundaries. I want to use plants we don't know about. I
:14:47. > :14:51.want to make new design that we can't understand. I have never seen
:14:52. > :14:56.any of the things in here. Species, I am completely lost. I can normally
:14:57. > :14:59.name everything at a Chelsea garden. It is rare you are so bombshelled by
:15:00. > :15:05.how weird and wonderful the plants are? It doesn't matter how you are,
:15:06. > :15:08.whether you are a plantsman like you, or someone like me, you stand
:15:09. > :15:12.there and you don't know what it is you are looking at. That is quite
:15:13. > :15:14.important. Chelsea is very much - it can be very much about what you
:15:15. > :15:18.know. This isn't about what you know. It is about what you don't
:15:19. > :15:22.know and it is about looking at the design and taking it on for the
:15:23. > :15:26.first time. So your inspiration is the Wardian Case. You had other
:15:27. > :15:29.inspirations as well. This is a stage set, when you sit at the
:15:30. > :15:34.front, you have that perfect frame and you have the seating. I love the
:15:35. > :15:37.idea that you can go into a museum and be educated about something that
:15:38. > :15:47.is completely other to what you know. Or that doesn't bare any
:15:48. > :15:50.relation to its surroundings. This is like a museum and you have a
:15:51. > :15:53.painting on the wall, you are looking at it, being educated in
:15:54. > :15:57.some way. You are making the journey in your mind. My favourite garden
:15:58. > :16:00.out of the show. Well done. Thank you.
:16:01. > :16:06.Two other people have been fundamental in helping Sophie to
:16:07. > :16:10.accomplish this garden - Bleddyn and Sue Wynn Jones of Crug Farm Plants.
:16:11. > :16:14.Welcome. Your work in creating what I have to say is a stunning garden,
:16:15. > :16:20.I love it. Thank you. Is really about the botany? Yes. You have been
:16:21. > :16:25.collecting all these plants, or just some of them? All of them. Every
:16:26. > :16:28.plant in this garden is fully traceable and every one has been
:16:29. > :16:33.collected by ourselves as seed. When you say "fully traceable" what do
:16:34. > :16:37.you mean? Each one is given an accession number so we write down
:16:38. > :16:43.where we collected it, which country. The environment. What it is
:16:44. > :16:47.growing with. So when we come home, we know the conditions that it's
:16:48. > :16:54.happiest in. What sort of places are we talking about? Colombia up here,
:16:55. > :17:01.then we move on to Vietnam and this pretty thing is from Japan. And they
:17:02. > :17:07.are all fully hardy? Yes. I know people think of plant hunters as
:17:08. > :17:13.something that is Victorian, Edwardian, but you are modern plant
:17:14. > :17:19.hunters. Why do you do it? It is a conservation angle. It appeals to
:17:20. > :17:24.us. Some of these plants we are grabbing in front of the bulldozers
:17:25. > :17:28.as the forests, this population crashes all over the world,
:17:29. > :17:33.especially Asia. In Vietnam, we are in an area that's never been
:17:34. > :17:36.botanised before. The land is getting cleared and there are plants
:17:37. > :17:40.here that have never been described to science. We are losing species
:17:41. > :17:46.before we even knew we had them? Exactly. We are. How does that
:17:47. > :17:50.relate to gardeners? It's a good place to conserve them. Lots of
:17:51. > :17:55.gardeners share their plants to save them. Right. We do the same. We want
:17:56. > :18:01.to spread the plants around the world, get them conserved,
:18:02. > :18:05.especially botanic gardens, somebody's plants out there are not
:18:06. > :18:10.known. So, by us gardeners growing the plants, we are keeping them
:18:11. > :18:16.going and we might otherwise lose them? Very much so. Keep up the good
:18:17. > :18:20.work. Thank you. You are welcome. Many of the plants there in Sophie's
:18:21. > :18:23.garden celebrate the global diversity on display here at Chelsea
:18:24. > :18:27.each and every year. Their presence at this show is due to the great
:18:28. > :18:31.plant hunters of yesteryear who ventured out into the unknown to
:18:32. > :18:35.collect and fuel the appetite for the new. Two nurseries in the Great
:18:36. > :18:39.Pavilion are reflecting some of those great discoveries and Carol
:18:40. > :18:54.went along. This is a shrub that is seldom seen.
:18:55. > :19:04.Not because it is difficult to grow. It is difficult to propagate. It was
:19:05. > :19:08.introduced by George Forrest in 1910. That gives you the clue about
:19:09. > :19:18.how to grow it in your garden. If you are lucky enough to get hold of
:19:19. > :19:26.one, it loves the shade from bigger trees. It will produce these
:19:27. > :19:32.delightful little flowers. It's got peeling bark.
:19:33. > :19:39.Almost every plant on this entire stand was introduced by one or other
:19:40. > :19:43.plant hunter. Many of them an expeditions sponsored by the
:19:44. > :19:45.Williams family. Charles Williams, it was your great-grandfather who
:19:46. > :19:50.introduced a lot of them? He funded it was your great-grandfather who
:19:51. > :19:55.George Forrest to go on 11 trips in his lifetime. Each trip to China
:19:56. > :19:58.took probably the best part of two years because you had to go and look
:19:59. > :20:11.at the flowers before you could collect the seeds. Such wonderful
:20:12. > :20:17.plants, things like this primula bes ulleyanna? All these things which we
:20:18. > :20:26.take for granted, they aren't native to Britain. They all came from China
:20:27. > :20:30.100 years ago. Thanks to George Forrest and thanks to your
:20:31. > :20:39.great-grandfather. Thing you so much for bringing it to Chelsea.
:20:40. > :20:42.In the 1770s, Captain Cook put Australia on the map. It wasn't just
:20:43. > :20:48.new places, new peoples they were hoping to discover, it was new
:20:49. > :21:05.plants, too. There was invariably a botanist on board. This fantastic
:21:06. > :21:08.arrangement - many of the plants here are associated with places that
:21:09. > :21:15.Captain Cook sailed. Tell us about some of the plants. The first one
:21:16. > :21:19.was brought back by Sir Joseph Banks on that first voyage. He was the
:21:20. > :21:25.botanist on board then? Yes. He also went to South Africa and a gentleman
:21:26. > :21:30.called Francis Massen, he brought back many of those plants. He was
:21:31. > :21:41.appointed by Banks? He was the first official plant hunter from Kew. The
:21:42. > :21:46.protea and the banks are the same family. The national flower of South
:21:47. > :21:52.Africa? Yes, I wish it was ours. We can't claim that, no! No. I think it
:21:53. > :21:55.would look a bit out of place in a meadow of daisies and buttercups. I
:21:56. > :22:06.think it might. Those exhibits in the Great Pavilion
:22:07. > :22:10.demonstrate that explorers were able to return to our shores with
:22:11. > :22:15.extraordinary plants from all over the world. But what effect does they
:22:16. > :22:18.have on our wildlife? Particularly our insects? Chris Beardshaw is here
:22:19. > :22:43.to tell us more. Even amongst the wild parkland at
:22:44. > :22:47.Chelsea Flower Show there are wonderful stories that unfold about
:22:48. > :22:50.the delicate relationships between our native insects and our native
:22:51. > :23:00.wild flowers. For instance, we have long
:23:01. > :23:06.understood that flowers are visited by insects because the insects are
:23:07. > :23:16.seeking food, nectary rewards. Nectar is a sugary solution, a
:23:17. > :23:20.complex blend of fructose, glucose and suctrose. Insects are fascinated
:23:21. > :23:24.by a specific flavour. As a consequence, they will travel from
:23:25. > :23:29.something like this cow parsley to another batch of cow parsley seeking
:23:30. > :23:36.out that very distinctive food reward. Evidence that the
:23:37. > :23:38.relationship between our insects and our native flora is more delicate
:23:39. > :24:11.than we'd ever perceived. As soon as gardeners started to
:24:12. > :24:15.introduce exotic plants from foreign climes, the situation became more
:24:16. > :24:20.complicated. We introduced a range of nectar flavours that they weren't
:24:21. > :24:24.used to. They didn't have the taste for. And then we started to breed
:24:25. > :24:30.them for aesthetic purposes, so, for instance, a simple introduction like
:24:31. > :24:34.this rose is transferred through into a complex flower that
:24:35. > :24:39.beautifies the whole structure but what happens is that while we are
:24:40. > :24:54.happy, the nectar is hidden, the insects go hungry.
:24:55. > :25:08.Today, us gardeners should be planting flowers in all their
:25:09. > :25:16.physical forms, whether it is the deep bells of foxgloves, or these,
:25:17. > :25:19.perfect for the hoverfly. We should consider producing a flower right
:25:20. > :25:21.through the year. There should never be a moment when your garden isn't
:25:22. > :25:27.in bloom. It is about a fusion of be a moment when your garden isn't
:25:28. > :25:31.exotics and native species. If we achieve that, then we will provide a
:25:32. > :25:33.healthy and balanced diet for our insects that is sure to tickle their
:25:34. > :25:53.tastebuds. As city spaces are growing, urban
:25:54. > :25:58.greening is becoming evermore important. Even our small back
:25:59. > :26:02.gardens contribute to as much as 25% of the green space within our
:26:03. > :26:07.cities. With me I have got two designers, Dan Pearson and Thomas
:26:08. > :26:11.Heatherwick. Dan, you are extremely experienced here at Chelsea. Thomas,
:26:12. > :26:15.you are known for a wide range of projects. You are working together
:26:16. > :26:23.on something that relates to this. Tell me about that. Well, it's the
:26:24. > :26:29.ideas - an idea of an actress who was a James Bond Girl in the 1960s,
:26:30. > :26:36.Joanna Lumley. Yeah. I was introduced to her 13 years ago by
:26:37. > :26:43.Terence Conran who had helped me when I was a student. Yeah. She had
:26:44. > :26:50.this idea which was to give London a new garden that stitches the city
:26:51. > :26:54.together. There's been such a divide between the north and south, even
:26:55. > :26:59.papers like Time Out have done separate issues for north and south.
:27:00. > :27:05.Yeah. If you go to Paris, the Seine is 100 metres, but London is ripped
:27:06. > :27:09.apart in a way by a quarter of a kilometre. If we are able-bodied,
:27:10. > :27:16.that is fine. You would think twice before you walked a quarter of a
:27:17. > :27:23.kilometre. Her idea was could we make it a place... So... This idea
:27:24. > :27:28.of an amazing garden. So Dan seemed the perfect person to make the
:27:29. > :27:34."amazing" bit. How do you make a garden on a bridge? We have got this
:27:35. > :27:38.300-metre span and the bridge has been designed to take the garden. It
:27:39. > :27:42.is very important, isn't it? Structurally, it is going to work.
:27:43. > :27:46.We have two-metre soil depth at two points so we can plant little wood
:27:47. > :27:50.lands. We have to think very carefully about all our views out of
:27:51. > :27:57.the bridge and how London is reframed through a garden. And how
:27:58. > :28:03.to create a journey from one shore to the next. And we are pacing that
:28:04. > :28:10.and finding ways of allowing people to take the slowest route across the
:28:11. > :28:16.Thames. The slowest route? If you come to Waterloo at 6.00am, you can
:28:17. > :28:19.zoom through, but there is also - there will be - the main garden will
:28:20. > :28:23.be made from a collection of gardens with their own seats and the best
:28:24. > :28:30.views you could possibly get. Moments of delight. And, I mean, I
:28:31. > :28:37.think it sort of is important to say that it felt that we should be
:28:38. > :28:42.making something that is celebrating something that - and this proves it
:28:43. > :28:54.really being here - the garden is somehow deep in British psyche. When
:28:55. > :29:00.you hear Radio Four, everyone chortling away to Gardeners'
:29:01. > :29:04.Question Time. That seems to be the moment to pause. We are going to
:29:05. > :29:06.talk to Dan and Thomas later on, after they have had a chance to have
:29:07. > :29:16.a good look around the show. A celebration of some of London's
:29:17. > :29:19.characteristic green spaces forms the basis of designer Jo Thompson's
:29:20. > :29:23.show garden at Chelsea this year called London Squares. She visited
:29:24. > :29:25.some of the squares that are special to her in search of inspiration for
:29:26. > :29:40.her show garden. London is full of noise and hustle
:29:41. > :29:45.and bustle, but occasionally as you're walking along the streets you
:29:46. > :29:53.come across these fabulous garden squares. From this side of the
:29:54. > :29:57.railings you only get a glimpse of the wonderful things that lie
:29:58. > :30:12.beyond. To get in there and see them, you need a key. It is just
:30:13. > :30:17.beautiful. These glimpses of wonderful almost neon blue over
:30:18. > :30:32.there and the whites and the pinks. I could stay here all day. I really
:30:33. > :30:37.could. 20 years ago I lived here in Pimlico, very near this square,
:30:38. > :30:42.Ecclestone Square. My mother sent me a book about Ecclestone Square,
:30:43. > :30:47.written by Roger Phillips. I thought it was possibly going to be one of
:30:48. > :30:52.the dullest books I had ever read, but I gave in and started reading
:30:53. > :30:58.it. From page 1 I was absolutely hooked. It describes the process and
:30:59. > :31:13.the ideas behind where you put plants. Something I had never really
:31:14. > :31:18.considered before. It is invaluable. There are a few areas in this garden
:31:19. > :31:26.that have given me inspiration for the garden at Chelsea. This is my
:31:27. > :31:36.favourite rose of all time. The smell is just delicious. Oh look at
:31:37. > :31:41.this! This beautiful climbing rose. Something I would never have
:31:42. > :31:48.expected to see here. Really, really something special. I love irises.
:31:49. > :31:52.I'm really hoping we'll be able to use the white form for Chelsea.
:31:53. > :31:59.Everywhere you look here there's something different. Round every
:32:00. > :32:04.corner there's a surprise. I've just spot spotted three silver birch over
:32:05. > :32:08.here. I just love the way that their colour shines against the dark
:32:09. > :32:13.background of the foliage beyond. Just a small number of trees planted
:32:14. > :32:30.together and instant architecture. It isn't just Ecclestone Square that
:32:31. > :32:35.I've taken my inspiration from. There are hundreds of garden squares
:32:36. > :32:39.all over London. This is Wellington Square. What I particularly love is
:32:40. > :32:44.the architectural feature which runs all the way along the top of the
:32:45. > :32:52.second storey of the buildings. This detail is called a Triglyph. I've
:32:53. > :33:03.reproduced that in the garden at Chelsea. This is Bonington Square.
:33:04. > :33:10.It was saved by the local community from destruction. What a wonderful
:33:11. > :33:22.place it is. I really, really love the planting. Simple and elegant. I
:33:23. > :33:27.love the idea of this central space being used as a communal meeting
:33:28. > :33:31.point. Garden squares are a continuation of that theme. They
:33:32. > :33:43.give a sense that they are enabling the city to breathe. I want to come
:33:44. > :33:54.to Chelsea and feel that my garden enables them to take a breath. Jo, I
:33:55. > :33:57.love those garden squares as well. I spent my life in London. I can't
:33:58. > :34:02.resist having a peek in and sometimes going in them as well.
:34:03. > :34:05.That's the inspiration. You've created a square in Chelsea, where
:34:06. > :34:10.we are being spied upon at the moment. Are you pleased with your
:34:11. > :34:15.garden? Really pleased. It has created an oasis in the middle of
:34:16. > :34:20.the crowds. It is fantastic. And the judges gave awe gold medal. And this
:34:21. > :34:25.bench is a sculptural form. It dominates the garden. Were you
:34:26. > :34:30.worried about that? I was. The judges did say it could have
:34:31. > :34:34.dominated the garden, but because we balanced it with it going down the
:34:35. > :34:39.stairses and turning into a sculpture at either end, they said
:34:40. > :34:44.it worked. So it was bespoke? Absolutely. We designed it so that
:34:45. > :34:48.it wouldn't just be a little bench in the corner. It would have become
:34:49. > :34:52.too bitty, so we made it the main feature of the garden. And you've
:34:53. > :34:58.got the lightness of touch in the paving and the gravel, and all-white
:34:59. > :35:05.planting. Why? It is a tiny space, three by 12 metres. I just felt it
:35:06. > :35:08.might become a bit too busy to have different colours distracting you.
:35:09. > :35:11.And I was slightly trying to second guess everybody else. I had a
:35:12. > :35:16.feeling there would be lots of colour, deeper colours elsewhere, so
:35:17. > :35:22.I thought let's try something effort Interesting. And people walk all the
:35:23. > :35:29.way round, so you had to think. You created height with the silver
:35:30. > :35:33.birches. This cornice is fantastic. Everybody's asking about it. And it
:35:34. > :35:38.is not on the plant list. It is one thing I saw in a couple of weeks ago
:35:39. > :35:43.in the nursery and I had to have it in the garden. And what about the
:35:44. > :35:49.sculpture? That was started off a long time ago. It is made by a
:35:50. > :35:54.sculptor Frederick Cheverin. We gave him the design of the garden and let
:35:55. > :35:59.him work through and get to this wonderful marble sculpture. It is
:36:00. > :36:04.lovely. I garden square could have one. Lovely to see you.
:36:05. > :36:07.On the weekend of 14th and 15th June, the Open Garden Squares
:36:08. > :36:11.Weekend will be flinging the doors open on over 200 London gardens.
:36:12. > :36:15.This is all for charity, so members of the public can take a peek for
:36:16. > :36:18.themselves. One of the pleasures of visiting
:36:19. > :36:22.city squares, not just in London but all over the country, is to see the
:36:23. > :36:25.ingenious ways in which our metropolitan gardeners have been
:36:26. > :36:29.making the most out of small spaces. It's a theme that has been running
:36:30. > :36:33.through your e-mails and it seems a lot of you are struggling with
:36:34. > :36:44.planting in shady conditions. Here's Toby Buckland to cast some light on
:36:45. > :36:48.your problems. Thank you for your e-mails and thank you Margaret
:36:49. > :36:54.Barber for share energy this image of your shady border. Margaret is
:36:55. > :36:59.after a few plants to brighten the gaps between the existing shrubs.
:37:00. > :37:10.What I love about this garden is your boundary, this wicker-style
:37:11. > :37:16.picket fence. You need some Lamium. Or sweet rocket. The must-have for
:37:17. > :37:22.you, white foxgloves planted en masse, maybe 20-25 in your border so
:37:23. > :37:30.they glow like living standard lamps.
:37:31. > :37:32.Charlotte has also got shade. You've been a bit mean with your borders.
:37:33. > :37:36.Look at been a bit mean with your borders.
:37:37. > :37:40.base of the fence. No wonder it is shady and dark. You say it's dry.
:37:41. > :37:45.I'm not surprised, because the grass right up next to it is stealing all
:37:46. > :37:50.the moisture. If you want plants to grow you need more generosity with
:37:51. > :37:58.the size of your border. There want to be four feet deep. That way you
:37:59. > :38:01.can pile in the competitors and get things growing. You say bluebells
:38:02. > :38:08.are growing for you. That's because they are under the dapple shade of
:38:09. > :38:15.the Plumtree. That's great for some plants. They come up, flower and do
:38:16. > :38:21.their thing and go to ground before the winter sets in. This will be a
:38:22. > :38:27.cracking plant for you, this Dicentra. And this one, the bees
:38:28. > :38:36.work the flowers. What's not to love about those? Get your spade out,
:38:37. > :38:42.Charlotte. Leslie wants advice on what to plant
:38:43. > :38:49.when she replaces this shaded is and patchy lawn. She's got an idea for a
:38:50. > :38:55.slate gravel garden. Slate is the choice, because it is not porous. It
:38:56. > :39:04.won't pick up moss. As for plants, acers at the back for spring and all
:39:05. > :39:14.colour, and then a Persian tapestry. These will give good flowers as will
:39:15. > :39:19.any Heuchera with a city name in it. Like people with pale skin, put them
:39:20. > :39:23.in hot sun and they frazzle up. There is another reason to plant
:39:24. > :39:28.these, Lese, they are resistant to slugs. You are going to but against
:39:29. > :39:32.them when you create a new garden. They might have the odd nibble of a
:39:33. > :39:40.leaf here and, there but they will prefer the plants next door.
:39:41. > :39:44.Tonight we've been looking at some of the fresh ideas out of Chelsea
:39:45. > :39:51.this year. With those ideas there are new exhibitors, including robin
:39:52. > :39:54.and Annabel Graham from Drointon. They are exhibiting their glorious
:39:55. > :40:05.auricula collection for the first time. We caught up with them last
:40:06. > :40:12.month as they prepared for the show. It really started in the early y
:40:13. > :40:18.'90s, when my mother-in-law gave my wife Annabel some plants as a little
:40:19. > :40:23.hobby and sideline to keep her busy while the boys were away at school.
:40:24. > :40:30.Like most auricula growers our collection grew. Sometimes at the
:40:31. > :40:35.end of the winter after cold days I get a bit fed up, but when spring
:40:36. > :40:39.comes and they come into flower, you realise why you do it and think no,
:40:40. > :40:45.I will never part with you all. I have to keep you. We often tell our
:40:46. > :40:49.customers that auriculas are not difficult to grow, but they are
:40:50. > :40:54.quite easy to kill, if you don't get the basics right. They will live
:40:55. > :40:58.longer for you on effect than too much love. Too much love will kill a
:40:59. > :41:04.plant like this. Whenever we have one that's difficult, hide it in
:41:05. > :41:07.amongst a tray of what you consider to be rubbish and treat it along
:41:08. > :41:12.with the rubbish and therein is a high chance when you remember and
:41:13. > :41:16.fish it out again, you will get a cracking great big plant because
:41:17. > :41:22.you've neglected it. The real growth in expansion of auriculas came when
:41:23. > :41:30.they started being groan as florist plants in pots. This is why you have
:41:31. > :41:34.the classical auricula theatres and plants displayed for their beauty as
:41:35. > :41:40.individual specimen plants. Here we grow not only those type of plants,
:41:41. > :41:45.but also a wide range of border auriculas, which have been for many
:41:46. > :41:54.years perhaps the underdogs of the pecking order of auriculas. We have
:41:55. > :42:03.a particular fascination with the national collection of border
:42:04. > :42:09.auriculas. This is a border, because it wants to, ideally, be planted
:42:10. > :42:15.outside and left to make a large clump. Then you get loads of flower
:42:16. > :42:20.spikes all from the same plant. You end up with a dome. At its best I
:42:21. > :42:29.think we've had 17 flower spikes on one plant. If you can imagine the
:42:30. > :42:35.display that that gives you. A florist auricula is much more
:42:36. > :42:39.formal. It's grown to a set of rules, the pips must be flat. The
:42:40. > :42:45.pip being each individual flower on a flower head. You have a circle of
:42:46. > :42:50.white paste. It should be a tight, exact circle of white paste and then
:42:51. > :42:54.a yellow not too big centre to at this time. They are idea on the
:42:55. > :42:58.perfection of each pip on the flower. They are grown for a very
:42:59. > :43:03.specific reason. They are grown to show you are not looking for a huge
:43:04. > :43:12.number of pips. You are looking for the perfection of pips. This is is
:43:13. > :43:17.an alpine auricula. The thing that distinguishes an alpine auricula is
:43:18. > :43:22.that it always has a shady petal, from a light outside going darker.
:43:23. > :43:27.They always have yellow, a central ring completely free of paste. They
:43:28. > :43:32.are nationally versatile. You can grow them as a florist flower with a
:43:33. > :43:40.single stem or you can grow them as a clump out in the garden. We've
:43:41. > :43:46.been doing shows now for over 50 years, but this is the first time
:43:47. > :43:52.we've gone to Chelsea. We know we can put together a stand worthy of a
:43:53. > :43:56.good award. When I say we, it is really Annabel that does all the
:43:57. > :44:07.hard work and design of the stands. That's something she will remind me
:44:08. > :44:13.of frequently. What we are trying to do in our exhibit at Chelsea is to
:44:14. > :44:17.bring to people's attention the border auriculas and alpine
:44:18. > :44:22.auriculas. The trouble with Chelsea is trying to make the borders stay
:44:23. > :44:26.back for long enough. Left to their own devices they would be over by
:44:27. > :44:31.then. We need them to lift the display, because otherwise there's a
:44:32. > :44:36.tendency for the whole thing to look flat. A series of small plants on a
:44:37. > :44:41.large area, Chelsea is such a big thing that the thought that it could
:44:42. > :44:44.possibly go wrong and we could have things not out at the right time,
:44:45. > :44:48.that quality isn't going to be what it is meant to be, it is terrifying
:44:49. > :45:00.but exciting at the same time. Annabel and Robin from Drointon
:45:01. > :45:06.Nurseries are with me now. You have gone for a much more contemporary
:45:07. > :45:09.approach here? We have. We've gone for an approach where we want to try
:45:10. > :45:13.and show people the many different things they can do with auriculas.
:45:14. > :45:19.They don't need to be displayed in a theatre, which is how people
:45:20. > :45:25.traditionally think of showing them. You can plant them in the garden,
:45:26. > :45:29.you can grow them in clumps. We can tell people that it is not unless
:45:30. > :45:32.they see it that they can appreciate what they can do for themselves. It
:45:33. > :45:36.is effective the way you have dropped the plants into the staging
:45:37. > :45:40.so you can see how they would be at ground level? Yes. A bit freakish
:45:41. > :45:46.seeing them against black at that level. That was to show people to
:45:47. > :45:54.plant them in the garden. They love growing outside, not all of them,
:45:55. > :46:01.but not the show ones. Are you pleased with the look of it? Is it
:46:02. > :46:04.what you expected, Robin? We struggled with the weather over the
:46:05. > :46:08.last few days. It has not helped us late in the season. But it has
:46:09. > :46:11.probably come to the end of the development of this design and we
:46:12. > :46:14.probably need to go back to the drawing board and think of something
:46:15. > :46:20.different but still conveying the important parts of the different
:46:21. > :46:23.ways you can grow auriculas. You have absolutely succeeded
:46:24. > :46:27.brilliantly. And it was interesting to show that you can almost neglect
:46:28. > :46:33.these plants and they give you these wonderful flowers? Yes. Most people
:46:34. > :46:37.handle them far too much. Too much heat and too much water. They want
:46:38. > :46:42.to be kept fairly dry and cool. No killing them with kindness? Don't
:46:43. > :46:48.kill them with kindness. You are not the only people showing auriculas
:46:49. > :46:55.here. Any rivalry going on? No, no, not between lock yeRps and us. --
:46:56. > :46:59.not between Lockyers and us. Bill Lockyer does this show brilliantly.
:47:00. > :47:03.He is traditional. He does the florist flowers and things. No, we
:47:04. > :47:09.get on with him incredibly well. Room for both? Masses of room for
:47:10. > :47:14.both! Jo tracked down the Lockyer boys to find out how they have
:47:15. > :47:18.approached this year's exhibit. Bill, Simon, you have always shown
:47:19. > :47:22.them and grown them traditionally and you are quite into the history
:47:23. > :47:27.of them. Tell me about the history in the UK of auriculas? The history
:47:28. > :47:33.goes way back to the 16th Century, that is when they were first
:47:34. > :47:37.recorded. It was the Victorians that went to town, they went into it in a
:47:38. > :47:41.big way to produce the varieties and the types of plants we have got now.
:47:42. > :47:45.The Victorians were obsessive about lots of plants. Probably, the
:47:46. > :47:50.auricula was one of the biggest at the time. One of the biggest. There
:47:51. > :47:53.was a northern Society, a Midlands, a Southern and little splinter
:47:54. > :47:59.groups that grew these for exhibitions. Were they competitive?
:48:00. > :48:03.Absolutely. Have they displayed them like this always? This is a black
:48:04. > :48:06.backdrop and I love the picture frames there as well. Was that the
:48:07. > :48:13.way they would have done it then? Not necessarily. What we've noticed
:48:14. > :48:18.that the early Flemish painters on the still life vase of flowers you
:48:19. > :48:22.had auriculas hanging off the bottom of the vase. This is how we could
:48:23. > :48:27.identify some of the early stripes. They are in the paintings. Oh right.
:48:28. > :48:31.We have the stripes back. You have put your spin on it a little bit?
:48:32. > :48:41.Yes. Have you got any new varieties here? We have a brand-new variety.
:48:42. > :48:46.That's lovely. It was raised by a good friend of mine, Derek Salt. It
:48:47. > :48:49.is the first one and I'm waiting for an offshoot to come so I can say I
:48:50. > :48:56.have another one. That is the only one at the moment? Yes. Simon, your
:48:57. > :49:01.dad has his suit, tie and the hat. Where is the rest of the garb? I did
:49:02. > :49:05.have it on yesterday, Jo. Today, I have been working! I'm sorry about
:49:06. > :49:11.that! You have a gold medal. Is it good to have competition?
:49:12. > :49:14.Absolutely. We do like people to promote the auricula. The more
:49:15. > :49:17.people that grow these plants, the better it is. If they were to die
:49:18. > :49:23.out tomorrow, you would never get these again. It would take an awful
:49:24. > :49:27.long time. You do it in a traditional way? Yes. Chelsea is a
:49:28. > :49:33.chance to showcase some alternative ways of planting. Carol has been
:49:34. > :49:36.finding out more about the movement towards greening our vertical
:49:37. > :49:37.spaces. This concept has moved a step forward and found its way
:49:38. > :49:49.indoors. If you think I'm lying down on the
:49:50. > :49:56.job and just taking it easy, you are wrong! Over the last few years, we
:49:57. > :50:02.have all got used to the idea of green walls. But they are all
:50:03. > :50:09.outside. Now those walls are on the move - they are coming indoors.
:50:10. > :50:14.Planting like this is ideal for conservatories, or rooms where you
:50:15. > :50:17.have got French windows. They really join the outside and the inside of
:50:18. > :50:22.the house and make an easy transition.
:50:23. > :50:35.All the walls here are composed of different varieties of begonia. It
:50:36. > :50:40.is a popular house plant and it has been since Victorian times. They are
:50:41. > :50:44.incredibly easy to maintain. It doesn't need any direct sunshine,
:50:45. > :50:50.either. It keeps its leaves all the year-round. All you need do is pick
:50:51. > :50:55.off an occasional brown leaf. The colours are subtle. The shapes are
:50:56. > :50:59.beautiful and the texture is wonderful. But just occasionally you
:51:00. > :51:18.yearn for a splash of colour. It doesn't get much more colourful
:51:19. > :51:24.than this. Alongside the begonia Rex is this glorious Streptocarcus. You
:51:25. > :52:15.can paint any picture you want on the living room wall, with one
:52:16. > :52:21.through those roots, so providing you give them something to grow on,
:52:22. > :52:28.they will be perfectly happy. A bit of branch, bamboo cane, anything of
:52:29. > :52:33.that description. Nearly all these exquisite plants are from the
:52:34. > :52:38.Tillandsia and this one, it has become quite familiar. It has that
:52:39. > :52:47.lovely ghostly air, it looks like it came out of an enchanted wood. Green
:52:48. > :52:50.walls bring a new dimension to gardening. If you are making your
:52:51. > :52:59.green wall inside, the possibilities are endless!
:53:00. > :53:05.Nurserymen and designers are looking to push the innovation boundaries
:53:06. > :53:07.this year. Here on the Positively Stoke-on-Trent Garden, it is about
:53:08. > :53:11.the future and the council's plans to become a leading contemporary
:53:12. > :53:15.city. Now, last year, Stoke-on-Trent did a garden which was about
:53:16. > :53:20.regeneration and this year, it is about rebirth, so they have taken
:53:21. > :53:23.over the island plot here, the triangle as we call it here, and
:53:24. > :53:28.they have done a really good job. It is all about sustainable energy and
:53:29. > :53:32.harnessing it. So we have got these huge arches with water running over
:53:33. > :53:38.it, the power of water and how to control it and make the most out of
:53:39. > :53:42.it. The site has this water teardrop water feature in the middle. I
:53:43. > :53:46.learnt something today. Stoke-on-Trent has the thinnest
:53:47. > :53:52.piece of crust of the Earth's surface than anywhere in Britain.
:53:53. > :53:57.There is potential for geothermal energy to be harnessed there as
:53:58. > :54:01.well. Now, this structure is made from acrylic, they call it a
:54:02. > :54:06.Pavilion. I think it is a fantastic place to shelter from the rain. The
:54:07. > :54:09.judge went in this bit of water yesterday, he stepped back and was
:54:10. > :54:16.up to his knee in it. I'm not going to go in at all! I do like the
:54:17. > :54:20.Arnold Bennett poem on the back. "It is easier to go down a hill than to
:54:21. > :54:24.go up but the view is better from the top." So, it is all about
:54:25. > :54:28.investing, it is about looking to the future and working hard, too.
:54:29. > :54:32.The planting here starts with white plants at the back and goes to plums
:54:33. > :54:39.and pinks and reds towards the front. I think some of the planting
:54:40. > :54:43.here is absolutely sumptuous. The feathery fennel and there is a rose
:54:44. > :54:49.Darcey Bussell here as well. What I do like is its boldness. I do think
:54:50. > :54:51.the central area feels too corporate. I would have liked to
:54:52. > :54:56.have seen something breaking up the space a bit. The visitors look right
:54:57. > :55:01.across it and what do you see? Some more visitors! So to break a garden
:55:02. > :55:06.up at eye level is very important. Now, remember this garden and the
:55:07. > :55:12.other 15 large gardens here await your vote in the BBC RHS People's
:55:13. > :55:18.Choice Award. If you press the Red Button at the end of the programme,
:55:19. > :55:23.it will take you through to the final six gardens. Details are on
:55:24. > :55:30.bbc.co.uk/chelsea. Two of our guests here are Dan
:55:31. > :55:35.Pearson and Thomas Heatherwick. I can remember Dan nearly 25 years ago
:55:36. > :55:40.when he was still a student showing - he showed exceptional talent. In
:55:41. > :55:44.1996, I remember the stir his rooftop garden caused. Thomas
:55:45. > :55:49.Heatherwick's own work in the world of building design is now recognised
:55:50. > :55:54.as having a major influence across the world. So, what did these two of
:55:55. > :56:02.our best-known designers make of this year's show?
:56:03. > :56:14.I thought this was worth looking at. These Japanese tools are exquisite.
:56:15. > :56:19.Certain part of the blade is used for different things. You don't
:56:20. > :56:22.think tools as having personality. No. It is so highly evolved, isn't
:56:23. > :56:34.it? This is the world of excellence.
:56:35. > :56:40.When I was a kid, I saved up my pocket money to buy one of these -
:56:41. > :56:44.begonia Rex. This has everything. It is quite hard to imagine how you
:56:45. > :56:48.could make something more intriguing. This is Chelsea. This is
:56:49. > :57:06.as good as it gets. Lupins - they are extraordinary. For
:57:07. > :57:13.the first time in my life, I went on a helicopter in New York. We came in
:57:14. > :57:18.to Manhattan to land. And to see this three-dimensional landscape of
:57:19. > :57:21.all these tours - amazing. You have to put people in the shot or it
:57:22. > :57:38.looks unreal. The forms are just incredible. That
:57:39. > :57:46.looks like Photoshop grafting on a computer. It is hard to believe that
:57:47. > :57:51.that is a real plant at all. And their sculptural, you almost wince
:57:52. > :57:55.at how confident they are. I haven't seen such prettiness. It is really
:57:56. > :58:01.exciting. They are rude-looking as well! They are a bit. With something
:58:02. > :58:04.like the Lupins, they are so spectacular. You come to these
:58:05. > :58:11.stands where the colour, you have to find it a bit more. The thing this
:58:12. > :58:19.year is the fact that we are working together, trying to give London a
:58:20. > :58:28.new garden. I think it's wonderful to be reminded that "garden" is made
:58:29. > :58:35.up of characters. Normally, I am looking at the distance, whereas
:58:36. > :58:40.this year I feel much more questioning of every, of everything
:58:41. > :58:43.that catches your eye, my eye. As to whether it has a role to play in
:58:44. > :58:47.making somewhere that whether it has a role to play in
:58:48. > :58:53.richness and intensity that is not just for five days, but that is for
:58:54. > :59:05.a century. You clearly were having a nice time.
:59:06. > :59:09.But like everything you saw? I think there's always a tremendous richness
:59:10. > :59:14.here and there are things which you love and things which you like less.
:59:15. > :59:19.So no, you don't like everything you see. What about you, did you like
:59:20. > :59:25.the way it's been put together, as a Steiner? I think the Chelsea Flower
:59:26. > :59:30.Show is an amazing phenomena and the heart of it is this amazing Avenue
:59:31. > :59:33.through the middle. I absolutely love the specialists who are all
:59:34. > :59:40.plugged into the side of that. But it does feel to me that this Avenue
:59:41. > :59:49.could be even stronger. The show gardens are phenomenal in their own
:59:50. > :59:54.right. We were talking, sometimes in exhibition exhibitions in galleries
:59:55. > :59:59.there is a curator who gives just some first clues of a theme or a
:00:00. > :00:08.subject that then people respond to. Just to be clear, exactly what does
:00:09. > :00:15.a curator do? A curator makes things, an exhibition in an art
:00:16. > :00:21.gallery, in that context coherent to be more powerful for a visitor. OK.
:00:22. > :00:26.It feels like there's quite separate pieces of amazingness. If you added
:00:27. > :00:30.them together and co-ordinated them even more, it could be more
:00:31. > :00:35.powerful. On a functional level, it is very hard to experience the
:00:36. > :00:38.gardens, because there's so many people. The act of lifting the
:00:39. > :00:43.gardens up, thinking of the experience for someone walking down
:00:44. > :00:48.that avenue, if you could lift those gardens and possibly angle them
:00:49. > :00:53.slightly, a theme might be gardens on slopes. Britain does gardens on
:00:54. > :01:01.slopes in a way that Amsterdam can't really justify. Dan, as a garden
:01:02. > :01:07.designer, a successful Chelsea exhibitor, would you feel restricted
:01:08. > :01:12.by that? At the moment you have relative freedom. Freedom isn't
:01:13. > :01:14.necessarily a good thing. It is good to give people a sense of direction.
:01:15. > :01:19.I think people would contribute to each other. There's always a
:01:20. > :01:26.zeitgeist that comes through somehow, but to have that zeitgeist
:01:27. > :01:35.steered in some way is good. The job of a curator can be from provoke
:01:36. > :01:40.something, that everyone give gives them intellectually something to do,
:01:41. > :01:45.the subject is what? Water, fire or something. In a way that's in a way
:01:46. > :01:49.to draw out the condemnry zeitgeist. For me Chelsea is about the
:01:50. > :01:54.zeitgeist and other contemporary thinking in nature. Thank you both
:01:55. > :01:59.for coming and for sharing this with us. It is a fascinating idea,
:02:00. > :02:03.curating cheap. There's a lot of food for thought
:02:04. > :02:07.there. As we've said throughout today, there are changes afoot and
:02:08. > :02:12.it remains to see how they develop. I guess all of us are watching with
:02:13. > :02:16.a huge amount of interest. Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is a regular
:02:17. > :02:23.to Chelsea. This year as he prepares to move into a new house will is an
:02:24. > :02:34.extra incentive for his visit, as he looks for fresh inspiration.
:02:35. > :02:40.One of the things that Chelsea does so well is that it becomes a kind of
:02:41. > :02:43.a horticultural speed date. It gives you an opportunity to see as many
:02:44. > :02:48.different gardens as possible with the theory that one of them is going
:02:49. > :02:54.to be the garden of your dreams. And my quest to find a garden design
:02:55. > :02:58.that's more about, well, more about the catwalk than the compost heap
:02:59. > :03:07.looks like it is going to be easy this year, because Chelsea this year
:03:08. > :03:11.is extremely chic. I'm feeling at home with all of this. This is less
:03:12. > :03:14.about Mother Nature and much more about making a room look lovely. It
:03:15. > :03:19.is part of a much longer tradition that goes back to the 18th century,
:03:20. > :03:24.taking inspiration from the interior and taking it outside. Weirdly, it
:03:25. > :03:29.is very like a design that I've done for the Royal Horticultural Society,
:03:30. > :03:33.which is all about exploring furniture styles and see how they
:03:34. > :03:39.can be converted into a garden situation. Of course, a cunning
:03:40. > :03:44.option is to take sculpture and furniture and combine them so you
:03:45. > :03:48.are sitting is on fine art. These fabulously sculpted boulders are
:03:49. > :03:52.heated, so you get the option of hot rocks for a cold winter evening.
:03:53. > :03:58.What's really caught my eye is that sculpture there, that's me and the
:03:59. > :04:02.Mrs In our new garden having a clothes optional moment. Because I'm
:04:03. > :04:06.travelling so much, I don't want a garden that's even more high
:04:07. > :04:11.maintenance than I am, so I'm very excited about anything that's not
:04:12. > :04:15.organic. My vision is for a kind of a classical courtyard that would be
:04:16. > :04:21.the perfect background to sculpture. This one with a little fountain
:04:22. > :04:35.trickle would be perfect. Who knows? Maybe it is called the Damp Toga.
:04:36. > :04:42.So, what is the alternative? A stylish garden that is for someone
:04:43. > :04:47.like me who is so over flowers? This is so ex-whizz Italy elegant. I love
:04:48. > :04:56.the fact that nature is incredibly well behaved. There's a rug of
:04:57. > :05:03.grass. Those borders are in this season's must-have shades of cobalt
:05:04. > :05:09.and lime. Chintzy. And scatter bushes. I love these because they
:05:10. > :05:13.are trees turned into a screen of neoclassical columns. Alright, I
:05:14. > :05:18.hold my hands up, I am going to have to have at least one new plant in my
:05:19. > :05:23.garden, but that plant is going to have to be beautiful and very
:05:24. > :05:29.useful. In fact essential. Nice. Perfect for a gin and tonic.
:05:30. > :05:35.Speaking of which I'm sure I can hear clinking. Is that the drinks
:05:36. > :05:41.tray? I've got some lemons here which are
:05:42. > :05:48.destined only for a glass, all of them. I'm waiting for the invitation
:05:49. > :05:51.Monty. Well... It is too far away. A Laurence has been inspired by his
:05:52. > :05:55.visit to Chelsea and there's a huge amount to take in this an event like
:05:56. > :05:57.this. Here's a snapshot of the fresh and new ideas that we've tracked
:05:58. > :07:07.down at this year's show. Everybody I've spoken to on and off
:07:08. > :07:11.the record has said it's been a lovely Chelsea. But quite a few
:07:12. > :07:15.people have also said they are bemused by the fact that the
:07:16. > :07:19.planting in the show gardens seem to be cut from the same cloth. It is
:07:20. > :07:25.almost as if it flows from garden to garden. There's nothing particularly
:07:26. > :07:31.challenging in the planting, nothing exotic or graphic. It does have this
:07:32. > :07:34.soft feeling. Sometimes one of the nurseries might say I've got 300
:07:35. > :07:40.irises, they are going to be perfect for Chelsea and two or three gardens
:07:41. > :07:44.might buy from the same nursery and at gives that similarity throughout.
:07:45. > :07:48.In the Great Pavilion they are looking for perfection for Chelsea,
:07:49. > :07:51.so there is always going be similarities. But I think people
:07:52. > :07:55.find it comforting. It is a beautiful show. And everyone is
:07:56. > :08:02.enjoying themselves, that's the main thing. That's all from us today at
:08:03. > :08:06.the RHS Chelsea Flower Show supported by M Investments. We'll
:08:07. > :08:09.be back here on BBC Two tomorrow at 8.00pm. But before then you can join
:08:10. > :08:12.Nicki Chapman and Andy Sturgeon tomorrow afternoon over on BBC One
:08:13. > :08:16.at 3.00pm. And don't forget there's still time to take part in our
:08:17. > :08:20.People's Choice Award. You can view profiles of all 16 gardens in the
:08:21. > :08:30.running over on the Red Button or on our website, bbc.co.uk/chelsea. You
:08:31. > :08:31.can vote from between noon and midnight tomorrow. But from us,
:08:32. > :09:12.until tomorrow, goodbye. ..then...
:09:13. > :09:19...he landed...