Post Chelsea Flower Show report

Last time on the blog, I mentioned I'd be off to chelsea before I blogged again, so I thought it would be nice to give you a little report of what I saw there.

We were delighted to be asked to supply some of our Venetian fencing and one of our lovely Retreats for RHS Chelsea flower show this year.

They are in Chris Webb’s Sculpture garden, right near one of the entrances to the Grand Pavilion, as you can see in the photo above.  The garden was basking in the late evening sun when I arrived to see it.  

Which was quite different from the weather leading up to the show.  Liz Brewer, the garden designer responsible for the creating the planting in the Sculpture garden, sent several tweets, thanking us for supplying the Retreat with its polycarbonate roof, under which, she ‘beat a hasty retreat’ (pardon the pun!) to escape from, not only torrential rain, but hailstones as well!

Her Majesty, The Queen was just coming down Main Avenue as I turned into it, so I couldn’t resist trying to get a photo of her and her entourage as they viewed the large show gardens.

I had a really good look around and took loads of photos of the show gardens, and a few of the great and the good, wielding their obligatory champagne flutes and enjoying the wonderful sun drenched scenery. 

One garden, in particular made a real impression on me  - I was stunned at the loveliness of Matthew Keightley’s Help for Heroes garden, which was only yards away from the Sculpture garden. 

He was very kind and allowed me to go inside the garden (which is usually not allowed) so I could get up close and personal with some of the most wonderful views of his planting. There are many more pics of this and many other gardens, in the gallery.

I caught up with some of our old friends; Matt Childs, in his Brewin Dolphin Garden  and Helen Elks-Smith two our previous Jacksons Show Gardens Design competition winners, who both had show gardens at Chelsea this year.

I must say this was one of the most memorable trips to Chelsea that I have made in recent years. 

It was a welcome interlude to the very busy schedule of building our own Show Gardens here at Jacksons to get them ready for our Opening on 31^st May.