Chelsea Flower Show 2012

Best in Show was Cleve West's garden. We liked it. The contrast between the formal and informal was lovely, and definitely a trend. And of course I like a poppy so 10 points from me. Can't say I wasn't jealous of the people sitting inside the garden having drinks. Oh well.

Joe Swift's garden, unusual with all the copper tones. Loved the bronzy stemmed beeches.

I have to say my favourite was the Laurent Perrier garden by Arne Maynard. So romantic, and super ambitious. Beautiful. Wouldn't mind sitting there with a glass of something bubbly. Again, it had the structure/softness thing going on.

This just looked SO Swedish to me. The birches, the rocks, the grasses and buttercups...like I said in a previous post, Swedish Meadow is so 2012.

My grandmother's favourite plant (except roses), Dicentra. We call it Lieutenant's Heart in Swedish. 

Diarmuid Gavin's structure. The queue for the slide was too long... 

Pimms O'Clock! Most expensive drink ever served in a plastic glass. Enjoyed it ever so much though. Shame half of it went down my blouse.

Not sure what the story was with this psychedelic pine tree cave, but I kind of liked it.

The Royal Hospital. I once had the opportunity to go inside and have a chat with one of the pensioners who had just moved in. He was over the moon to be there. Very interesting.

Could it get any more Chelsea than this? Red coated pensioners and girls in gingham uniforms.

Looking forward to next year already!

Wild

If you want to be on trend in garden right now, go for the wild look. This photograph could have been taken at any road side ditch in Sweden, but no, this is Chelsea. Amazing!

A full report from the show will follow shortly.

An oasis in Princelet Street

Love the head appearing from the out of the Ivy.

 The calming sound of water.

 Rows of small pots on iron shelving.

 A beautiful creamy rose.

More sculpture.

 Pink Aguilegias in pots.

 And some blue ones.

 The back of the garden.

 Camellia.

Hostas and Hellebores thrive here.

 Amazing hostas, not a hole in sight.

A sense of history...makes me wonder about all the people who used to walk these streets.

 Dream house.

Between Brick Lane and Spitalfields Market are some of the most beautiful houses in London. They were built in the early 1700s and used to house Huguenot silk weavers. I have always thought that there must be gardens at the back of them and today I had the chance to visit one, thanks to National Garden Scheme. A lovely haven of a courtyard in the middle of such a busy area.

Not so many years ago it was undesirable and cheap to live here. Not any more. Gilbert and George have lived here since the late 60s and since then many other artists have moved here. Tracey Emin has built a swimming pool underneath her house. And a hundred metres away is the mish mash of Bengali supermarkets, edgy fashion shops and pubs full of city boys, dodgy deals going on at street corners and at night time hundreds of people roaming the streets looking for various kinds of fun.

If you would like to explore the area and visit one of these house, look up Dennis Severs House in Folgate Street.