This lot deserve a medal
I cannot believe its Sunday already. I also find it even harder to believe that we have finished the exhibit apart from a few final touches. The team really cracked on yesterday; plants moving into their final situations at a rate of knots. We even got the turf laid and the boards around the exhibit lifted and moved out of the Great Pavilion by the end of the day. The cool weather has been great for those creating the display and for the plants and neither party looks quite as exhausted as they have on occasions.
I am particularly pleased with the planting in front of the beach huts. The red white and blue scheme is a welcome relief from our usual more subdued and tasteful tones. Our new floribunda rose 'Star of Britain' is even better than I expected. The flowers are shining scarlet with velvety petals and it promises to be free-flowering, healthy and vigorous. The Callistemon citrinus 'Splendens' are just wonderful compact mounds of flowers. If only people would prune them straight after flowering, cutting back to just behind the seedheads, this is what they would look like in gardens. The Choisya 'Aztec Pearl' look better than ever. The dark green divided leaves are such a great background for the sparkling white flowers. It really is one of the best plants we have ever launched at Chelsea. That must be 19 years ago as it made its debut at the first Chelsea I was involved in staging.
The most exciting moment of yesterday was when our magnificent glass sail was lifted into place. At three metres high it is a terrific weight and took a lot of muscle and manpower to handle it gently and accurately. In sapphire blue, with abstract silver fish it makes a bold focal point rising out of the bronze, silver and gold planting surrounding the medals.
Well that's it now - the staging team depart today. That's always a sad moment when the team breaks up. This lot deserve a medal - hope it's the right colour!
The most exciting moment of yesterday was when our magnificent glass sail was lifted into place. At three metres high it is a terrific weight and took a lot of muscle and manpower to handle it gently and accurately. In sapphire blue, with abstract silver fish it makes a bold focal point rising out of the bronze, silver and gold planting surrounding the medals.
Well that's it now - the staging team depart today. That's always a sad moment when the team breaks up. This lot deserve a medal - hope it's the right colour!
Comments Post your comment