Episode 3 RHS Chelsea Flower Show

It's Monday, we are in the horticultural heart

of London and once again The Chelsea Flower Show

The press, celebrities and Her Majesty the Queen and VIPs

are here to witness it all as they come together

Welcome to the most famous flower show on earth.

It's Monday, we are in the horticultural heart

of London and once again The Chelsea Flower Show

The press, celebrities and Her Majesty the Queen and VIPs

are here to witness it all as they come together

Welcome to the most famous flower show on earth.

Welcome back to the RHS Chelsea Flower show,

an event supported by M Investments.

The show kicked off in style first thing earlier today as Royals

and rock stars strutted the Chelsea catwalk.

And there was plenty to keep them entertained.

With a show ground packed with the world's media the gardens

and exhibits threw all they had into press stunts to make

They do seem to come up with more and more outlandish ideas every year

just to grab the headlines. They want that front page, it's worth a

lot. It is. Well, beyond the publicity stunts

there's a serious competition Despite what they might say,

every exhibitor and every garden designer wants to leave

Chelsea with one of these. They may be small but they are worth

an awful lot. You could have told me, I would have brought my name.

Have I told you I've got one? You have actually, many times.

All day today the RHS judges have been out in force assessing each

individual exhibit and garden in minute detail.

Not a petal or leaf can be out of place at the crucial

So if the plant doesn't flower until tomorrow it's too late!

If the plant goes over today it could be ruined and it's this

precision timing that can mean the difference between gold

We'll have all the results of the judges appraisal tomorrow

when we reveal which of the 17 large show gardens have won gold and most

importantly which has been awarded the prestigious RHS

So who do we think is set to dominate the

Here are some gardens oozing Chelsea magic. Let's have a look. Last year

Charlie Bond got a silver medal, he would so love to get gold this year.

He has put a lot of work into this garden. It's funny it takes a

Melbourne-based Garden designer to bring the most English of gardens

here to us at Chelsea. The design is incredibly formal, minimalist

almost. Plenty of structure. These wonderful Cubist form bean hedges.

Running down the steps and round the lawn at the bottom, dear. The brief

is for a professional couple to get home and relax and enjoy their own

garden. They'd definitely need a gardener to look after it, though,

quite high maintenance. All this box needs clipping, hedges need

clipping. There are not particularly perennial English plants that we

expect to see and that's what I like about this garden. Things like the

Luke Daniels need specialist care to grow in these borders.

He gets two minutes to talk to the judges in his assessment, as long as

he gets that point across, that the plants need specific care, then he's

made them aware of the issue. That gives him every chance of winning

that elusive gold. Well, Matthew Wilson would dearly love gold this

year. He got a silver guilt for his first show Garden at Chelsea last

year and he is back with his A Garden for Yorkshire. It's inspired

by the great East window at York Minster. It is the sort of plants

you would find growing in gardens in Yorkshire, and the colours that are

in the stained-glass window behind me very much picked out, the irises

in particular, soft blue, deep black, the bearded Jane Phillips

over there. Really beautiful planting. But if you come inside

here there is a very different feel indeed. So, you take a seat inside

the structure which is the greatest window on its side, and you turn

around here and its accompanying the different outlook. No colour, there.

Just the beautiful green of that oak tree, the ferns. Very peaceful. A

totally different aspect to this garden and a very nice place to sit

and contemplate life. From Yorkshire to a very different climate, this

garden is designed by inspiration from the landscape of Jordan, where

Hugo Bugg has visited many times. Hugo is one of the young designers,

and he won a gold medal for his first garden heather, and he has

created a very contemporary scene here. This wonderful rock formation,

incredibly geometric forms running through the garden, also taken into

the boundary over here. What I love is this triangle right in the

middle. There is water which of course is a very valuable resource

in Jordan. It just slightly ripples across the top, giving a lovely

movement and a reflective quality to the space. The plants are very

unusual. Hugo collected a lot of seeds, grew them in the UK,

experimented and saw what would come into flour at this time of year for

the Chelsea Flower Show. He is combined with lovely red poppies,

blue Lupin pins, some interesting classes as well. The pines really

set the scene, giving plenty of structure. I would be surprised if

Hugo didn't get his second gold medal here at Chelsea, I think it's

a fabulous garden. There's a really good thought process behind it, and

the execution, well, it's faultless. Of course Chelsea is not

all about the show gardens. The Great Pavilion is the beating

heart of this event, home to over 100 exhibitors

and they too are competing Welcome to horticulture's big top,

where for 103 years the great Pavilion has been the place to see

the world's best plants at peak perfection in exquisitely designed

exhibits. And this year is absolutely no exception. Because

some of the growers here are really giving the big show gardens outside

a run for their money in the publicity stunts Department. People

have a tendency to think of gardens as natural, but really we use

natural ingredients to create artificial theatre, and there's no

garden that is more theatrical than this, tell me about it. Well, it's a

massive theatrical jigsaw, to take people on a journey on to the most

gorgeous 1920s British Pullman carriage. You come out and all of a

sudden you are in Malaysia. 60 feet long, 38 tonnes. So you go in, pop

out on the other side and really feel like you have taken the

journey. I hope so, and I hope it encourages people to think more

about what they can do in their room gardens. What are your highlights? I

love the tree ferns, the hairy tree fern is fantastic and very unusual.

It has scales on it. And the Silver tree fern, we have probably got the

only two left in Europe now. You've got all of that, and dancing girls.

Chelsea is all about drama, excitement. If you are looking for

that, this stand has more than anybody.

Sara Emily has created a massive exhibit, here. It's 22 metres by 12

metres, which easily makes it one of the biggest gardens of the show.

Bigger than most of the things on Main Avenue. It's got 4000 plants,

towering trees, beautiful modernist Pavilion, and a lake. For me this is

a game changer for the pavilion. Tell me about your stand. I never

seen anything like a full on movie set like this. That's very kind. We

were on the innovation programme this year for the RHS, expected to

think outside the box. So I ran with it, as you can see. The Mayan

pyramid here represents a South American theme, Guatemala,

rainforests, which is exactly where they come from. Are really nifty way

of explaining that. A lot of people don't necessarily know where they

come from. And these were eaten at one point. Yes, the flowers are

edible, very much like Mr Horsham. -- very much like nasturtium flower.

And you built this all yourself? Yes, this is insulation material.

And you carve it? All you need to do is press down hard with them

interesting shaped instrument to make the design. Tell me about the

collection. We have the national collection, up to 200 different

varieties. The special ones, my father and me breed, we have been

naming them for five years. The first one was named after my

grandmother, Millie Howden. And this one is named after my son, Thomas

Jackson. You have your whole family surrounding. We do indeed, yes.

Heads aren't just been turned here in the great Pavilion. Sophie has

been out to the Showgrounds to see who is attracting attention. The

gardens and the designers are the stars, but it draws celebrities,

too. Those who want to see and be seen. I love the Englishness of

Chelsea. I love the fact you can come here and sort of revel in all

the sort of that eccentricity of being in this. The fact you can just

a talking about flowers to a complete stranger, I love that. The

pavilion is fantastic because I take lots of photographs, great

inspiration for printed textiles for me. Lovely colours. Just lots of

energy. Jane Dame Judi Dench, great to see you

here, are you a regular? Not at all, this is the second or third time I

have been. And what has inspired you here today? You have been walking

round the hours. Well, it's just people's imagination. You see

something and you think, oh, that's wonderful, that's what I must do. Or

you see something, your mind gets completely bombarded. But I just

love a wild flower meadow, is what I'm trying to create. So I want some

tips on that. Although it sounds easy, it is not an easy thing to do.

There are some amazing vegetable displays that are in the main

pavilion, they've blown my mind. I didn't realise I could get that

excited about potatoes, but I can, apparently, so it's great. I'm a

spasmodic gardener. I suddenly get full of enthusiasm. And then I

forget. And I go out there about four months later and look at it and

it's all dead. I had a rabbit in the garden, bless him, Warren, and he

didn't help with the foliage situation. He's now gone to the

great Warren in the sky. I'm determined this year that I'm going

to really have some colour that isn't just busy Lizzie 's. It's a

cultural highlight. It makes you proud to be British. We love our

gardens. There is something ridiculously heartfelt about it. I

came here with my wife and within 30 minutes we changed our minds about

what our garden should be at least seven times. I just think the

creativity and imagination is extraordinary. I love design in all

its various forms. It's a great place for innovation, for people to

really let their imaginations run away. What I'm enjoying most about

Chelsea this year, it's my first time here, and my screen husband is

here every year, so this year I've got one up on him. Marlene for once

gets one over on him, so I'm very excited about that. I like gardens.

I have no ability. But more and more each year I enjoy sitting in the

garden and visiting other people's gardens. I am turning into that

person. I will drive a long way to look at a National Trust garden. We

enjoy the geometric gardens, the artificial gardens, the ones planted

to look natural. We enjoy just before there, imagination and

humour, don't we? We have just seen some mini Einstein 's walking around

the mathematical gardens, it was so sweet.

The grammar of the big show gardens might be the first draw for the

crowds but there are also the smaller designs, said like jewels on

either side of the showground. The first seven categories are the fresh

gardens. These are conceptual in nature. They often divide opinion

and they can raise awareness of important issues. One lady who have

done that is Juliet Sergeant with her Modern Slavery Bill I can. What

a daunting brief, take us through your inspiration for the garden. I

wanted to express the idea that modern slavery is hidden behind

closed doors. I came up to Chelsea to get some inspiration and walk

around and really I love that kind of iconic Georgian streets with the

front doors and the railings. It struck me that the railings can form

a prison as well and that is what I wanted to use. It is so shocking

that this is something happening here and now in this country. What

kind of numbers are involved? Well of course it is a hidden crime so

their estimates but we think around 27 million people worldwide and here

in the UK around 43% of people who are in slavery are enforced

destitution, mainly women. And 36% of the people who are in slavery in

the UK are in forced labour, held captive and forced to work without

pay. There are a great many references to modern slavery within

the garden. Tell me about the tree. William Wilberforce was a politician

in the 1800s who brought the first anti-slavery Bill through

Parliament. He was standing underneath an oak tree when he made

that decision and these saplings beneath the tree represent the work

of people who are campaigning against modern slavery. And there

were grown by people who had experienced slavery. That leaves out

into gloriously colourful bunting. I wanted to create a contrast between

the outside of the garden, representing our lives, freedom. And

the inside, where the atmosphere is different because it is an enclosed

and captive space. And of course we will see you later on BBC Two at

eight o'clock. I'm here was someone who has been

very busy since early this morning. James Alexander Sinclair, an RHS

judge. How do you decide which gardens get

gold? It involves a lot of discussion at

it is also scientific gloss with nine categories and we argue about

every single one. For each category you get one point. In Chelsea we

seldom award for but if he get enough points at the end you get a

gold medal, very simple. And all these designers are all after Best

Show Garden. That is a tough one. It is but we tried to make it simple

because we stick with the points. If you get more points than anyone

else, you get the Best Show Garden. Where we have a problem is when we

are tied, and then it is a vote from the heart instead of the rule book.

How do you choose that last one, it cannot be something that you just

sense, you just stand in the garden and think this is my favourite. When

you get to that stage, we have gone through the science, the points, all

the objective stuff. We have two gardens that in our opinions, or the

judges are exactly the same. And then you can do what you want. And a

lot of these designers, you know them and you know how much it

matters to them. I feel a heavy burden of responsibility. We are

playing with careers and lives to a certain extent. But it is Chelsea

and we have high expectations. And we want to see excellence. Thank you

very much. Well we have been asked as the presenting team, for our own

thoughts for Best Show Garden. We will find out who was right tomorrow

on BBC Two at eight o'clock. Monday is a special day at Chelsea, Royal

Family turn out in force to show off their passion for gardening. Amongst

them is the monarch herself, Her Majesty The Queen. She turned 90

this year and this is her 51st visit to the show. Who better to chart

this royal relationship with Chelsea then journalist Jennie Bond. The

royal visit has been a permanent fixture at Chelsea ever since it

first opened in the Royal Hospital grounds back in 1913. The young

Princess Elizabeth attended from an early age and she had a special

relationship with the show ever since. The Queen Mother herself a

keen gardener, encouraged her daughter with her passion for the

great outdoors and Princess Elisabeth had a small garden of her

own at Windsor. In 1952 her new role as Queen, she became a royal patron

of the RHS. When Chelsea were soon after World War II the British

horticultural industry rally together and the first show in 1947

was deemed a triumph. As passions and technology changed over the

years the royal visitors have witnessed evermore ambitious

gardens, and displays and products. From rock gardens, to floating

buildings. As early as, lawn mowers, greenhouses. And ever-changing world

of Chelsea Magic. Having looked around myself I have no doubt that

there will be plenty to assassinate the Queen again this year. -- to

fascinate. Fascinating archive and the Queen visiting Chelsea is well

documented. This is part of the routine of the Royal year which she

really enjoys. Not just the Queen but many other members of the Royal

Family come here after year. She gets a private viewing as well she

it. It is not far to travel and she gets this lovely tour. I think she

is genuinely interested and it changes every year. This year is

very much about wild flowers and every aspect of the many gardens she

has got, she does not get her hands dirty but she does survey it. Do you

think she's a keen gardener herself? She is keen on what happens in the

garden! I know she likes it to be sustainable. They use garlic to

spray the roses instead of pesticide for example. And what comes out of

the horses, out of the rear end, then used as Royal manure. I was

fortunate when I had a garden here in 2012, she came and she was so

lovely about the garden. I took her around to look at my quite

contemporary space. She said the loveliest things, she said I like

the way your pond is at an angle. I thought that was nice cause it was

difficult. And somebody is gardens are quite complicated with deep

meanings, it is a lot to take in. It must be brilliant for her, she

probably picks up quite a lot of ideas. Chelsea is full of ideas. I

get ideas but then do not do anything about them but she could

just say, do that there and it is done. Everyone can take a bit of

Chelsea home. There are plenty of exhibits at Chelsea celebrating the

90th birthday of the Queen. We will reveal those later on BBC Two

including the surprised that is on the other side of this Covent Garden

stand. When the Queen arrives at the

Chelsea Showgrounds she's in for a treat. One of the first people to

greater will be a six-year-old, who is also going to present with a

bouquet she has made herself with help of the forest Simon. Now you do

your own growing, what you like to grow. Roses, fruit and vegetables.

Where do you grow them? In my grandmother's garden. These are

beautiful. Did you choose those specially to give to the Queen? How

do you feel about meeting the Queen? Nervous. Have you been practising

your pregnancy. Give me your best Pepsi. -- curtsy. That is

spectacular. You do not need to be nervous. You will be perfect. A lot

of people are feeling nervous at Chelsea right now because although

the gardens and the exhibits have already been charged, they will not

find out until tomorrow morning which medals they have one. An

anxious time for people who have worked so hard. Adam Frost has seven

gold medals to his name but he does not have a show garden here this

year so he is looking relaxed. We sent him to talk to some of the

Chelsea old hands and Chelsea first timers to find out how they are

feeling. This was always the most nerve

wracking day for me. All the judges going around and taking notes. My

stomach would be turning. These designers, it is not just about the

build, they have put their cell into these gardens. I want to go around

and see if I can find some designers and see how they're feeling before

the results tomorrow. I said never again! When you saw me

earlier in the week, I just could not work out how we were going to

finish. It is the most complicated build we have ever done. We could

not do anything off-site, then we would run the risk of things

buckling. So every piece of paving has had to be put in on site.

Unbelievable. Have you been judged? This is ten minutes before judging.

I vowed I would not get like this. Loads going on inside that she is

hiding. I am shaking. What are you going to get? It is impossible to

predict. Whatever you get, what I used to do was give her a massive

couple, compose myself, and then stand up. I will follow that

tomorrow, words of wisdom. How are you? All right, a bit

nervous. The judges came a bit earlier than I thought. I wanted to

let everything down. I saw you earlier and you were a bit nervous.

Yesterday we decided to change a few things. We did some paving and

things like that. We are happy with it. Silvergilt last year. Everyone

hopes for gold but you're judged by people you respect and whatever they

say, that goes. They're all brilliant if you get a gold medal

and if you do not, they do not have a clue! Then you just go to the pub.

There's so much at stake for designers. They worked so hard on

these gardens. This is a beautiful problems garden. James Basson was at

Chelsea for the first time last year and he will be disappointed not to

get the gold again. Anyone with a silver or silvergilt really wants to

get the gold. Everyone wants the gold medal at some designers will be

disappointed. It is incredibly public when they receive those

medals, the cameras are there. There is nowhere to hide, everyone is

watching you. The judges have assessed all these gardens in great

detail now and they have gone away to decide who gets what. Nicky

Chapman will have all of the medals tomorrow on BBC One at 3:45pm. And

they will speak to passionate gardener Kate Adie. But do not go

anywhere, go to BBC Two now and join us as we bring you an in-depth

analysis of the gardens. And we also will be seeing the arrival of Her

Majesty The Queen along with other members of the Royal Family. For

now, goodbye. Hello, I'm Riz Lateef

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