Chelsea Flower Show

Chelsea Flower Show:25 May 2007

If you like flowers and gardening, a trip to Chelsea is like a trip to Mecca. You have to do this pilgrimage at least once in your life. The danger is that you will want to go back every year after the first time. Well, this year was my first time. I always promised myself that I will go and this year I managed to get the tickets in time. Yes, it does sell out and there is no hope to get tickets at the gate. I went to the show with Henk vd Meer and Roelof and we could not stop talking about what we saw.

The Chelsea Flower Show is maybe the biggest flower show in the UK and definitely the best known one. People come from all over the world to display their gardens and flowers. South Africa had several displays at the show.

It is incredible to see how they make use of flowers and plants to create the most beautiful displays.

It gave me some wonderful ideas for my garden (will publish some photos of my garden once it looks a bit better). I got very excited when I saw some South African plants.

Also got very excited when I saw the "windpomp" used in one of the gardens. (See my blog named South Africa: January 2007). It reminded me so much about home. They say it is the small things in life...

The garden I liked the most is shown in the next photo.

It contains all my favourite plants. I already have a tree fern, several other ferns, Japanese acers and hostas in my garden, but it does not look nearly as nice as this garden. Maybe it's the bed that makes all the difference. I would say this garden inspired me to take my gardening skills to a new level. Watch this space! I just wonder how they manage to have hostas without any damaged leafs. Everyone of you who likes gardening will know that every garden pest just loves hostas and you always have some leafs with teethmarks.

Another garden that I liked a lot is the next one.

Just look at the fish tanks. Very nice!!!!

The next photo shows some Moroccan candle holders that stole my heart. The biggest one is over a meter high. It is so beautiful! Now you know what you could buy me for my next birthday.

I had a wonderful time at the show and will definetly be there again next year. Let me know if I should book some tickets for you as well.