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00:00All the best from this year at Chelsea.
00:30Hello, and welcome to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026, an event supported by Range Road.
00:38It is the final day of the show.
00:42Tonight, we're bringing you the first of two highlights programmes, looking back on a truly memorable week.
00:48From spectacular show gardens to the wonders of the Great Pavilion, we've had front row seats as growers and designers
00:56have shared their passion for plants with visitors from all around.
01:00Now, amongst all the many highlights of this week, inevitably, we're going to talk about colour because the flowers are
01:08full of colour.
01:09And usually, Chelsea has a kind of running thread of colour that somehow appears, because people don't plan it, do
01:16they?
01:16No, they don't. It's a zeitgeist, isn't it? They just somehow, through the ether, that sort of message.
01:20So what would you say this year's thread was?
01:22I would say there isn't really anything clear, I don't think.
01:26They're a little pocket, there's quite a lot of rich colours, but no overwhelming strand.
01:32One thing I have noticed very clearly is lots of silvery, glaucus grey, blue foliage, which I love.
01:39That is very true.
01:40And blue and yellow, for the first time in many years, on one of the large show gardens, really dominant.
01:46And I feel that used to be that all the time, back in the day.
01:49Not now. Well, tonight we're going to take you through the standout stories of the week, as we celebrate the
01:54very best in garden design and horticulture.
01:57I'll be taking another look at one of the week's headline grabbers, the King's Foundation Curious Garden, designed by our
02:05very own Francis.
02:06And I shall be sitting down for an exclusive chat with comedian, actor and writer Ben Miller.
02:13But first, time to look back.
02:16The show opened on press day, attracting a whole host of familiar faces to Chelsea, culminating, as ever, with the
02:23annual visit from His Majesty the King.
02:26And while the gardens and displays were certainly fit for a king, it was the RHS judges that everyone was
02:33hoping to impress.
02:35And on medals day, emotions ran high as the results were revealed.
02:42It's been another strong year at RHS Chelsea, with five golds on Main Avenue.
02:48First to be awarded a gold is the Tate Britain Garden, designed by Tom Stewart-Smith.
02:53It's a showcase for the forthcoming Claw Garden at Tate Britain, and clearly it impressed the judges.
03:00And celebrating her 20th year at Chelsea, legendary designer Sarah Eberle has been awarded gold for her garden for the
03:08campaign to protect rural England,
03:10that shines a light on the overlooked countryside at the edges of our towns and cities.
03:18The designer Patrick Clarke has struck gold with his very first garden on Main Avenue for the Children's Society.
03:25And this shows how reclaimed materials can be turned into something beautiful, and the judges clearly agreed.
03:33Making his Main Avenue debut, Chelsea regular Baz Granger has won gold for his garden, Killik & Co., A Seed
03:41in Time.
03:42And this was inspired by the Norfolk wetlands.
03:44And it's a calming space that connects with nature.
03:48Returning to Main Avenue for the second time is Kazuyuki Ishihara, renowned for his exquisite Japanese planting.
03:56This year, he was awarded a silver gilt for his Tokonama garden.
04:01Yeah!
04:03The designer Angus Thompson has created the breathing space garden for the charity Asthma & Lung UK,
04:11an ambitious design that encourages us all to stop and take a breath.
04:16And this was awarded a silver medal.
04:18Also awarded silver was Arit Anderson for her garden for the charity Parkinson's UK, her first on Main Avenue.
04:27It's designed as a sanctuary to support those navigating this complex neurological condition.
04:33We've put as much energy into this as we can, and we really hope that the public are going to
04:38enjoy it.
04:38The designers Harry Holding and Alex Michaelis have been awarded a silver gilt for their garden,
04:44the Eden Project, Bring Me Sunshine, that celebrates the regeneration of Morecambe Bay.
04:50Well, it's 18 pretty intense days, of course, on site, crack of dawn until the end of day.
04:55We're overjoyed to be here.
04:56Also winning gold is the Lady Garden Foundation Silent No More, designed by Darren Hawkes.
05:03It's a bold and imaginative garden, raising awareness about gynaecological cancers.
05:08Winning gold is a huge accolade, but I think just being at the show is actually what we all come
05:13here for.
05:16Out of the five gold medal winning gardens, only one could be named the RHS Garden of the Year.
05:24And here's the moment we surprise the winner, alongside RHS Director-General Claire Matteson.
05:30It's about bringing plants together.
05:38Congratulations.
05:39Oh, wow.
05:41So thrilled for you.
05:44Oh, my goodness me.
05:46Thank you so much.
05:51Oh, my goodness me.
05:54Wow.
05:54Look, everybody.
05:58Well, Sarah Eberle was tempted out of Chelsea retirement to create her garden, and it was for the Campaign to
06:05Protect Rural England.
06:07She is the most decorated designer in Chelsea history, and it was a well-deserved 20th gold medal for her.
06:15Earlier in the week, I visited the garden to find out more from Sarah herself.
06:21Here is the finished garden, and it is exceptionally beautiful.
06:26And what I really like about it is the way it takes simplicity and expands that out without ever losing
06:34that essence of the countryside.
06:36It was a place full of familiar plants, but beautifully set together.
06:41There used to be a phase that you often saw at show gardens sort of five, ten years ago of
06:45recreating a natural landscape, often brilliantly done, but not really a garden.
06:51And what Sarah has done is take the elements of the British countryside that she so loves and turn them
06:58into a garden without the garden losing that sense of domesticity, and yet without the plants losing the sense of
07:07wilderness.
07:08And, of course, we're talking about the planting here, but dominating the front of the garden is the sleeping figure
07:14of Gaia, carved from a redwood and a huge head in the front, lying with the eyes closed, a body
07:23coming round, and then the tail sweeping up through here and coming up over a stone bridge.
07:32And under the bridge we have a water feature and a circular sort of open communal space, and Sarah.
07:40Hello, Monty.
07:41Sarah, I'm so glad that you did decide to come back to Chelsea, because I think it's wonderful.
07:45There's lots of really lovely things.
07:47Well, first of all, what made you?
07:48Why?
07:49Having won so much or achieved so much, why would you put yourself through it all the time?
07:54Well, CPRE approached me, and their message is so important to me that I just had to say yes.
07:59You know, I really like to believe in the subject matter, otherwise they don't become genuine.
08:04And just let's look at that message again.
08:06What is the core message of this?
08:08The core message is about the vulnerability of fringe lands on our towns and cities, whether they're green belts or
08:13not.
08:13They tend to get eradicated by inappropriate building, by fly tipping, but they are the first touchstones of nature for
08:21people who live in towns and cities.
08:22And there's so much potential there.
08:24What you've taken is all those elements and plants, but it is a garden.
08:28Yes.
08:29So for me, it's a sanctuary, but it's a sanctuary for nature and it's a sanctuary for people, because I
08:34do believe that nature offers that sanctuary, and that's really important.
08:37People talk about going into nature and this thing out there.
08:41Is it something that we can incorporate fully in our gardens, or do we need to go out into the
08:46countryside?
08:46No, I think there's something for both, and I think gardens are the last opportunity for that private sanctuary, where
08:52you can turn your phone off.
08:53You know, you can be fully alone.
08:55And for me, nature is so healing.
08:57It really is.
08:58You know, my whole psyche is based in nature.
09:01We have to talk about the sculpture.
09:03Yes.
09:04I mean, it is incredibly dramatic.
09:06Yes.
09:06Was that your idea to bring this in?
09:08Yes, I think, you know, for me, because it's Gaia, who is Mother Nature, it's a symbol of the caring
09:14for nature and for that protector.
09:17So for me, I think all Chelsea gardens need a big wow, and I thought this was an opportunity.
09:21It's a big wow, Sarah.
09:24It's a good one.
09:25No, it's wonderful, because it stops people in their tracks.
09:28Yes.
09:28And then they start to delve into the garden.
09:31I mean, it takes six to ten seconds for somebody to walk past a garden.
09:34You've got to stop them, bring them in, and then you can engage them.
09:38But you see, that's all your experience showing.
09:41That's the master craft person applying itself to the garden.
09:47I'm sure everybody's going to love it.
09:48I hope they get the message, because it's an important one, as you say.
09:51It is, yeah.
09:51That we look after our countryside, but at the same time incorporate it into our gardens.
09:56Thank you so much.
09:57Thank you, Monty.
09:59A really deserving winner.
10:02But out of the remaining large show gardens, who else was high up on your leaderboard?
10:07What about you, Monty?
10:08Well, I know that the judges gave equal marks, actually full marks, to Sarah's garden, Tom Stewart-Smith's garden, Dan's
10:17garden, the lady garden.
10:19And I loved all three.
10:21I think any of those three could have won, and they would have been a deserved winner.
10:25And the judges did what they could only do, which was to have another vote, and Sarah just pipped it.
10:31And I'm glad she did, because it's a fabulous garden.
10:34Well, I'm interested you said that, because we chatted through the week, and those are the three gardens we responded
10:39to as well.
10:40So, anyway.
10:41But the gold rush wasn't limited to the show gardens, and over in the Great Pavilion, more than 60 gold
10:48medals were awarded.
10:49And who better than Carol to share some of the highlights?
10:56I'm here in the Great Pavilion, and it's Medals Day.
11:00But what does it take to get gold?
11:03I'm going to find out.
11:09Well, Miles, huge congratulations.
11:12Gold!
11:13Brilliant!
11:14It's my fourth Chelsea.
11:15I got silver in the first year, two silver gilts, and this year, gold.
11:19This is a really interesting display.
11:22But you're not in the usual category, the flora range, are you?
11:26No, so this is judged as a Lindley display, which is educational.
11:30This is all about growing Acer from seed.
11:33So all your trees are in tip-top condition.
11:35What would you advise for anybody trying to grow an Acer?
11:39So if you're growing in a pot, which a lot of people do, make sure they don't get too dry.
11:43But also make sure they have good drainage, so they don't get too wet in the winter.
11:48And site them somewhere with not too much sun.
11:52Ideally, morning sun, afternoon shade.
12:00Congratulations to Warman Hovens.
12:03Their beautiful alliums have won gold for the 21st time.
12:08And they've only been coming for 38 years.
12:11And look at the quality of the flowers.
12:13If I can have a favourite, it's this one.
12:16It's called Spider.
12:17And it's a cross between Schubertii and Atropurpurium.
12:23And if you want something a bit more straightforward, how about this Purple Sensation?
12:28And Purple Sensation in particular will self-seed all over the show.
12:33So you'll soon have a garden full of it.
12:38Blackmore and Langan have done it again.
12:41Their nursery is 125 years old this year.
12:45They've been awarded over 80 gold medals.
12:48What an achievement.
12:51Cavett Garden Plants specialise in alpines.
12:54They've got 11 golds already.
12:57And this is their 12th.
12:59They clearly love their plants and know exactly what they're doing.
13:08Dominic, congratulations.
13:09Your very first time at Chelsea and you've won a gold medal.
13:12Yes, we've done very well.
13:13It's been my dream since I was a child to try and come to Chelsea.
13:17But get a gold was never on my list.
13:19So tell us about some of these orchids.
13:22Are most of these suitable for growing at home?
13:24Yeah.
13:25So anyone can grow any of these varieties at home.
13:28We've got Phalanopsis, Dendrobiums and Oncidiums.
13:32They're quite easy plants.
13:33You want to ideally water it around once every 10 days.
13:36Rain water is better than tap water.
13:38And how do you keep it looking so fresh here?
13:40We have to spray it multiple times a day.
13:43But some of the time when it gets into the summer months
13:45and it's the hotter shows,
13:47you've got to do it three or four times a day.
13:49It's just extraordinary.
13:50I bet it looks good at the end of the week soon.
13:53Fingers crossed.
13:56Of course, not all the gardens here at the show are judged.
13:59But that doesn't stop them from grabbing headlines.
14:04I'm on the RHS and the King's Foundation Curious Garden
14:08designed by none other than our lovely Francis Tophill
14:12in collaboration with His Majesty the King,
14:15Sir David Beckham and Alan Titchmarsh.
14:18Well, Francis and Alan are with me now.
14:21And my goodness, Francis, what a day it's been already.
14:24What's the response from people coming to see it?
14:27Generally, really lovely.
14:29You know, when we were planting it as well,
14:30I had my head down in the border with high-vis on
14:32and just you can earwig what people are saying about it.
14:34Generally, people like seeing veg, which is great for me.
14:37I love veg.
14:38You know, we've got it all in amongst the flowers.
14:40It's a little bit overwhelming.
14:42There's a lot of people, you know.
14:44I'm not used to it.
14:44I'm used to having the mucky hands that I've got,
14:46but it's lovely.
14:48But Alan, you've been here to give Francis support
14:51and sort of work in a very collaborative way.
14:54So how has that been for you?
14:56I've done very little other than be at the end of the phone
15:00and meeting up now and again saying,
15:02look, it's fine, but she is such a good friend.
15:04It's been wonderful working with Francis
15:06since she started doing TV.
15:08And the talent, you can see, this is Francis,
15:10this is nobody else.
15:11A couple of friends, you know,
15:13Katie from Love Your Garden as well.
15:15Yeah.
15:15It's just, she's hugely talented
15:17and she'll get embarrassed if I carry on.
15:18Oh, I know she will.
15:20Also, he's not right.
15:21He has been on the end of the phone many times
15:23full of loads of advice
15:25and that kind of experience of having done this before
15:28and working with the RHS and the King's Foundation before.
15:32It's been lovely having Alan
15:33and also providing lots of little bits of bric-a-brac
15:36for the curious...
15:36You have to get out of me potting shop.
15:37You need to get in there.
15:38It's all in here.
15:39So come to Chelsea.
15:39When you move, I'll just clear out.
15:41It's in here.
15:42So, Francis, tell me a bit about the planting
15:44because that absolutely sings to me.
15:47Favourite plants.
15:47This garden is about plants.
15:49I know it's got a very big building.
15:51That's because it's going on to be an outdoor classroom
15:52for Farnborough College,
15:53but this is all about plants.
15:55So we have flowery cottage gardening with veg.
15:58There's a rain garden in the back here.
16:01And then as you move along, there's herbs.
16:02I've got so many different herbs.
16:04The idea is it's a botanist's garden,
16:06so there's so many different interesting species.
16:09We've got a really rare lavender,
16:10lavender bucei var.
16:12Buccei, that's from Jekka.
16:13Also, there's a critically endangered edible
16:16called oyster leaf, which is right on the front.
16:18There's Alice artindale delphinium in the middle here.
16:22There's only 12 of them in existence,
16:24and we've got three,
16:25which is a little bit scary
16:27because I can't lose them.
16:28But it's about showcasing
16:32how important plants are globally,
16:36you know, not just in gardens.
16:37We've got a dye bed,
16:39and there's linseed.
16:40So I'm growing all the things
16:41kind of about fashion and fibres
16:43and textiles and medicine,
16:45and then trying to show all of that
16:47in the Museum of Curiosity.
16:49The hope is that people will see this
16:52as a career path.
16:54I mean, Frances and I love it.
16:56We have loved gardening.
16:57You can be a designer, you can be a scientist,
16:59you can be a botanist,
16:59you can be a tree surgeon,
17:01you can be a groundsman.
17:01It's all to do with practically making the planet
17:05and our little patch of islands better.
17:07And if this enthuses younger people to say,
17:10do you know, I'd quite like to do that for a living,
17:12yeah, you get a bit wet and a bit cold
17:14on days like this.
17:15It's the best job on earth in us.
17:18It totally is.
17:18It certainly is, isn't it?
17:19And I know that one of the things
17:21caught my eye, the roses on here,
17:22you've got the King's Rose,
17:23you've got a rose for Alan Titch Marsh,
17:25David Beckham,
17:26I feel we need a farthest off.
17:28I think so.
17:28After this year, it's a must.
17:31Well, I hope mine's a bit of a hedge climbing,
17:34sprawly, natural-looking thing.
17:36You know, he's like,
17:37you'd love a very relaxed approach.
17:39Maybe a little unruly.
17:40And you've got the royal tour later on.
17:43How are you feeling about that?
17:44Slightly nervous.
17:45What I feel like is that there's a big responsibility
17:48to get this right, you know,
17:49for the RHS and the King's Foundation
17:51and everybody who's been involved in the project.
17:53We had a meeting with the King at Highgrove
17:55and she went down a stall.
17:57It was amazing.
17:58David Lye sat and let her tell...
18:00Just let her do it.
18:01Yes, let her run.
18:02Did I talk too much?
18:04No.
18:04She was fabulous.
18:05I mean, as you can see,
18:06she's engaging, she's enthusiastic.
18:08Who couldn't like it?
18:09Well, I just think it's the most incredible garden.
18:12It's a try on, Frances.
18:13I love you.
18:21Frances wasn't alone in showing us
18:23what's possible when we reflect our personalities
18:26in our garden,
18:26when we garden with real curiosity.
18:28And earlier in the week,
18:30Eric and I took a stroll down Serpentine Way
18:32to see how the designers in the smaller categories
18:35were letting their creativity run free.
18:39This is a little garden of shared knowledge
18:43designed by Katerina Cantalis.
18:45And the idea is to have a garden
18:47where children can learn
18:49and learn about plants.
18:51And looking everywhere,
18:53the height is for little hands.
18:55Perfect.
18:56Look at these hands.
18:57They'll be able to get in here
18:58and all these edibles
19:00and they'll be like that, won't they?
19:01Well, I know my grandchildren
19:02for ever putting things in their mouth.
19:04Hopefully the right things.
19:07It's full of interesting things.
19:10Although there is also
19:11that one incredible design tip
19:13which works,
19:14but people always get it wrong.
19:15If you've got a small space,
19:17put something big in it.
19:18Yeah.
19:18Makes it seem bigger.
19:19And that central piece
19:21holds all these little bits and pieces together.
19:24Well, it's so important
19:25because it's only five by two metres.
19:27And the thing is also, Monty,
19:28this one best balcony and container.
19:31And I can see why.
19:32I know, it's lovely.
19:33Attention to detail.
19:34It's lovely.
19:40Now, this is Fettercairn,
19:43the angel's share,
19:44designed by May Stary.
19:46Now, the angel's share, of course,
19:49is the part of whisky
19:51when you fill it up to the cast,
19:53the barrel, seal it,
19:54you open it up again later
19:55when it's ready
19:56and summer's gone.
19:57And that's evaporation.
19:59It's said to be the angel's share.
20:00I just noticed this.
20:01This is the angel.
20:03Of course, Chelsea,
20:03when it's got moans this year.
20:06And you can see he's delighted
20:07at having drunk his whisky.
20:09Exactly.
20:09He's had your portion.
20:12The whole garden, of course,
20:13is based around whisky.
20:14But the thing I like most,
20:15actually,
20:16is the wall behind.
20:17Because that's lime plastered.
20:19And it means it's changing.
20:20As it gets wet,
20:21it's changing colour.
20:22And then Chelsea,
20:23which is obsessed
20:24by fixing things,
20:25nice to have something
20:26that cannot be fixed.
20:27No, well,
20:28I agree on the colour,
20:28but I like how it's been framed
20:30by the copper piping.
20:31You've got this lovely frame here.
20:33And, of course,
20:33all the colours
20:34in the planting
20:35are reflective
20:36of these warm tones
20:37of the whisky.
20:38And we are standing
20:39on a resin cork floor.
20:41A bit different.
20:42Good.
20:43There's a sense of playfulness
20:44about this.
20:45I like that.
20:46And him.
20:46He likes it.
20:46Yeah, well, he likes it.
20:47He's obviously
20:48had a very happy time.
20:53And this is
20:55the Tales from the Riverbank Garden.
20:56It's designed by
20:58Susie Kennedy
20:58and Kate Henning.
21:00And I believe it's Kate
21:00that lives on a houseboat.
21:02It is.
21:03And I think you can see
21:04how she's brought
21:05the whole charm of that
21:07onto this space.
21:08It's absolutely delightful.
21:10Well,
21:10I was talking to them earlier
21:12and they were telling me
21:13how they've reused
21:14everything from their homes.
21:15They've made things,
21:17scaffolding planks
21:17for the walls
21:18and the floors.
21:19And that kind of creative energy
21:21and sort of zest
21:23come through, doesn't it?
21:24Well, it's so important,
21:25you know,
21:26to have your personality
21:27in a garden.
21:28But look up, though, Monty,
21:29because very clever use
21:31of having that upper balcony.
21:32I was walking by here
21:34on Sunday
21:34and immediately I thought,
21:35yeah, that's good.
21:36That's really good.
21:37One little tiny detail
21:38is that I really like
21:40to see this contorted hazel.
21:41It's one of my favourite
21:42little shrubs.
21:43It's great.
21:43Very good.
21:45Some really magical
21:47spaces there.
21:48The perfect hiding place,
21:50in fact,
21:50for gnomes.
21:51And the return
21:52of the humble gnome
21:53to Chelsea
21:53has certainly added
21:55a spot of colour
21:56this week.
21:57Well, you say
21:57the humble gnome,
21:58but apparently
21:59His Majesty,
22:01King Charles III,
22:02is partial
22:03to a gnome or two.
22:04And we've got
22:05a whole bunch here.
22:06Yes, we do.
22:07The winged one
22:07I actually thought
22:08was very jolly.
22:09This, by the way,
22:10is painted by Adam.
22:12And I see that
22:13a Jackson Pollock
22:14went for something
22:15like 180 million
22:16the other day.
22:16So, as an homage
22:18to Jackson Pollock,
22:19a non-hage, perhaps,
22:21to Jackson Pollock,
22:22he's done pretty well,
22:23I think.
22:24I'm not sure
22:24I'd pay that for it, though.
22:25Where's yours?
22:26Come on,
22:26you're being modest.
22:26OK, so mine is tiny.
22:28I was sent
22:29this teeny-tiny gnome-et.
22:32Beautifully painted.
22:33But I actually had fun.
22:34I put pollinators.
22:35There are bees
22:36and butterflies
22:36and birds
22:39and all sorts of things.
22:39When the telework
22:40fades away,
22:41there is a career
22:42in gnome painting
22:43for you,
22:43I am sure.
22:44Maybe.
22:44Well, moving
22:46from gnomes
22:47to giants
22:48from the world
22:49of fashion business
22:50and the arts,
22:50because all week
22:51I've had the pleasure
22:52of meeting
22:53some of the famous
22:54visitors to Chelsea.
22:57My guest tonight
22:59ensures that she
23:00starts every day
23:01by taking a stroll
23:02through her garden
23:03in Somerset,
23:05in her bare feet,
23:06to be grounded
23:07with the earth.
23:08Please welcome
23:09Deborah Mead.
23:10Deborah,
23:10people don't,
23:11rightly or wrongly,
23:13associate
23:14extremely successful
23:15business people
23:16with gardening.
23:18I mean,
23:18they seem to be
23:18counter indicative.
23:20Is that either
23:22fair or true?
23:23I mean,
23:23should business people
23:25be gardening
23:26and should gardeners
23:27be business people?
23:28Ah, no,
23:28so should business people
23:30be gardening?
23:30Absolutely.
23:31I've met a lot
23:31of business people
23:32I think would benefit
23:33a lot from doing gardening.
23:34I'm better.
23:35How?
23:36Why?
23:36Well, I know I am better.
23:38So in this busy world
23:39where you do have
23:40to have an organised mind,
23:42you know,
23:42I know I've got
23:43a lot going on,
23:43I think to start
23:45your day well
23:46is very, very important
23:47and just to make sure
23:49you kind of reset
23:49and that's what
23:51gardening does for me.
23:52The other thing
23:53I would say about gardening
23:54is that in business
23:55people can get
23:56very impatient
23:56and very anxious.
23:58I can shout at those plants
24:00as much as I like.
24:01They are not growing
24:02any faster.
24:03So it teaches patience
24:05and resilience
24:07and long-termism.
24:09No, I think gardening
24:10is a brilliant thing
24:11for business.
24:13Welcome, David Harewood.
24:15I feel like
24:15a little, tiny bit
24:16of a fraud
24:17in that it's not
24:18that I've taken up gardening,
24:19I've become interested
24:20in gardening.
24:21Listen, that's the same thing.
24:22Is that the same thing?
24:22It's the same thing.
24:23Oh, I always thought
24:24you were supposed to get
24:24No, no, no,
24:25that's a very British thing.
24:26You're not a proper gardener.
24:28Let me see your hands.
24:31Tell me a little bit
24:32about your garden.
24:33Well, we moved
24:34into our house
24:35in South London
24:35about ten years ago.
24:37It was a new build.
24:38It was a little overgrown
24:39and a little bit
24:40uninteresting.
24:41My gardener,
24:42Ian Bridgeford,
24:43he started suggesting things
24:44and just watching
24:45the results of things grow
24:47and things come back
24:48the following year.
24:48I was working
24:49in North America
24:50for a good ten years.
24:52I've now been back
24:53in England
24:53for about four or five years
24:54so I'm much more
24:55at home now
24:56and I'm loving it.
24:58Get rid of that.
24:59That doesn't work.
25:00Let's put this one in.
25:01That's going really well.
25:02That's really, really healthy.
25:03Let's get some more of that.
25:04It's just,
25:05the whole thing has grown
25:06and become alive.
25:07What does it do
25:08for you to be out there?
25:09I could go out there
25:10for ten minutes
25:10and the next thing I know
25:11I'm out there for three hours.
25:12And I think that's wonderful.
25:14Time, stress, pressure
25:16just seems to disappear
25:17when you're in the garden
25:19because you've got things
25:19to take care of,
25:21you've got things to nurture,
25:22you've got things to care for.
25:24And I love that.
25:25I love the fact
25:26that it's taking,
25:27I don't know,
25:28pressure off,
25:28but it's taking the importance
25:31of the outside world.
25:32But you see,
25:32the thing you raise there
25:33which strikes me as really,
25:34it's about having to look
25:35after something.
25:36Exactly.
25:39Obviously we all know you
25:40for the sort of
25:41incredible use of colour
25:42and vivacity.
25:43Where does that come from
25:44do you think?
25:45I suppose a lot of it
25:46is looking at nature.
25:48I mean,
25:48I love drawing flowers
25:50so it's always wonderful
25:52when flowers appear
25:53and you think
25:54I'd better draw that
25:55while it's there.
25:56And do you like
25:57the hands-on stuff?
25:58Do you like actual gardening?
26:00Oh, I enjoy gardening,
26:01yes.
26:02I'm okay at potting up.
26:04At the moment
26:04my poor camellias
26:06aren't doing as well
26:07as they should
26:07so we're going to
26:08take them out
26:09and cut their roots
26:11down a bit
26:11and re-pot them
26:12in fresh soil.
26:13That's a good idea.
26:15So,
26:15is Chelsea something
26:16you've come to regularly?
26:18I mean,
26:19is this the first time?
26:21Tell me about it.
26:21No, no, no.
26:22I don't come enough
26:23but I try and come here
26:25each year when it's on
26:26and then check out
26:27the ones that grow
26:28on my terrace first
26:29and see if I can get,
26:31you know,
26:31how do they get
26:32such splendid hostas
26:33with no holes
26:34for the slugs
26:35and things like that.
26:36Fantastic hostas
26:37this bay.
26:38You'll see hostas everywhere.
26:39So,
26:39what are you noticing
26:40in the gardens
26:41when you look around?
26:42What sort of,
26:43creatively?
26:44Creatively,
26:45I love the fact
26:46that everything
26:47is all hodgepodge together.
26:49I mean,
26:49really it's the work
26:50of art
26:50what they've done
26:51but see the foxgloves
26:53and the ferns
26:54and then you're looking
26:55and thinking
26:55and an iris here
26:56and there.
26:57They're just gorgeous.
27:03Later on,
27:04I shall be sitting down
27:05for one last chat
27:07and I'm going to be joined
27:08by the actor Ben Miller
27:09to discover
27:10how his garden
27:11fuels his creativity.
27:12And we'll be continuing
27:13our whistle-stop tour
27:15of the horticultural highlights
27:16from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show
27:192026
27:20and events supported
27:21by Range Rover.
27:22But first,
27:24we've got some questions.
27:25We loved answering
27:25your questions all week
27:26and we've got time
27:27just for one or two more.
27:28Lovely.
27:29OK,
27:29from Diane on Facebook,
27:31as we continue
27:32to experience climate change,
27:34should the Chelsea Chop
27:35become the Malvern Chop?
27:38That's a very good question
27:39because obviously
27:40things are changing,
27:41plants are sort of
27:42coming through,
27:43flowering earlier,
27:44but not every year.
27:45So,
27:46the whole Chelsea Chop idea
27:47is that you take down
27:48some of the top growth
27:50or all,
27:51if you like,
27:52of a perennial,
27:53just the delays,
27:54the flowering
27:55and can give you
27:56more flowers.
27:57And normally,
27:58it's done around
27:58Chelsea time.
28:00More than perhaps
28:01a couple of weeks earlier,
28:02but I think each year
28:03you have to judge it
28:04on its own merits
28:05and just see.
28:06I think any time
28:07in May is fine.
28:08Yes.
28:09Quite frankly.
28:09We'll go with that.
28:10So, yeah,
28:11more than Chelsea
28:12and local flower show.
28:14Yes.
28:14What else have we got?
28:15Right, OK.
28:16Another Diane.
28:17I have a brown turkey fig
28:18that's outgrown
28:19its terracotta pot.
28:21I'd like to plant it
28:22in the sun
28:22beside my old cottage,
28:24but will the roots
28:25damage the stonework?
28:26Can I plant it in the ground
28:28or should I repot it again?
28:29OK,
28:29it won't damage the stonework.
28:31You'll be fine.
28:31Don't worry about that.
28:32I will put it in the ground
28:33if you can
28:34because it will grow bigger
28:35and if it's bigger
28:36it'll have more fruit.
28:37And the cottage
28:38will restrict the roots a bit,
28:40keep it watered,
28:41keep it fed
28:42and make sure
28:43the roots can't go
28:44into really good soil
28:45because all you'll get
28:46is a big tree
28:46and no fruit.
28:47But people worry
28:49too much about that.
28:50It'll be fine.
28:51Now,
28:51we're going to have
28:52more questions
28:52later in the show
28:53so if we haven't asked yours
28:55don't worry.
28:56Chelsea this year
28:57has again proved
28:58that it can provide
28:59a whole world
29:00of inspiration.
29:02Absolutely.
29:03There are international
29:04influences here
29:05aplenty.
29:06So,
29:06join us for a horticultural
29:08trip around the world
29:09all without leaving
29:11Chelsea.
29:12and we start
29:13close to home
29:13in Morecambe
29:15one of Britain's
29:16oldest seaside towns
29:17that's inspired
29:18one of the gardens
29:20on Main Avenue.
29:22What a truly
29:23uplifting space
29:24this is.
29:25Look,
29:25your eyes
29:26carried right up
29:27through this poplar tree
29:28with the leaves
29:29just sort of sparkling
29:30in the wind.
29:31Beautiful.
29:32And then the contrast
29:33of the stillness
29:34of this water
29:35and this extraordinary
29:37structure
29:38right in the centre.
29:39I must say
29:41Alex and Harry
29:42you have made
29:42an amazing garden
29:44and you've won
29:45a silver gilt medal
29:47which is fantastic.
29:49How was the whole
29:49process of bringing
29:50it to Chelsea?
29:52I mean,
29:52it's quite a ride
29:53as you well know.
29:54Absolute rollercoaster
29:55but incredible
29:56to be here
29:57with such an amazing
29:58array of different teams
29:59experts in their fields
30:00and landscape associates
30:02leading the build
30:02and it's 18
30:04very full on days
30:05but incredible process.
30:07Yeah,
30:07and you are here
30:07and it's all been worth it.
30:09Tell me a bit about
30:10this clamcrete
30:11because I think
30:12that's really interesting
30:13combining the shell
30:15with the concrete.
30:16So,
30:16I mean,
30:17yes,
30:17the clamcrete
30:17we've used on the floors
30:19and on each
30:20of these sections here
30:21and it's a mixing
30:22clams from
30:23Morecambe region
30:24with a very
30:26low carbon
30:27concrete mix
30:28and it's a very
30:29effective way of building
30:30in different areas
30:31in the country
30:32with different aggregates
30:33rather than
30:34pure cement
30:35which is really
30:36not that great.
30:37And of course
30:39Morecambe
30:39is the sort of
30:40the other character
30:42in this garden
30:43isn't it
30:43because it's so specific
30:45to that place.
30:46and everything here
30:47is from Morecambe
30:48in so many different ways
30:49and as Alex says
30:50about the clamcrete
30:51those waste products
30:52from the Morecambe
30:53seafood industry
30:54the limestone boulders
30:55even this polished table
30:57that limestone
30:58so ultimately
30:59when it goes back
31:00to Morecambe
31:00if it was just left
31:01for decades
31:01it would just crumble
31:02back into the landscape
31:03that it came from
31:04and this boundary
31:06quite literally
31:06brings the landscapes
31:08of Morecambe
31:09to life
31:09at Chelsea Flower Show
31:10with a journey
31:11from the coastal scenes
31:13through to the more
31:14inland rocky scenes
31:15created by the artist
31:16Finbar Ward
31:17in collaboration
31:18with the young adults
31:18that we've been working with
31:19so beautiful to see it here.
31:21And of course
31:22it's going to live on
31:23in Morecambe
31:24so a great future
31:25ahead of it.
31:26I'm in the most
31:27extraordinary garden
31:28I hope we're going to see you
31:29on Main Avenue again.
31:33Well from the British seaside
31:35to the south of France
31:37and the project
31:37giving back feature garden
31:39designed by James Basson
31:40where he recreated
31:42the ochre mines
31:43in the hills of Provence.
31:45Did you go inside that?
31:46I didn't.
31:47I saw it from the outside
31:48and I think perhaps
31:48I would have responded better
31:50if I'd gone in.
31:51A lot of people
31:51found it very difficult.
31:52I went inside
31:54I thought it was wonderful
31:55and the story
31:57of these mines
31:58and the
31:58you know
31:58they're crumbling
31:59and the trees are growing
32:01I loved it.
32:02Anyway
32:03from the south of France
32:04we went to South Australia
32:06where Max Parker Smith's
32:08journey beyond the tracks garden
32:10was inspired by
32:11the train journey
32:12from Adelaide to Perth
32:13and I liked that.
32:14Yes
32:15I was really struck by it
32:16and I think
32:17because
32:17I've never been to Australia
32:18so for me
32:19it was that sort of
32:20tantalising glimpse
32:21of what it's like.
32:22Beautifully done too.
32:23Yeah.
32:23And of course
32:24who can forget the winner
32:26of the RHS Best Exhibit
32:28in the Great Pavilion
32:29that represented
32:30a slice of South Africa's
32:31Cape region
32:32and I know
32:33you were a fan one.
32:34Well I was
32:35I admired the display
32:37hugely
32:37and I've been to the
32:38FameBoss a number of times
32:39and it's fascinating
32:40but here is
32:41a confession
32:43I've yet to learn
32:45to love Pretires
32:46I don't know
32:47they seem to me
32:48like not very good
32:49artichokes
32:50but there we are
32:50that's going to upset
32:51the whole South Africa.
32:52However
32:53something else
32:54that I do really love
32:56is Asian garden design
32:59and seeing the influence
33:00of that across the show
33:01was fascinating
33:02and so I went exploring
33:04to see exactly
33:05how designers
33:06have used that
33:07in their gardens.
33:10Any visitor
33:11coming to Chelsea
33:12over the last
33:13ten years or so
33:14will be very familiar
33:16with the wonderful
33:17gardens of Mr.
33:18Ishihara
33:19and again this year
33:20he's done
33:20another superb garden
33:22and of course
33:23the great attraction
33:24is seeing a garden
33:26that is so different
33:27to our own
33:28and we've absorbed
33:29lots of plants
33:30from Japan
33:31hostas and acers
33:33and from all over
33:34Asia
33:34going right from Japan
33:36across to the Mediterranean.
33:37What I want to look at
33:39is the way
33:40that we have absorbed
33:41these influences
33:43perhaps to an extent
33:44that we're not quite aware of
33:45and included them
33:47and included them
33:47in our very western gardens.
33:54Here in the
33:55Asthma and Lung
33:57UK breathing space garden
33:58designed by Angus Thompson
34:00there are really good examples
34:01of something that we've inherited
34:03from the east
34:03and perhaps don't use
34:05in the same way
34:06as they do
34:07in Asian countries.
34:08In Japan
34:09they have a concept
34:10called Ma
34:10M-A
34:11and what that describes
34:14is the significance
34:15of the space
34:17the seemingly empty space
34:19between two things.
34:20It applies to branches
34:22to plants
34:23to the width of a path
34:24the gap between two hedges
34:26that space is not empty
34:28it is part of the whole thing
34:30and of course here
34:32magnificently
34:33these pine trees
34:34called the two brothers
34:36are defined by the sky
34:38that they are enclosing
34:40the space between the branches
34:42is as important
34:43as the branches themselves
34:45it's not just a tree
34:46against the sky
34:47it is the tree
34:49and the sky
34:50that have become the garden.
34:53The Children's Society garden
34:55designed by Patrick Clark
34:56takes as one of its themes
34:58the idea of wabi-sabi
35:00the celebration
35:02of things that are not perfect
35:05one is reminded of that
35:07Leonard Cohen line
35:08there is a crack in everything
35:10and that's the way
35:11the light gets in
35:12so you use reclaimed materials
35:14the tin at the back
35:15is chosen not because
35:17the virtue of recycling
35:18but because it's more beautiful
35:20than new tin
35:21the rusty metal
35:23plants that don't quite grow
35:25as you expect them to
35:26but actually by growing
35:28a little bit wonky
35:29they become more beautiful
35:31and actually perfection is boring
35:33in people
35:34in plants
35:35in gardens
35:36in life
35:37everything
35:38goes a little bit off
35:40and that's
35:42what makes it so beautiful
35:47this is a really good example
35:49of wabi-sabi
35:49and it's beautiful
35:51you have wood with a split
35:53which if it's a table
35:55it's pretty disastrous
35:55and you'd think you wouldn't use it
35:57but it's been beautifully repaired
36:00so the split
36:01and the repair
36:02become part of the final object
36:09talked a lot about the influence
36:11of the far east
36:12but this garden
36:13contained the rain
36:15by John Howlett
36:16takes us to ancient Persia
36:18and Islamic gardens
36:19now the very first gardens
36:21are reckoned to be Persian
36:23about 500 BC
36:24and then the Islamic influence
36:27took over
36:27and you have gardens
36:29that are just like this
36:31which feels like an oasis
36:32and we can all relate to that
36:34all our gardens
36:36in one way or t'other
36:37are an oasis
36:38against the busyness
36:40of the whirling world around us
36:43there's a tendency
36:44for us to think
36:46that our gardens
36:46are very British
36:47but British gardens
36:48are influenced
36:50from all over the world
36:51and an amalgam
36:53of discoveries
36:54and plants
36:55and thoughts
36:56and concepts
36:57and a lot of those
36:59come from the east
37:05if there's one thing
37:07Chelsea proves
37:07year after year
37:09you don't need
37:10outside space
37:11for plants
37:11to transport you
37:12to a completely different
37:14place
37:14or time
37:16Francis took a stroll
37:17through the houseplant studios
37:19for a spot of horticultural
37:21time travel
37:27we may think of houseplants
37:29as being a very modern trend
37:30but actually
37:31the Victorians loved them
37:33they were a real status symbol
37:35the rarer
37:36the better
37:37the fern craze
37:39swept across the country
37:40and people had them
37:40all over their homes
37:42so they're by no means
37:44a new invention
37:46the modern way
37:48of displaying houseplants
37:49is slightly different
37:50from that Victorian
37:51ideal of order
37:52it's all about relaxation
37:54and this
37:55is the conservatory
37:56where these beautiful plants
37:58the same kinds of plants
38:00that would have been
38:00displayed back then
38:01are now being draped
38:03hung from the ceiling
38:05and potted in tiny little
38:06pots and shelves
38:07all around
38:08to create a very calming
38:10and tranquil space here
38:14although we may not have
38:15a fern fever anymore
38:17ferns still make
38:18excellent houseplants
38:19and this is one
38:20this is a bird's nest fern
38:21very close relative
38:22of the kinds of
38:23heart-stung ferns
38:24we find in woodlands
38:25but this one
38:26is from the tropics
38:27and so it needs to be
38:28much warmer
38:28but it's an epiphyte
38:30so it naturally grows
38:31on branches or trunks
38:32of other plants
38:34so it doesn't have
38:35big root systems
38:35it's kind of an air plant
38:37so lots of moisture
38:38around the foliage
38:40will keep this happy
38:41and another
38:42is a stag's horn fern
38:44and it works really well
38:46here because it's displayed
38:47in this hanging bowl
38:48so you see it from below
38:50naturally this would grow
38:51in a tree
38:51so this is how
38:52you'd see it in the wild
38:58the 1970s marked the first boom
39:00in houseplant popularity
39:02with the indoor jungle aesthetic
39:04becoming super popular
39:06and marking that change
39:08into a more bohemian
39:10kind of lifestyle
39:14this is the heliotropic carousel
39:17now heliotropism is when plants
39:19grow towards the light
39:20and this is a celebration of light
39:22with windows all around
39:24i think if you're going 70s
39:25you need to go bold
39:26and this is about as bold as they come
39:28it's huge
39:29it's just senoreflexa
39:31it's really beautiful
39:32but they're so easy to look after
39:34and with just one plant
39:35that makes a really really big impact
39:41by the time we got to the 90s
39:43and the noughties
39:44it was all about minimalism
39:46succulents and cacti
39:48and they were used in our homes
39:49really more like accessories
39:51than plants
39:52this houseplant studio
39:54is called ode to endurance
39:56and it puts these plants
39:57centre stage
39:58and really celebrates them
40:00for their low maintenance nature
40:02this is so minimalist
40:04just like the 90s
40:06but instead of being maybe a bit cold
40:08it's warm and cosy
40:10it's hygge meets arizona
40:12when you look back through history
40:14the plants that we grow as houseplants
40:16right from when we first started doing it
40:18haven't really changed that much
40:20but the way we grow them
40:21and the way that we display them
40:23can transform our homes
40:30making the inside as beautiful as outside
40:33isn't restricted to houseplants
40:35and over in the great pavilion
40:36I went to explore the floral creations
40:39of those competing to be named
40:41RHS Florist of the Year
40:49the theme this year is
40:51floristry laboratory
40:52it's all about how science and nature meet
40:55and how the one inspires the other
40:57the judges love them so much
41:00there are three gold medals
41:06Vanessa
41:06how do you feel about being a gold medal winner
41:10it's amazing
41:11I genuinely hadn't thought about that part of it
41:14you get so swept up in the process
41:16that when I arrived yesterday morning
41:18and saw that card there
41:19I was just
41:20there was people already here that knew me
41:22that had seen it before me
41:23so to have that reaction with them
41:25was really really lovely
41:26tell me a bit about it
41:28so this is an imagined laboratory setting
41:31where nature has reclaimed the space
41:33and so everything has kind of got an origin to it
41:36there's a story for all of the materials
41:37but everything I do is seasonal
41:39so this is really setting the time and place
41:42of this imagined laboratory setting
41:44well you in turn have made all of us happy
41:48just looking at this
41:49it's fantastic
41:50congratulations
41:51thank you
41:55this extraordinary design by Helen James Flowers
41:59is called fusion and fission
42:01it's about that moment when atoms explode
42:04and you get that incredible energy
42:05and the colours here
42:07they really speak of that
42:09it's brilliant
42:10also even the glass test tubes
42:12that the flowers go into
42:13they look like the end of a rocket
42:15so firework display
42:16it's absolutely brilliant
42:22Jade I see a lovely shiny gold medal down here
42:26and RHS Chelsea Florist of the Year
42:29which is wonderful
42:31congratulations
42:31thank you
42:32how did you feel
42:33that moment you see Keith Weed
42:35coming towards you
42:36what was that like?
42:37oh my gosh
42:38just all the emotions going on
42:41I'd come in
42:42I'd walked into the gold
42:43which was phenomenal in itself
42:45never in my wildest dreams
42:47did I think it was going to be
42:48Forest of the Year
42:48I think this is wonderful
42:50it's mesmerising
42:51can you describe
42:53some of the thinking behind the design?
42:55so my title is nature magnified
42:58my concept was always
42:59the notion of plant cells
43:01under a microscope
43:02sort of looking at that unseen level of nature
43:05it's quite taken with the geometry
43:07that you see in that close up of cells
43:09so that's where the circles come from
43:11I'm intrigued
43:12how did you get the transparency on these discs?
43:16so a lot of them are handmade papers
43:17so they're layered fibres
43:20mulberry fibre, seeds
43:21they're pressed into paper sheets
43:23perhaps the star of the display
43:26are the orchids
43:27I mean they are stunning
43:29I feel like I've been really spoiled with these
43:31well so many congratulations
43:33I think it's absolutely beautiful
43:35I can see that it's a winning display
43:37and are we going to see you again next year?
43:39I think you probably will
43:40you might just need to give me a week to think about it
43:47over in the smaller garden categories
43:49there were also awards to be won
43:51the Woodland Trust Garden
43:53won the best all about plants category
43:56and I've always felt
43:58that most British gardens
44:00are really woodland gardens
44:02so this is particularly pertinent
44:04to so many of us
44:05meanwhile
44:06the honour of best small garden
44:09went to Adelshaw Goddard
44:11flourish in the city
44:12and this garden was inspired by
44:14the hidden gemstones of London
44:17taking a look at this garden
44:18you wouldn't really know
44:19that it's been inspired by London
44:21but that's what's really clever about it
44:23take a look at the back wall
44:25it's actually oyster crepe
44:26and that's referenced in the oyster trade
44:29that used to be prevalent in our city
44:30and then there's things like
44:32using Portland stone
44:33and this lovely verdigris copper
44:35which we'd find in the sort of
44:37financial district of London
44:39but this is a pocket park
44:42and this designer wants us
44:43to be able to ensure
44:44that in the future
44:45we've got the planting
44:47that's going to actually work
44:48in our cities
44:49so using things like the fennel
44:51and there's the bascans
44:53even Plontago
44:54that many of us think of as weeds
44:56but the one thing
44:57that I really like
44:59is that under our city
45:00there's all of these hidden rivers
45:02about 20 of them
45:03that have been re-diverted
45:04and the designer
45:05has cleverly used
45:07a water feature
45:08to depict that
45:13all week designer Jamie Butterworth
45:16has been exploring
45:17the use of colour
45:18across the show
45:19proving that depending
45:20on the palette you choose
45:22you can create
45:23a very different atmosphere
45:24in your garden
45:32one of the main trends
45:34I'm picking up on
45:35from Chelsea this year
45:36is that colour
45:37is back
45:38and no more so
45:40than in the Boodles garden
45:41designed by Catherine MacDonald
45:43this planting
45:44is
45:46bold
45:47it's elegant
45:48it's regal
45:49it's royal
45:50it's full
45:51this garden
45:53is bursting
45:54with colour
45:55when it comes to
45:57choosing what plants
45:58go into a show garden
45:59a lot of thought
46:01goes into
46:02from where the plants
46:03would naturally grow
46:04what plants would naturally
46:05grow together
46:06what colours work well together
46:08but then also
46:09what these colours represent
46:11and what Catherine's done here
46:12is celebrated
46:13the royal historic palaces
46:15and used plants
46:16like this Irish superstition here
46:18that are to represent
46:20the feathers of a raven
46:22from the Tower of London
46:23and the reds
46:25in particular
46:26this beautiful claret peony
46:28this is peony
46:29buckeye bell
46:30these represent
46:31the damask wallpaper
46:33at Hampton Corp
46:34and Kensington Palace
46:35and it's impactful
46:37so when you stand back
46:38and look at the garden
46:39as a whole
46:39you just see this
46:41riot
46:42of curated colour
46:47using colour
46:48in a garden
46:49can actually be
46:50quite difficult
46:51but Catherine's
46:52created this
46:53masterclass
46:54of how to use it
46:55with brilliant effect
46:56she's actually
46:58segregated the two colours
46:59out here
47:00she's got the purples
47:01at the front
47:01and the reds
47:02at the back
47:03and throughout the rest
47:04of the garden
47:05everything's clustered
47:06into its own colour groups
47:07so you can see
47:09each colour defined
47:10the trick is
47:12and if you're going to
47:12try and do this at home
47:14is use green plants
47:15and they act as a foil
47:17that sets off the colours
47:19of these salvias
47:20and irises
47:21and babascums
47:22so in the middle
47:23we've got artemesias
47:24labrisa
47:25and then this fastuca
47:27amethystina
47:28three very simple plants
47:30that glue this palette together
47:32and make it joyful
47:34uplifting
47:36and it just makes you feel great
47:43on the Alzheimer's Society garden
47:45Tina has used colour
47:47in a very different way
47:49she's using colour
47:50to soften the garden
47:51using delicate peaches
47:53soft pinks
47:55and just an accent
47:56of blue
47:56through the mysotis
47:58which softens
47:59and calms
48:00this space completely
48:01Tina has even used
48:04colour in the trees
48:06that she's chosen
48:06this is mayless tickled pink
48:09which is an eating apple
48:11but also
48:12at this time of year
48:13has the most beautiful
48:14pink blossom
48:15it transforms the space
48:18and shows
48:18no matter
48:19how big
48:20or small
48:21your garden is
48:21you can bring colour
48:23in there
48:23that works for you
48:24and your space
48:31now my guest tonight
48:33is a comedian
48:34an actor
48:34known for his work
48:35including
48:36Death in Paradise
48:37Bridgerton
48:38and as one half
48:39of the comedy duo
48:40Armstrong and Miller
48:42he's also a writer
48:43with 16 children books
48:45to his name
48:45whose garden
48:46is a key inspiration
48:48for his work
48:49well welcome back
48:50to Chelsea Ben Miller
48:51why is your garden
48:52a key inspiration
48:53I think it's just
48:54the way it slows you down
48:56you know
48:56I feel like
48:57when I lived in London
49:00I found that
49:01that was great
49:02for sort of
49:03writing comedy
49:03and writing sketches
49:04because you feel like
49:05you're in the thick of things
49:06and it's all very exciting
49:07and you can spot
49:08the different kinds
49:08of characters around you
49:09but
49:10when I wanted to start
49:11writing
49:13longer form
49:13I felt like
49:15I needed to change
49:16where I was
49:17I couldn't change
49:18my mindset
49:19without changing
49:20where I was
49:21and I went to the countryside
49:22and I started writing
49:24my children's books
49:25and I've even now
49:25just written my first novel
49:27at the grand old age
49:28of 60
49:28I've written my first novel
49:30at a very dangerous pursuit
49:31so I'm feeling like
49:32I owe it all
49:35to slowing down
49:36paying a bit more attention
49:37and I think
49:37with me
49:38I always want things
49:39to happen too fast
49:40I'm very very impatient
49:41and the garden teaches me
49:43you can't be impatient
49:44in a garden
49:44you cannot
49:45no
49:45to me the garden
49:46is this sort of
49:47fluid transient thing
49:49that flows in me
49:50and out of me
49:50and through the seasons
49:51and we can get very mystical
49:53about it very quickly
49:54we can get very mystical
49:54and I love
49:55it's what I love
49:56about Chelsea now
49:57because I've been coming
49:58for a few years
49:59I'm seeing it get
50:01wilder
50:02a little rougher
50:03a little less tamed
50:05it's more
50:06it's more British
50:07than you can possibly imagine
50:08and yet it's not
50:09at all stuffy
50:11so back to your own garden
50:12yeah
50:12this is one of the
50:13really wonderful things
50:14is we're right
50:15on the edge
50:16of woodland
50:17so our garden
50:18is sort of shared
50:19with a really wide variety
50:21of British wildlife
50:22we've got everything
50:24Montjack
50:25we've got red kites
50:26we've got
50:27I mean more rabbits
50:29than you can
50:29you know
50:30shake a stick at
50:30I've got a little writing cottage
50:32and I close the door in there
50:33it's like
50:35I'm disappearing into a TARDIS
50:37it's just wonderful
50:38I wrote a children's book
50:39about a girl
50:41who went into a fairy tale
50:42and when I wrote it
50:43a rambling rose
50:45started growing in
50:47through the door
50:49of my cottage
50:49just surrounding my cottage
50:51just like the cottage
50:53in the fairy tale
50:53it feels magical
50:55and it feels like
50:57I can change my mindset
50:59in a way that I just
51:01that I just cannot do
51:02of my own accord
51:03what about actual gardening
51:05do you do me?
51:06no
51:06no I'm kidding
51:07in fact
51:08I made a
51:12very wise I think
51:13purchase today
51:14because I didn't
51:15I didn't plant enough tulips
51:16and I wanted to ask you
51:17because I didn't plant enough tulips
51:18last year
51:19I've just bought
51:21a lot of tulip bulbs
51:23they're going to arrive in October
51:24what do you call a lot of tulip bulbs?
51:26a clutch of tulip bulbs
51:28oh okay
51:28I mean
51:29what I mean
51:31a swarm
51:32it's not a word
51:33120
51:34120 okay fine
51:35yeah so about 120
51:35what I'm told
51:38that there's some kind
51:39of implement
51:40yeah there are two things
51:41what do I need
51:42if you're going to put them
51:43into grass
51:44yeah
51:44you want to get one
51:45with handles like that
51:46rather like scooter handles
51:48right
51:48and you
51:48it's got a
51:49better with a metal
51:50borer
51:51a sort of round thing
51:52you then put your foot on
51:53and you dig down
51:54it takes out a plug of soil
51:55you pop the tulip bulb in
51:57put the plug back in
51:58on top of it
51:59job done
51:59that sounds wonderful
52:00and you could do your 120
52:02in 20 minutes
52:04that sounds like a challenge
52:06Ben Miller
52:06thank you very much
52:08for coming to talk to me
52:09I've got to say
52:10it's lovely to come here
52:11and to spend a day like this
52:12what a day we've had
52:14the weather's been extraordinary
52:15thanks
52:16thank you
52:19well
52:19across the week
52:20Adam has been taking us
52:22back to basics
52:23looking at the essential
52:24components of great garden design
52:27and one of the fundamentals
52:28to get right
52:29is creating that perfect spot
52:31to kick back
52:32and relax
52:38I've lost count
52:39of how many conversations
52:42I've had with gardeners
52:44over the year
52:44when they say
52:45I haven't got time
52:46to sit down in the garden
52:48well I'm telling you
52:49if you get that seating
52:51right in your garden
52:52that is going to be
52:53one of the most important
52:54things you do
52:58so let's break it
53:00into three sections
53:01first of all
53:02casual seating
53:03maybe somewhere
53:03you'll just take a moment
53:05after that
53:05relax
53:06you're going to linger
53:07stay a while
53:08and then
53:09dining
53:10so after that
53:12as a designer
53:13it's really working out
53:15how the light moves
53:16through the space
53:17then where do you want to be
53:19at a certain point
53:20in the day
53:22think about it
53:22this is lovely
53:24casual seating
53:25I'm going to come out here
53:26I'm going to have a moment
53:27I'm wrapped with planting
53:29I've got lots to look at
53:31the wildlife are going to come in
53:32so that moment
53:34becomes even more special
53:42we can be very visually driven
53:44how does something look
53:45and yes
53:46that's important
53:47but for me
53:48relaxed seating
53:50needs to hold you
53:51so ultimately
53:53atmosphere
53:54is incredibly important
53:56if you want to bring
53:57a group of people
53:58together
53:58you want to sit them
53:59in a space
54:00maybe if you've got room
54:02it's away from the house
54:03so you've got that disconnect
54:04with everyday life
54:06you surround yourself
54:07with planting
54:08I know
54:08not everybody can have this
54:10but it's got all the elements
54:11you've got wildlife
54:12it feels alive
54:13you've got the sound
54:14of running water
54:15it's just sort of calm
54:17and then as
54:18you know
54:19the evening approaches
54:20you can light a fire
54:23and individually
54:24a couple
54:25a group of you
54:26just spend hours
54:29enjoying the space
54:36if you're going to add somewhere
54:37to dine in the garden
54:39I think the first thing
54:40to think about
54:40is the space
54:41I've been to too many gardens
54:43where I've been sat
54:44round the table
54:45and it's been fine
54:46until you want to get up
54:47and you move the chair back
54:48and you're in the border
54:49so be as generous
54:50as you can be
54:52and what I love
54:53about this area
54:54they've dropped the levels
54:55which straight away
54:57changes your eyeline
54:59and that could be
55:00raised beds
55:01around your paving
55:03you know
55:04that eyeline
55:05is so important
55:06and then the last thing
55:07has got to be
55:08the materials
55:09here you've got timber
55:10and that has this relationship
55:12with the timber building
55:14you know
55:14in reality
55:16whatever you add
55:17to your garden
55:18it just needs to feel
55:19like it belongs
55:27well this week
55:29it's so stimulating
55:30not to say
55:31horticulturally overloaded
55:33I think to wind down
55:35you need to just
55:36get back
55:37and stop
55:38and sit for a while
55:40is there anything
55:41you're going to be taking
55:42back to Longmeadow
55:43if you had to choose
55:44one plant
55:46across the show
55:47which one would it be
55:49that's really difficult
55:50but I'm going to cheat
55:53I'm going to take two
55:54and the reason is
55:55is that
55:56they are both
55:57the same plant
55:57they are the pine trees
55:59on the
56:00asthma and lung
56:02UK breathing garden
56:05and the reason
56:05I'm taking both
56:06is because they are
56:07called the two brothers
56:07they are a pair
56:08and for my money
56:10they were the two
56:11most spectacular trees
56:12at the whole of this year
56:13I love them
56:14well you definitely
56:15can't split those up
56:16no
56:16and they'll
56:17I'll get them
56:18in the back of the car
56:18yes
56:19push them in
56:20what about you
56:21what were you taking
56:21well I spotted
56:23I think a very special iris
56:25it's called
56:26White City
56:27although I don't think
56:28it's very well named
56:29because it's actually
56:30that sort of
56:31glacial
56:32very very pale
56:33icy blue
56:34yeah
56:35isn't that beautiful
56:35and it's not too frilly
56:37you know
56:37the falls
56:38and the standards
56:39I think it's just
56:40extremely elegant
56:41I'm trying to build up
56:42a collection
56:43of bearded iris
56:44and you find
56:44they grow well
56:45in your garden
56:45they grow really well
56:46I'm in the Cotswolds
56:47there's lots of stone
56:48really gritty soil
56:49and it's in full sun
56:50so
56:51yeah
56:52oh it's lovely
56:52absolutely lovely
56:53yeah it is good
56:54isn't it
56:54I'm afraid our time
56:55sitting here
56:56is coming to an end
56:57but let's just
56:58just answer a couple
56:59more questions
56:59if we can
56:59you brace yourself
57:02bang these out
57:03first of all
57:03I've got one for you
57:04I need a flowering shrub
57:06for a semi-shaded area
57:08in the flowers
57:09in June and July
57:10and this is from
57:11Vanessa on Facebook
57:12what do you suggest
57:13well again
57:14because things are flowering
57:15so much earlier
57:16I would go for a hydrangea
57:18and
57:19but one of the
57:19no one of the quirky folios
57:21see I can't grow
57:22the quirky folio
57:23doesn't like me
57:24doesn't like me at all
57:25I have lost six
57:27too wet I think
57:28okay
57:28well I'm
57:29hopefully
57:30it should be fine
57:31it should be fine
57:32yes
57:32my holly
57:34got windburned
57:35this winter
57:35the leaves are falling off
57:37but the flowers are blooming
57:38with unusual profusion
57:40will the leaves
57:41ever come back
57:42they might
57:43but they might not
57:44this is a classic case
57:45of what holly does
57:46if it gets too dry
57:48it protects itself
57:50by shedding its leaves
57:53flowering
57:53and this is a sign
57:55that it thinks
57:55it's going to die
57:56so it's setting seed
57:58water it
57:59and what so called
58:00windburn means
58:01it's desiccated
58:02it's dried
58:03it's too dry
58:04water it
58:05and then mulch it
58:06okay
58:07on that bombshell
58:09I have to say
58:10we've reached the end
58:10of our week here
58:11at Chelsea
58:12thank you so much
58:13for all your questions
58:13I'm sorry if we
58:14couldn't get to them
58:16and thank you for
58:17everybody for joining
58:17us this week
58:18well Sophie and Adam
58:20will be back tomorrow
58:21night on BBC One
58:22at 6.15
58:23with their highlights
58:24from the show
58:25but from the two of us
58:27here and the entire
58:29BBC team
58:30we hope to have
58:31a wonderful summer
58:33bye bye
58:33good night
59:04we'll see you next time
59:04we'll see you next time
59:13our mother is sick
59:14daughter
59:15running
59:15we'll see you next time
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