One of my favorite stands was actually one of the smallest, but the plant palate was remarkable and highly exciting. I've been emailing Sue Wynn-Jones and getting to meet her was such a delight and kind of tense as she was a bit of a nervous wreck minutes just before judging of their first ever display at the Chelsea Flower Show. Along with her husband, Bleddyn, they run Crug Farm Plants in Wales (which I had a chance to visit...stay tuned for that blog post!). They travel extensively around the world, often with Dan Hinkley, seeking out the coolest, rarest, and most exciting plants to introduce into horticulture. They are known for many Asian plants and spearheaded the interest in hardy Araliaceae such as Schefflera, which were in prominent display. Not only did their display earn them Chelsea Gold, they also won the RHS President's Award!
One of the most iconic images of Chelsea and the Grand Marquee is the Blackmore and Langdon display of the largest, most exquisite Tuberous Begonias you'll ever see and a soldier line-up of blue Delphiniums in the background. It's the same freakin' display each year it seems like, but it always wins Gold Medals!
Another common sight are the ever colorful and delightfully fragrant selection of carefully arranged Sweet Peas!
I've become quite fond of Lupines during my visit to England and the assortment of colors is just astounding!
What makes Chelsea dubbed as "The World's Greatest Flower Show" is its international participants:
South Africa
Trinidad and Tobago
Edible Gardening will not be left unmentioned as there were several stands that showcased wonderful produce!
The most spectacularly delicious and fragrant was Ken Muir and their fabulous towers of juicy strawberries staged to perfection.
Combined with the English Roses behind, that section of the marquee smelled so heavenly, it was hard not to just stand there and soak in that scent of summer!!
This stand had a most incredible cottage garden with amazing brassicas (cabbages, kales, etc.) and lovely leeks, again, grown to perfection:
Clematis are very popular in England and this extraordinary tunnel was quite a sight!
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