Hello friends
Monday, 9.30am, Chelsea FLower Show, blue skies, a light breeze, flowers and ... hundreds of journalists and camera crews. Today is Press day, so it is normal.
At 10am I was demonstrating spring dishes at the Smallbone of Devizes venue in front of a good dozen photographers and cameramen. The problem is that I cannot stand up yet, but I had a huge urge to cook! I eventually propped myself up against the cooking island and managed a one legged stand up cook off: something that my surgeon would have seriously disapproved of! The kitchen, part of Smallbone's new Oak & Silver range, won a Gold for Excellence medal at Chelsea for Best Trade stand.
So much was going on: Ronnie Wood (minus his guitar) was entertaining guests and photographers across the way; Jamie Oliver was cooking at the venue next door. It was rather frantic with interviews back to back and we barely had time to say “hello”.
Then, accompanied by the BBC crew, we ventured out to visit a few gardens. The largest was the Eden garden (above); what a joy to see vegetables within this grand venue, synonymous with style and grand elegance. This garden was serene, harmonious and beautiful in all its simplicity. Hundreds of homeless people across the country had created it!
As I walked around I met many friends, and under the glare of the cameras, we chatted. Celia, the bride to be was absolutely gorgeous. Piers Morgan, her groom to be, as he should be. I paid a visit to my friend Michael Jacques (below), the sculptor who was showing a gate directly inspired by our late creative discussions at Le Manoir.
We walked through rows of scented roses, delphiniums, orchids and lupins. I met my friends from Garden Organic, who have organised the One Pot Pledge: inspiring people to grow something edible and organic for the first time! Why not have a go yourself? You can get more information here at www.onepotpledge.org.
I then hurried to have a last interview with a legend, a very much loved gardener and television presenter, Alan Titchmarsh. Alan interviewed me in a Garden designed by Thomas Hoblyn - a Mediterranean-styled garden adorned with copper sculptures, intended to depict the character Cunegonde from the 18th century satirical novel by French author Voltaire. The garden, which was entirely created using plants from Homebase, will be sold after the show, and all proceeds donated to the British Heart Foundation.
Alan asked me: what is the difference between an English garden and a French one? That’s easy! “A French garden is 95% glorious vegetables, fruit and herbs… and five per cent what the French call “le gazon”, a little piece of overgrown grass full of dandelions and weeds: an English garden is exactly the opposite … or it used to be (not that I wish to offend my British friends)!
I returned to the Flower Show in the evening, to view the Laurent Perrier garden as the guest of David Hesketh, the MD of Laurent Perrier UK – absolutely beautiful!
All in all, a wonderful day – I do love the Chelsea Flower Show!
Best
RB
If you would like to catch up with the goings on at the flower show, you can watch Alan Titchmarsh’s programme on the BBC iPlayer by clicking here
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