On Wed, 24 May 2006 22:30:14 +0100, Janet Baraclough
wrote:

The message
from Paul Corfield contains these words:

Perhaps someone needs to say to the BBC that they could provide those
programmes either as a DVD or via the Gardeners World site on "see it
again" player where the programmes stay for a week or so. The other
alternative would be for them to show them as Hour Long Specials when GW
is not broadcast over the height of the Summer.

I agree. The "red button" digital extra coverage is just superb,
exactly what I want to see about Chelsea, quite different from and
better than the main programmes IMHO. I hope they do make the digital
coverage available for everyone to watch.

I went to Chelsea today for the first time - boy do my legs ache.

Interestingly the RHS had a Chelsea 2006 DVD and Video on sale and Carol
Klein presents it. I didn't buy it as I took a large number of
photographs instead.

The highlights were

Chris Beardshaw's Garden and Andy Sturgeon's garden. Both delightfully
planted. I was less taken with the others to be honest. The small
courtyard gardens were also rather good.

Nearly bashed Charlie Dimmock with my backpack (!) and held back while
the royal procession of Joe Swift walked in front of me while queuing in
the "slow queue" for some of the show gardens.

The real highlight though is the Pavilion and some of the stands were
really fabulous. I have over 3 pages of plant names jotted down as
options for filling in the space in my garden - I'm so pleased I took a
notebook. Amazing displays of bulbs, herbaceous plants, violas and
pansies and clematis - the latter two stands were completely packed out.
The inventive matching of plants was like a tutorial for me - and I do
appreciate that you don't get them all flowering together in nature as
they do at Chelsea.

I was surprised at just how many languages I heard being spoken - people
clearly come from all over the world to visit. Not something I had
particularly thought about before but it makes sense given the status
and reputation of the show.

Overall most enjoyable and certainly very informative for a novice.

--
Paul C