Quotes from visitors to Chelsea
Anthony Henn, landscape designer
“The Fleming’s Nurseries Australian Garden is possibly the best garden I have ever seen at Chelsea. I also really liked the GardenAfrica garden. The contrast between the two show gardens was great: the Australian was slick and modern; the African earthy and real.”
Favourite plant: Prunus maackii ‘Amber Beauty’ (on the Hillier stand)
Sir Richard Carew Pole, outgoing President of the RHS
“The emphasis this year is on water conservation and dry gardens. Herbs also appear to be very popular. The overall standard has been excellent: it has been a long, cold and difficult winter, and the exhibitors have been working against the odds. The result is extremely good.”
Tim Smit, Eden Project
“This year has been magnificent. I think it is the best show at Chelsea for a while - the plants have taken centre stage at last. It annoys me that so much of the show has been about the accessories. The RHS/BBC have responded to the criticisms.”
Gloria Hunniford, television presenter
“As always, it is the designs that excite me; I have been coming for years. I love the fact that you can take so many ideas from Chelsea - no matter what your garden is like you can get something from it. I also love the artefacts - so I can buy them and take them back to my garden!”
Guy Cooper and Gordon Taylor, garden designers and authors
“In 1936, Bauhaus and Modernisme overflew the UK to USA, but in 2006, Modernisme, the now historical aesthetic, returns to a boring annual show context of 19th century Arts & Crafts wild flower plantings; how excitingly contemporary is that? Come back Diarmuid Gavin, nearly all is forgiven!”
Matthew Biggs, horticultural writer
“My favourite plant is the Prunus maackkii ‘Amber Beauty’. It doesn’t often get thought about and is emerging from the shadows of Acer griseum. The other plants that were interesting are the Nemesia hybrids on the South African stand. They are wonderful plants, with a sparkling cheerful dispensation. They are great!”
Emma Thompson, actor
“The main thing for me is the slow effect on the subconscious that the show has; all these beautiful things put in such a lovely way. It works on a deep level; creations, colours etc. It inspires people to go back to their garden and see spaces in a different way.”
Matt James, garden designer
“My favourite garden was Cleve West’s Saga Insurance Garden. The pollarded Acer campestre trees were amazing; really lovely to see them being used. I also liked the use of pebbles as a mulch. The white cow parsley-like plant, Orlaya grandiflora, on Tom Stuart Smith’s garden was also really interesting. Finally, the use of Stipa gigantea on so many of the show gardens was really good.”
Chris Baines, environmentalist and writer
“So good to see the Lifelong Learning part of the marquee as an integral part of the show. For so long it has been tucked away. Sarah Eberle’s Walking Barefoot with Bradstone garden was very interesting. It is good to see someone talking about water resources in a positive way. A garden celebrating water is great. Finally, I am chuffed [as vice president] that the Wildlife Trusts and RHS are collaborating - it has been a long time coming.”