One blistering Saturday, the girl and I went to the Chelsea Flower Show with friends. Last year, we were too late to buy tickets, so this year we bought well in advance in January and still only managed to get tickets for the final day of the show.
We expected it to be crowded and hot, but overall, we were quite nonchalant about it. After all, we were from India, and were no strangers to crowds or heat.
Well, the show beat all our expectations – in terms of grandeur, and sheer beauty, but also in terms of crowd and heat. It literally felt like a Tirupati darshan, and next time, I will make sure to visit only on a weekday and arrive at 8:00 am sharp to avoid the intense crowds and heat. Lesson learned!
That said, I just loved, loved, loved all the displays.
The show gardens were amazing! I went in expecting to see formal, slightly boring gardens, but they surprised me. There seems to have been a sustained push for biodiversity and sustainability; at times, it felt like it came at the expense of beauty. The gardens seemed a bit austere, with lots of bare earth and repetitive planting. But still, I loved them. It all felt very organic and natural.
The floral displays were inside the extremely hot greenhouse, and while I enjoyed them, I really couldn’t stay there very long.
My favorites were the alliums, hydrangeas, and poppies, so skillfully planted and arranged; I was just in awe of the artistry involved.
For avid gardeners, there were lots of stands selling off seeds and bulbs, and lots of people giving planting advice. I would have loved to learn more, but the crowds and the heat were too overwhelming.
Some of the displays showed a lot of creativity.
The place is massive, and there was such a crowd, and no place to sit, and soon it got too much for all of us. We had started out so fresh, and well dressed, and excited, but within 3-4 hours, we were all drooping like some of the flowers in the show.
Because of the heat, we missed some of the displays that I was most eager to see – the famous David Beckham rose that was specially grown for the show. Alas! This remained a dream for me, as the pavilion was so crowded that I could barely tiptoe to catch a glimpse.
It’s a white rose, and it looks stunning in the pictures on the website, but I eventually had to settle for this one – the Champagne moment floribunda – which turned out to be an equally delicately beautiful bloom – a white rose with hints of apricot on the inside. Just stunning!
I also really admired the bonsai displays. Truly works of art!
Overall, the flower show turned out to be amazing, beyond my imagination. Was it worth the crowd, the heat, and the expense (~ £115 per person)? I would say, most definitely!
