The 100th Chelsea Flower Show will be certainly one to remember, the weather played havoc before we arrived and the Friday was the coldest wettest day that I have experienced in our history of the show, which is 21 years. But despite the weather the flower show weaved it’s MAGIC.
BORAGE THE GNOME. Before the show opened Borage was in much demand as gnomes were being allowed at the Chelsea flower show for the very first time. Of course he went, but he behaved so badly that we sent him gnome ( sorry!!!)
Borage and his friends at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show
SUNDAY is the final day of build up, hence the HiVis tops as the site is still considered to be a building site . We finished our display and had a lovely time catching up with old friends such as Alan and Toby who were both busy recording with the BBC.
Sunday at Chelsea before the show opens
MONDAY Hannah dressed up in 1913 costume to celebrate the 100th Chelsea Flower Show, she looked amazing. The launch of the new Jekka’s Herbs at Canton Tea herb teas was a big success, everyone loved the Lemon Grass Tea. It was great to be able to see and greet many old and new friends, especially Toby who was the RHS Young School Gardener of the Year, a gardener of the future.
Monday at the Chelsea Flower Show
TUESDAY is the first official day of the show . Nancy, known as the’ Lemon Verbena Lady’ in her blog, visited the show for the first time from the USA. Vicki , like Hannah, also took the trouble to dress up in 1913 costume which was much appreciated by all of us and the visitors. The borage that we started growing last November for Chelsea could be seen here in Adam Frost’s garden ‘Sowing Seeds of Change’ which was awarded a worthy gold medal.
Tuesday at the Chelsea Flower show
WEDNESDAY Over the years that the Fleming’s have been exhibiting at the Chelsea show we have become good friends. Wes Fleming informed us that sadly this would be their last exhibit. So it was even more pleasing that they finished with the award of Best Show Garden.
Fleming’s nurseries the Trailfinders Australian Garden awarded best Show Garden
The Trailfinders Australian garden early in the morning.
THURSDAY Every year there is one herb that catches the attention, this year it was Nasturtium Alaska which behaved beautifully.
Nasturtium Alaska
FRIDAY We have been exhibiting at the Chelsea Flower show for 21 years and never have we known it to be so cold and wet all day.
Wet Friday
The weather did not put off our good friends from Norway who enjoyed the show.
Liv Ragnhild Lassen from Norway
SATURDAY The last day is always a mixture of feelings. Glad to be going home, but sad that this beautiful show will have vanished and will only be preserved in photographs. The people choice went to the the Arthritis Research UK garden by Chris Beardshaw. This border filled with Sweet cicely , Myrrhis odorata was one of our favourites in the show.
The Arthritis Research UK garden with Sweet Cicely, Myrrhis odorata
Once the bell has been rung to signal the end of the show, the plants in the Great Pavillion and from our stand are sold.
The packing up of the stand
Then, when everyone has left the site, we pack up and wait for the lorries to come in to take everything back to the Herb Farm. While we wait we plan our stand for next year’s Chelsea Flower Show which will have all the drama, beauty and magic that we have had this year`.
And now it is time for our Herb Friday’s we are open every friday from May 31st until July 12th from 10am – 4pm when we look forward to showing you the Herboretum, the Herbs and having a cup of our new herb tea with home made cakes.
Annual herbs at the Herboretum
Jekka's Herb Farm 
Lovely post as always sorry Borage was not able to spend the week with you
enjoyed the show in spite of weather! always provides great inspiration for the next year of gardening and cultivating. Loved nasturtiums.
Was lovely to see you at Chelsea and buy some of your wonderful seeds!
Many thanks , let’s hope the weather gets warmer soon.
Great recap of Chelsea – very lovely to read about it without having to brave all that rain! I really like the border filled with sweet cicely, am wondering where I can try that in my own garden now.
I am sure you can plant Sweet Cicely if you have the space, it is rather invasive!!! and has a very long tap root. It looks wonderful this spring as it has been such a long one. The seeds, leaf, flower and root are all edible. They have been eaten for centuries, the leaf adds a sweetness when used to cook rhubarb and or goosegogs.
Thank you for your diary of pictures and event at the Chelsea flower show. I loved the gnomes and the flowers and herbs were beautiful. Thank you so much. M. Willetts
Thank you for your kind comments.