Episode 9 RHS Chelsea Flower Show

My legs have gone wobbly. All the gardens are judged on their merit so

in theory everybody has the chance to leave with gold. This year the

word two golds, two silvers and one bronze awarded. In the art design

category there were six golds, one silver gold and two silvers. How do

you think overall the small gardens that? It has been incredible, the

sheer amount. The judges have not lowered their standards. The

standard of the gardens has been really good. The thing about small

gardens, a lot of people do not realise they can be more difficult

to design. If you are awarded and awarded is exactly the same

standards as the big show gardens. I love them. I relate to this space.

My garden is smaller than this. When the public are walking around they

love the small gardens. One of the things I find really useful is it is

about not putting too many things. How do you get a valance of packing

a lot into a small place but not being messy? It is a corridor for

wildlife of the same time. There is so much there. Playing with the

vertical plane. This cannot forget the Artisans. Beautifully done.

Although the plot is the same size they are being allowed to breathe. I

just sat after the public had left and waited and admired how

spectacular it is. They might be smaller but they are perfectly

formed. One small garden that has been turning heads is the Artisans

gardens. I caught up with the man behind this historic design. There

must be certain challenges when it comes to designing a garden with

such a heartfelt message, such a sensitive subject. Yes. The

commission of the marvellous commission who'd turned over 1.7

million graves and memorials of foreign soldiers in the Second World

War and over 154 countries, each huge honour to visit some of the

sites I visit the craftsmen and pull something together that embodies the

character of the commission and hard work they do. You went visiting to

get your research to create this garden. Yes, I travelled about a lot

to the battlefields. I have some of the bricks that have been built into

the garden. I went to a cemetery with over 12,000 graves. It was so

overwhelming the enormity of everything and so deeply moving. I

also followed the footsteps of my grandfather who fought in the First

World War, shot through the soldier, he was the signalman so as soon as

the arm went up they were easy targets. There is a real personal

connection as well. Yes, as with many people in Britain. I have taken

some of the elements into the paving we have. Recycle Portland stone. The

railings around the outside were created by the blacksmiths. Every

leaf around here as a little number on the back. This is 22 of 154. 154

countries. They are so subtle, the planting around them is so beautiful

they do not dominate but the more you study the more you see. Yes. I

wanted a significant entrance into the garden to celebrate the

centenary but I needed the large trees, the giant Japanese maples, to

give that shape. With foxgloves and a mixture of other wistful plantings

combined with others it is that soft fluid movement of colours that said

a tranquil place that is very deserving for this style of garden.

Unsung heroes. There are a lot of them. This one is one of my

favourites. We have that lovely otters series of flowers, very

underestimated plant. Just part of the beauty of the garden. It feels

incredibly peaceful and it has such a significant message. You were

awarded a silver medal. But that, as a surprise? Not at all. This is my

30th sure garden. You either follow the message from the garden or you

choose the middle and with the Commonwealth war grave I wanted to

load of much of the commission and as possible. This huge wreath at the

front is perfect for the commission, perhaps not so much for the judges,

but so much hard work goes on to the commission taking care of the

gravestones. We are delighted with the meadowland their message. David

is one of the many designers this year attempting to pull off an

incredibly ambitious design. The challenge included bringing a 26

foot quarry to Chelsea this year. He is clearly not frightened of taking

on crazy ideas but we wanted to find out what makes him tick.

My name is James. I would say I was erratic, instinctive and natural. I

did not choose to work in garden design. Garden design almost chose

me. Once I got involved in it I took to it like a duck to water. I am not

a born gardener but I am a born appreciator of gardens and

landscapes. My top tip for garden designers to look and study nature

because by studying nature you really understand how plants

involved and how they work together and how the hard and soft in the

natural world work. Did you always know you were going to be designer

from childhood? No. I started by climbing trees, enjoying landscape.

I was really into painting, loved painting landscape, and I fell on my

feet later in life by calling somebody and I got on a Greenwich

garden design course. I figured I better do something with my life. I

just excelled at it. Did really well. The first time I ever excelled

in my life. It was meant to be. We know you travel extensively for

researcher and inspiration. Is there someone you have been to recently or

you are looking forward to going to thinking that could make a great

concept? We were in Sicily and at Mount Etna there is an extraordinary

range of species that only grow there. It is the next kind of

eggshell going on. Do you know in your heart is there that excitement?

When you saw it, that idea, did you think, this is it? Or do you have

four or five different projects on the go? As soon as it gets me it

fills my head and I have to get out. How many times will you go back to

that area to focus on the design? We do not know where we will be back

but it is something I will spend at least two months walking and talking

and meeting the craftsmen and studying the plants and talking to

the botanists and you have to grow for at least two years to make a

good garden. It is long-term in the planning. Yes, to make something

special. I would love to get inside your head and see what we are going

to see in four years. It is formulating. You are having a

fantastic Chelsea this year. All week we have been celebrating the

international stage that is Chelsea, taking it up close and personal to

plants we have grown to love and we think of as our own. Today we are

focusing on European bedding fellows. This takes its name from

the Greek for God and flour. Divine flour, that is exactly what it is.

Most of the descendants of the pinks we grow in our gardens today from

Europe. There is a theory that some of them came to this country with

the Normans. Who used to bring over their own stone to build their

castles. They need excellent drainage and love to be baked in

full sun. That makes them superb subjects for rock gardens, troughs,

even the age of our release only well-drained border. Many of us have

fun childhood memories of these. Almost certainly the first thing

that comes to mind is those delicious fragrance. It is time for

are viable. Sweet peas are amongst our most popular garden plants.

Everybody loves them. They have not always been here. It was in about

1697 when a Sicilian monk sense leads to a friend in England. He

grew them on. They were very similar in flower to this variety and lots

grow nowadays. One of the reasons they are so popular is they are so

easy to grow and give you such good results.

You can sew your seed in autumn and overwinter them or first thing in

the screen Lily spring, outside or in pots. It's a rapid climb. Within

months, they will be climbing up those poles, loaded with bugs, and

you will have flowers from Midsummer right the way through. -- loaded

with buds. Herbs are vitally important to lots

of us but, -- both in our kitchens and our gardens. Most of us grow a

few herbs somewhere and I suppose we assume they come from this country.

In fact, the majority of our herbs are brought into Britain thousands

of years ago. Take parsley, the most commonly grown herb of all. It was

brought over by the Romans. It is from the south of France and all

around the Mediterranean sea. And French tarragon. It has a lovely,

pungent aroma. There has been so much discussion about Europe in

recent times, but one thing is for certain. The plants that that

continent has given us are going to be in our gardens and stay in our

hearts forever. One hugely familiar plant, both here at home and all

over Europe, is the foxglove. I had the pleasure of meeting up with

Terry baker at his botanic nursery in Wiltshire to study the genius at

close hand. I don't think I've ever been to a nursery like this. You

feel as though you are in the middle of the countryside. We are. This is

near the Cotswolds and the wildlife has moved in. We have a population

of hedgehogs, rabbits and all sorts of things. We live and let live. I

always had you down as a shrub man. That is why the fox clubs came into

it what grows better with shrubs is foxgloves. All around your nursery,

this mound here. Which one is it? This is vestigiana with a gorgeous

honey scent. This is one of how many foxgloves you grow? We have about 35

different named salts. Is there any call for the straightforward ones?

It's essential. It has all of the refined elegance of the wild plant.

What a great idea, putting them all in a line so you can really see. We

had a thing called foxglove week, and all of the people who study them

in the country, and compared them. They come to compare one with

another. They are all different forms, all different subtly from one

another. That one is quite different. That is called candy

mountain, and the Florette or point upwards. -- the florets all point

upwards. Essentially, age of woodland or hedgerow plants, aren't

they? , Yes, they like that layer of humour is tend to get. We can

replicate that with getting some moss to create a nice moist level.

In white foxgloves, there is no trace of the purple on the stems

believes. To create a mini Sissinghurst in your garden... The

white garden? Yes, the best way is to look through your seedlings and

see how they are colouring up. I have a couple, you see this one? No

marking of purple on it. That's going to go in with the white group.

That is just a purple. It's plain to see, and I'll tell you what, I've

always felt that white foxgloves have softer leaves, too.

I could see viz a mile off, this beautiful white foxglove weaving

across the pavilion. Yes, looking particularly good this year. This is

this kind of foxglove. The normal sort of foxglove whiskey in the

countryside. I bet you get asked frequently about biannual foxgloves

and how you cope with that. A biennial plant, particularly in the

world of foxgloves, produces all of its energy to create a sort of

rosette in the first year and in the second year that energy is

translated into flowering and seeding, so masses of seeds, masses

of flowers, and all the baby plants will colonise your garden. When the

seeds sector, your plant dies, so you need to sew them the consecutive

year. If you're starting a new garden and he would foxgloves in a

border, the best thing is to have a few small plants, to grow some

others from seed, and once you have a colony built up, they will start

to flower every year. You forgotten without foxgloves. -- you can't have

a garden without foxgloves. Yes, the Chelsea Flower Show revolves around

them and irises. You have a brand-new foxglove. Come and see.

There it is. Lemon cello. A roll of drums! It really is yellow, isn't

it? Yes, and outside in natural light it even more yellow. How many

are there? Only three flowering plants in the whole country. I think

it has a great future. You will see a lot of it in the next few years at

Chelsea. How have you done this year was to mark we got a silver guilt. A

bit disappointed. Apparently the Pini leaves were a bit dusty. I

think the standard looks superb, and I'm sure every expert in the country

would agree. They have been in raptures. I love a foxglove but, for

me personally, what makes them great is the way they can lift a shady

area, giving you a dash of colour when you need it the most. And you

guys apparently do as well, because I have some questions. My favourite

is from Edward Lloyd Davis, who sent in a spectacular picture of a really

unusual shaped foxglove. Instead of being shaped like a glove, it is

upturned like a saucer. He asked me what creates the shape and whether

the seed can be passed on. It comes from you take themselves caused by

cold damage, maybe bacterial infection, and they can't be passed

on foxgloves or there would be a named variety. All week, Rachel de

Thame is focused on plant recipes that work for particular garden

conditions. Today, she is focusing on plants like the foxglove which

work particularly well in the shade. Most of us have areas of trade in

our gardens, but far from being a problem, I think it's an opportunity

to grow some of the most beautiful plants. They may not always be the

chilliest, and foliage plays a large part. In this little corner, we have

got some beauties. This one at the back, it's a creeping evergreen

perennial, so you have got these lovely leaves, very niche,

well-behaved look above ground, and they create little patches that will

mingle among the other plants. It's quite useful to have plants which

you might consider rampant in a shady area, because it will subdue

their growing habit and make them behave a bit more. These are

well-known plants for shady conditions, but some will actually

take quite a bit of sun as well. I think this is particularly useful

because it has a pale colour along the centre of the leaf, and that's

reflective so it will make the most of low light levels and give a bit

of shimmer. These give you both foliage interest and very pretty

flowers. This one is in a lovely rich green, but they come in a

spectrum of trades, -- of shades, through to dark purple. I love the

flowers, airy, and they have a bit of sparkle to them. And I also

particularly love one of our British favourites, lily of the valley, just

down at the front, you get the fragrance, beautiful nodding flowers

and strap like leaves, they are even more useful because they will take

quite a lot of dry shade, so you can put them further under an evergreen

tree, where not much light and moisture can penetrate.

If by any chance you don't have any shade in your garden, you might want

to plant a couple of trees so you can enjoy plants like this, because

it isn't always the ones which shout the loudest. Sometimes it is the

ones that whisper that you want to pay attention to.

I'm joined now by singer, songwriter and radio DJ Cerys Matthews. Welcome

to Chelsea, but you were here earlier in the week. I like to come

if I can. I think it's so inspiring. It's the place to come if you like

gardening. Weight you think that burst of inspiration came from? As a

child my garden was jam-packed full of garden plants and I used to like

cutting and throwing them at all the rest of it. I've always been

fascinated by the natural world and how small seeds can produce huge oak

trees. I am never not amazed by what nature can do and my friends perhaps

were thinking, because it was the 80s, roller-skates, all of that,

oops and plastic and all of that, and bands, Duran Duran, ABC and the

rest of it. I was more like, you can have the labels. I want to go out

foraging. I had a book called Wild Food by Roger Phillips, an expert,

and to me we have the value of the natural world around us, and it is

far more precious than anything you can buy. Has that carried on? Are

you trying to inspire your family to appreciate what we have around us?

I'd like to, just roly-poly and down the hill, things which we make

memories from. My youngest is now seven and we live in London and we

don't have a garden, so I downsized from a bigger house to a much

smaller house so we didn't have to move out of the area to get a

garden, so that I could plant potatoes with them. He loves it. He

is one of those old school children that comes home with sticks and

stones in his pocket. It's important to me. -- old school children. There

is nobody out there advertising saying that the value of nature is

this. They have got a profit to make from their products. So as parents

we have to remind children... Especially now. Because we have

drifted to the suburbs for work. So you have downsized to have a garden

and that time with your family in it. I also started the Good Life

experience, to help families reconnect the landscape and use

their hands, to get dirty, to make a bow and arrows, to light fires, to

climb trees, all the that I feel are more valuable than we imagine in

this crazy, chaotic modern world. The life that you had in Wales, you

want them to have even though they are living in the city. What we

liked as children, your parents or whoever brings you up once you to

have an outside experience, the fresh air, the connection with

nature, and it's harder than ever now to do that with all of our

gadgets, and we've all moved to the city, so you have to make a point of

doing it. It's beautiful. Let's talk about Chelsea. You have an

opportunity to find out anything you are struggling with with your

garden. What are you looking for today? I am going straight to the

potato store because I love all of these varieties. I like edible and I

love Anneka Rice on Radio 2. At home in my tiny cottage garden in London,

I think I am killing my roses. You are in the right place.

Professionals will be helping you. I'm going to send you proud to have

a wander and hopefully get some good answers. Thank you very much. As we

continue to celebrate the beautifully bijou small gardens at

Chelsea this year, award-winning designer Toby Buckland is taking a

look at the much talked about poetry garden.

Of all the artisan designs, the poetry lovers garden by Fiona

Cadwallader is the one that caught my eye. It has an ethereal quality

and it seems to glow from within. That's because she has been very

clever with the space and broken away from the usual trick of having

a feature or a shed in one corner, path leading up to it and borders

either side. She has kept the centre of her garden open, which makes it

light and airy, and it has the effect of pushing the borders back

to the edges, which makes the garden seem bigger. Table top lines

creating dappled shade and the feel of the garden is lovely,

particularly because of the water feature bouncing back into it. That

brings me to this chair. It is a thing of beauty, and Fiona decided

herself. It's the kind of thing you'd love, but you'd end up living

with it, if you know what I mean. This sort of thing is always in the

way. I think that's what the judges thought about the garden, maybe a

bit too full, and that's why it got a silver medal and not gold that

Fiona coveted. But the planting is joyous. In the cottage style, which

is something that I love. The borders are chock full of plants,

and I think the shakers summed it up when they said beauty through

utility. Everything is gorgeous to look at but it also has a use,

whether it is the glass which you see when you look out of the window

is moving around, to the plants which the bees work, or parsley and

broad beans for the kitchen. The other thing I like that Fiona has

done is she has elevated the garden so it's like the stage of a theatre.

It might not be the judges' favourite but, gosh, don't the

crowds love it. Do you like it? Yes! Says it all!

Chelsea Flower Show is also about flourish. And about arranging

flowers beautifully. I am delighted to be joined by a florist to the

stars. We can bring you the best florist tree highlights from the

showground. We are standing by this impressive display, celebrating

what? 100 years of the British florist association who give out the

kite mark of approval to florists and this has been created by a

college in Warwickshire. But Hind is the backdrop of imagery of forestry

from the past 100 years and they have used an incredible assortment

of fabulous flowers. The idea is that your eyes cast through to hear

which is the competition run in association with the RHS of Chelsea

florist of the year. This is all about celebration but here we have

cutting-edge forestry. This is the future. This is an incredible

display. Look at the top of that one, a dragon. It has humour. What

was the theme? Summer skies. They had to create a kite out of flowers.

At their very strict rules and regulations when you go into a

competition? Very many, two thirds of it must be made of living natural

plant material. You have to be strict with what you are using. This

won RHS Chelsea florist of the year. It is stunning. How much work would

go into that? These are like fine Julie, it has taken over 600 hours

to create so you're never going to be able to make it commercially. We

are in the best flower show in the world. Every florist strives for a

seagull medal. Is it opens all a Jesus? -- open to all ages? How

important is it to encourage young people to get involved? It is about

nurturing new talent. Imagine a 16-year-old with a Chelsea gold

medal. Wonderful. Time for something completely different. Taxi for two.

This is right up my street. Fun forestry. They are great. I always

think of Thailand's. The schedule was to create a vibrant street theme

and they have done it. Who designed all of this? These are designed by

all of the colleges so it is your one through to the most senior so

everybody gets a crack of the whip. How important is it that have humour

and fun in your floral design? Essential. Flowers knock the rough

edges off of life. Our class of 2016 garden designers are big believers

in putting flowers centre stage. Looking at what makes designers

take, we can reveal floral passions. This is my garden, 500 years of

Covent Garden. The three words I would use to describe myself would

be passionate, enthusiastic and creative. I chose to work in garden

design because I find it was a great way to express my creativity. I am

not very good at drawing ironically but moving plants and furniture

around a load me to express something inside. My earliest memory

of gardening is when I was about four, planting potatoes and my

grandad's garden and he was the person who inspired me. My favourite

I always have by my side because you never know when you are to remove

dead heads. My top tip is to use a focal point at the end of the stuff.

This is perfectly aligned by a window or door. What is it like

being at main avenue for the first time? Is there something you have

also wanted to do? Yes. It is an ambition of mine to come to Chelsea

and three years ago I managed to do that. It feels very grown-up. The

pressure is insane. I am here and the public and enjoying what we are

doing so I am happy. I remembered your artisan gardens at the back.

How nervous are you? You're about to do another flower show in a couple

of days. Yes. Sleep deprivation is one of the big things and when you

get to finish this sure you are talking to the public and you want

to be enjoying this time but also thinking about Chatsworth next week.

Also installing this and the Covent Garden so my brain is everywhere.

How important is it to be able to coordinate this? These shores are

built by people, you have the team of logistics. I have had an amazing

team behind me including the planting people and specifically the

people who built it and they never get recognised, it is all about the

designer on this kind of show. The main contractor John is absolutely

amazing and he can take that vision from my head and turn it into a

reality. It is a 50-50 partnership and without them the public could

not sit and enjoy this. Showing them a picture is different from nursing

them in this space. The hand of the artist creating it, an abstract idea

and without contractors knowing their staff, there is nothing worse

than the designer seeing that is not what I designed. The process has

been refined and it is amazing. It amazes me how we picture you conjure

up can become a real thing. That process you go through of drawings

and communication and logistically bringing together never ceases to

amaze me. A living breathing landscape. The contractors deserve

so much more credit than they necessarily get. They are such

superheroes. They are. We met up with careless Matthews who wanted to

know how to feed her roses. -- Cerys. Just the smell of roses has

this ability to turn the clock back seven or eight and I am in my

grandma's garden in Swansea. We used to take off the pedals and put them

in the water and try to make, not very good perfume but it was for the

family. A lot of us are looking for nostalgia. Roses do it for me every

time. Not just a pretty face. Gorgeous.

I love this because you get the scent of roses. I live in the middle

of London and I have an in formal effect. I have a lot of barbecues

and end up with a lot of ash. I have been putting my meat on the roses.

Is that a problem? It is not advisable to put a lot. It is high

phosphate that is the worst. It locks in the nutrients and the

plants cannot get it and the growth stunted and do not look healthy.

What should I do? Put on a little bit of start a compost tea. Most of

it you probably need to get rid of. You have inspired me. Like you.

I love it when a plan comes together. She has gone away happy.

Earlier this week the judges announced this year's prestigious

Best show garden award. Did you agree with their decision? They may

be judge and jury with the medals but you have your voice and we want

to hear it as you can cast your vote in the People's choice award. Here

is a reminder of the beautiful gardens in contention for the big

award. I think it is going to be very

interesting this year. When I look at a garden it has to be taken away

or take home. Something I can rip the kids or have the old garden. The

judge criteria is almost the exact opposite and I think that is why the

results are sometimes different. They have to be objective. Does the

garden meet the brief? For me it is about emotion, beautiful planting,

passion, that is what I want in a garden. We are going to have to wait

and see. Absolutely. All of the designers would love to win this

award. There's nothing quite like getting the recognition of the great

British public. Get online and vote for your favourite show garden.

There is more information online about the contenders. Remember the

one will be announced by Joel and Sophie on BBC One tomorrow evening.

We are back tonight at 8pm on BBC Two with action from a busy day at

Chelsea. As the cherry on the cake they will be giving you a delicious

tour of me rebury's garden. See you tomorrow. -- Mary Berry's.

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