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RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025 - Countdown to Chelsea
Transcript
00:00Chelsea flower show
00:31hello and welcome to the Royal Horticultural Society's Chelsea flower
00:35show 2025 Chelsea for me is the start of the summer season yes there's more to
00:43come with Wynwood and Glastonbury but I am telling you you are at the
00:49greatest flower show on earth certainly an awful lot to see here this year but
00:54the people designing these gardens the growers they've had an awful lot to
00:57contend with with the weather it's been so warm isn't it you're a gardener
01:00you've been yes it's wonderful you know but actually if you're preparing for a
01:04show like this there's been sleepless nights there's been headaches I can
01:07promise you now you have been coming here for a very long time haven't you
01:11about this high you came back here as a designer you've got what seven gold
01:16medals to your name you know what it's like being a designer the next few hours
01:21and days it's nerve-wracking isn't it it is you think about it you know people
01:25might have been working on their designs probably for two years they've
01:27come here they've done a 20-day build they're very tired they've been judged
01:32there's not much more they can do so they're relieved but they now want to
01:36fast-forward to Tuesday morning to find out what they've got medals they've got
01:40and they've also got BBC RHS People's Choice Award so there is something for
01:46everyone here at Chelsea and tonight we've got an exclusive preview of the
01:51new planting and design trends you'll want in your garden at home coming up
01:56tonight at the RHS Chelsea flower show an event supported by the newts in
02:01Somerset many of the gardens this year have been designed as places to retreat
02:08to Rachel detained and JJ Chalmers will be sharing how to create your own luxury
02:15hideaway at home Arit Anderson explores the latest trends in houseplants to
02:21find out how big and bold designs can create statement interiors plus in the
02:27Great Pavilion we have the first look at a very special rose that has taken over
02:3312 years to develop in honor of the King's Foundation and it's the garden
02:39that everyone has been talking about the RHS and BBC Radio 2 dog garden our very
02:45Monty Don and DJ Joe Wiley will be revealing the finished garden a little
02:51later on the Chelsea showground spans 20 acres and throughout the week our team
02:58of gardening experts will be covering every inch of it they certainly will so
03:03whether you are a first-timer or need a little refresher here's what RHS
03:07Chelsea has to offer here on the banks of the Thames is the Royal Hospital home
03:13to the Chelsea pensioners and in just a matter of weeks what is normally their
03:18back garden is transformed into this the RHS Chelsea flower show a firm fixture
03:24in the gardening calendar since 1913 running through the site you will find
03:31main Avenue which attracts designers from around the world from the creation
03:37of a Scottish coastline garden to being transported to a Japanese tea garden at
03:45the heart of the showground is the Great Pavilion home to almost 90 growers and
03:51nurseries and over the week they'll be launching dozens of new plants for us to
03:56enjoy if you want some tips on creating the perfect summer space then Royal
04:03Hospital way is the place you need to head to because this is home of the
04:08smaller show this is serpentine walk the quieter side of the show ground and this
04:15is where the designers of the balcony and container gardens prove that it is
04:20possible to have a beautiful retreat even in the smallest of spaces and if
04:26you have no outdoor space at all the house plant studios are packed with
04:32ideas for indoor garden so however you go RHS Chelsea has you covered well
04:40something you're going to want to see is right here on main Avenue in a garden
04:45that is reimagining what a park in the heart of the city could look like
04:49designed by Tom Massey and Jay and their forward-thinking use of technology has
04:54made their Avene intelligent garden one of the most talked about gardens in the
04:59run-up to the show we're going to talk about the technology in a moment though
05:02let's have a look at the garden first so it's spectacular isn't it it is but also
05:06straight away when you walk in it holds atmosphere and I think that's what Tom
05:11you know is really good at he's created this lovely sort of layered planting and
05:15you feel safe and tucked and the hard landscaping is wonderful because there's
05:20so much it's so different but I recognize quite a lot yeah you do I mean
05:23this sort of texture in the way that he's played but yeah I reckon there's
05:26probably seven different Chelsea gardens in here this is I mean this is
05:31paving is from his one of his old gardens and you're that's one of your
05:35benches that's one of my benches yes from a garden past which I didn't know
05:39until I got it but yeah and this is all held together by this this planting
05:43spectacular planting is such a mix as well and I think what's great about this
05:48is the diversity is built in layers so if you think of trees the shrubs and
05:53then we're down to the herbaceous plants but within that there's huge
05:57amount of edibles so you've got currents you know edible current we grow in a
06:01mental currents we've got edible currents why not just plant the edibles
06:04you know he's got sash one pepper back there and then you get down even things
06:08like beautiful herbs little porridge so what he's done is he's created this
06:12space that not only looks stunning but people can go in pick things enjoy
06:16things take things home and it's so delicate as well the way that he's
06:20planted it isn't it yeah and if you walk around here what you do notice on a
06:25lot of these trees are these black boxes that are in the trunks that is the
06:32technology that everyone is talking about that certainly is so every single
06:36one of those carries a sensor it feeds back to an app and in a simple way of
06:40explaining it you can read and find out exactly what a tree needs so if you
06:45plant a new tree it will feed you information so you don't start to
06:49blanket water everything because that will tell you the humidity that will
06:52tell you what water it needs you know is it happy is it not so it's basically
06:55technology that lets the tree talk to you it's great a tree talking guy I mean
07:00they have been for a long time but we're getting a listen now we can listen well
07:04building a Chelsea show garden in just three weeks there's no mean feat to see
07:09just how it's done I donned my high viz and joined celebrated designer Joe
07:14Thompson who is returning after a six-year absence with one of her most
07:19personal gardens yet
07:26the last time we were here was ten years ago you swore to me you were never
07:31coming back to Chelsea that was it you'd done it so what happened this year a
07:34couple of years ago the glasshouse approached me and said would I create a
07:39garden at Chelsea so I have to throw that kind of never again out of the
07:42window but this is it this is never never again now let's see what it's
07:45gonna look like here we go so this is the garden so at the very center of the
07:50garden is this beautiful elliptical pavilion it is made out of steel with
07:55these wonderful recycled acrylic panels that form the doors at the back of this
08:00pavilion you can see here a water source it feeds a stream which winds its way to
08:06a pond we've got another of your trees being delivered and a digger that is
08:10being filmed and photographed why is this one so special it's the first
08:15hydrogen-powered digger to be used at Chelsea it produces no emissions the
08:20only thing that produces is water vapor you've got a bit of a delivery here
08:24here's another part of the pavilion my heart is slightly in my mouth I can't
08:28usually watch this brilliant Joe you have been at Chelsea
08:38you're in for a rollercoaster good luck thank you
08:43off you go thank you
08:50Wow Joe a transformation it's amazing what you can do in a week how's it going
08:56I think it's going okay it's one of those we're halfway through yeah I'll go
09:00home one night and think why have I said yes to this and then day later come in
09:04it looks amazing and you know ready to go again so proper rollercoaster Alex
09:09Richards you are the architect who have created this and tell us about the
09:12design we tried to make sure everything was as sustainable as possible not only
09:16the life of the building but also the materials we use the glazing is recycled
09:20acrylic and it gave us the ability to reuse an old material but also change it
09:25a bit so it's all got different colors and different textures to complement the
09:28garden you're hanging the doors now absolutely we're halfway through and
09:31that you hadn't done before had you no the trouble is because we've got all the
09:35tolerances involved and it it works beautifully on the drawing but just
09:39trying to make it work in practice and the stone as well that's recycled isn't
09:42it yeah all the stone in this garden is recycled in a really good example of
09:47that is this piece of stone in the pavilion can you just see it's got
09:51little bits in it and all those little pits are the result of a hailstorm from
09:56millions of years ago and that piece of stone was rejected by a client they
10:00didn't want it because it wasn't perfect and in fact it's perfect for here the
10:04path is so intricate isn't it because this has got to look like it has been
10:08there forever yeah it's got the idea is that this is the old part of the garden
10:12and then a new pavilion has been put in and so this really does have to look
10:16like it's been here forever hence trying to get in little weeds and trying to get
10:20that to look natural not as if we've just put it in for the show so you're
10:24looking quite relaxed has it been a relaxed build in two weeks is tricky
10:30but it's part of fun well good luck I'm gonna leave you to it
10:33enjoy hanging the doors this is a very Joe Thompson garden you love your roses
10:44don't you past couple of weeks I've been in a bit of a daze but now the roses
10:48have arrived I'm in my place how are you coping with the weather yesterday when
10:52it was kind of 26 27 degrees we made like little huts for all the roses so
10:58bamboo canes and horticultural fleece each one had its little house of its own
11:02so yeah there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes to keep these looking
11:05good but they've got lots of new buds on them which is the main thing and tell us
11:09about the rest of the planting so we have got some shrubs which I really like
11:13to see and Chelsea you know I think a few years ago flowering shrubs are kind
11:17of out of fashion and we've got this lovely Deutzia here just about to start
11:21to flower it perfectly timed and I'm just playing about with irises now as
11:25well to see if we can get those in and not flowering too far ahead of the show
11:29they're on their way but not quite you're enjoying this bit aren't you I
11:33can see you've really kicked in I mean it's been quite hard work hasn't it
11:36getting it all together it's nearly two years work but this is the bit now where
11:41I really feel yeah it's all coming together and we're making it into a real
11:46garden the plants are giving it that personality and atmosphere that a garden
11:50needs to feel real I'll let you get on with the planting I can't wait to see it
11:53when it's all finished a good luck
11:58and here it is the glass house Joe Thompson you finished you've done it you
12:06must be able to breathe again finally I can after three weeks being here on this
12:11building site it's just wonderful to be here now in a garden and I can actually
12:15enjoy it it's spectacular and that was the first time I was able to go in your
12:19pavilion which you've created it's such a lovely space with the water at the
12:23back a lovely area there and the glass I mean it's it's a really peaceful place
12:28you had a really specific brief though for this garden didn't you absolutely so
12:32the garden is for a charity called the glass house who train women in prison in
12:37horticulture and those women asked me to create a space for them in a garden that
12:42was private but also where they could look out from into the garden at the
12:46same time you've definitely managed to do that and the roses very Joe Thompson
12:50can we go and have a little wander through the garden now that you can
12:53enjoy it wonderful let's do it
12:58beautiful roses I recognize a few of those Emma Bridgewater this is lovely
13:03this one though this is a fabulous one so it's the one that everybody's talking
13:06about already wild rover and it's a beautiful floribunda so flowers all
13:11summer great name as well and these poppies are beautiful you've got some
13:14big oriental ones and these tiny ones as well got this little best poppy is
13:18the tiny one it's so sweet as it just dots through the borders here and with
13:23the weather you I knew when I talked to you a few weeks ago you were really
13:26struggling with the kind of roses and having to protect them and the irises as
13:29well how difficult has it been because they look fantastic they are hanging on
13:33it's great and there are loads more buds but yes for the last couple of days
13:37we've had tents up for them because the Sun on this spot once it comes up just
13:42stays here all day long and it was blasting down yesterday and the
13:46wonderful the water I love the real running through here it has a wonderful
13:50calming effect doesn't it it comes from that water source right at the very top
13:55so behind the pavilion yeah and trickles down under a step and down to this pond
13:59and it really is calming and relaxing first time I felt like that really now
14:05you you famously have said you're not coming back to Chelsea again here you
14:09are again are you coming again is this it absolutely not no crowning glory
14:16this is my swan song this is your swan song well I cannot say I mean you have
14:20definitely done a wonderful job because it's look at look at it look at the view
14:23back happy I'm really really happy with it happy to go out on this one well Joe
14:29Thompson I think you've done a wonderful job all those beautiful roses as ever
14:33that you have in your garden so well done and I hope it goes the way you want
14:38it to this week oh thank you
14:47for me an awful lot of the gardens this year at Chelsea feel very personal
14:55and that definitely seems to be a design trend across the show ground and I think
15:01one thing that stops us maybe doing that at home what I mean is really
15:07personalizing our space is we worry slightly too much what other people
15:12think well don't and I think this is a great place to demonstrate why all right
15:19this garden celebrates the life of somebody with Down syndrome and it is
15:24full of mischief look at this you're gonna absolutely love this ready watch
15:31so you're walking into the garden and then all of a sudden bang it's soaking
15:36wet but also I love the sense of craft here it does feel like someone's really
15:40made the garden you've got this beautiful textured flooring which
15:43changes under your feet but then also the paving takes me back to the 1970s
15:47crazy paving but it's been modernized the last little surprise boom yes he can
15:56walk on water but more than anything what should your garden do put a smile
16:01on your face hey what did I say put a smile on your face how about your own
16:16monorail down to the office in the morning this is a great garden it's been
16:21created for kids recovering from cancer but also let's take a moment listen to
16:28the sound of water you can even personalize that this is loud you know
16:32so it should disappear into another world but you just might like the slow
16:37movement or maybe still just to stop and reflect and then the planting deep rich
16:43but for you it might be light airy yellow hot whatever it might be the last
16:51thing as I'm going through here and my feet are catching the plants there's
16:55loads of herbs so I've got this scent coming up how good is this
17:07you're gonna love this it's even got a reverse so why I'm messing about out
17:14here on the showground would you believe there's only a few hours to go before
17:18this beautiful show opens and in the great pavilion there they are busy
17:24putting their final touches to some incredible displays and JJ charmers has
17:30got to have a sneak peek at this year's horticultural delights
17:44this place is busy with an army of people putting in touches on things
17:49whether they'd be big or small now I've had a good look around already and I
17:54want to show you some of the best bits
18:01how cool is this garden I feel like a borrower in a Jurassic landscape it's
18:06called the primeval forest so named by Roy Lancaster and you know what you
18:11think a fern is a fern until you see them all together like this and you
18:14realize how much variety there is and how big they get
18:23Billy you're the garden designer here yes tell me are these the biggest tree
18:28ferns we've seen in Chelsea I wouldn't normally be so confident but yes I can
18:32assure you they are nobody else would be that silly well they're absolutely
18:36gorgeous thank you very much
18:44who doesn't love a salvia and this one is particularly special it's the peach
18:50melba and it's up for plant of the year this year and look I'm a very on trend
18:55if you end up being one of those nominees you become the must-have thing
18:59and plants like this can end up with a waiting list would you believe it we'll
19:03show you the rest of the contenders this week so make sure you get your pen and
19:07paper ready now this is really special it's a new addition to Chelsea this
19:14year it showcases the largest plant family in the world the orchid there is
19:19so much beauty and diversity on show but there's also so much work still to be
19:26done to get ready for the show
19:31well this is a bit different isn't it is it what you expect at Chelsea well yeah
19:37because you expect the unexpected it's about each designers own expression own
19:41artistry and this one has put petal to the metal as well as bold centerpieces
19:52even the most subtle and traditional of flowers like this rose can have the most
19:56amazing backstory Jill you've brought a little bit of Hollywood to Chelsea so
20:02we're launching a new rose on behalf of the author Joanne Harris you may
20:05remember Joanne she brought out the book Chocolat way back in 2000 an Oscar
20:10nominated film now interestingly enough Joanne has a condition called synesthesia
20:14which allows her to smell colors so this color of the rose to Joanne actually
20:19smells of chocolate Wow all right some real stardust been brought absolutely
20:28well it's showtime those are just a few of my highlights but trust me I have
20:33barely scratched the surface there is so much to be seen it's just as well we're
20:39here all week the glorious great pavilion looking wonderful as always
20:50well a flower that always draws a crowd in the pavilion is of course the rose
20:54and there are plenty of them here on this garden as well I actually buy a
20:58rose from Chelsea now every year so my garden at home is packed with them well
21:03this year there is a very special royal rose that will be launched here at the
21:08show it's been created for the King's Foundation and we recently paid a visit
21:13to David Austin roses to discover how this new variety has taken over a decade
21:18to perfect
21:24May has got to be my favorite time of the year spring itself is always a joy
21:30you're beginning to see the first rose flowers which is very attractive and
21:34promises what is to come my name is David Austin I'm chairman of David
21:39Austin roses we have been exhibiting at the Chelsea flower show for over 40
21:44years my father started breeding roses in the late 1940s and it wasn't until
21:511970 that he started the company what my father had was an obsessive passion for
21:57rose breeding and he was totally dedicated to that vision and he worked
22:03tremendously hard to achieve what he wanted to achieve
22:17Wow that has got the most incredible fragrance this is Eustacia vine the
22:25bloom is quintessentially David Austin and what my father was really looking
22:30for right from the beginning and it's based on the old-fashioned flower with
22:36many many petals that give it a unique beauty
22:46this is Olivia Rose Austin a rose that we introduced in 2014 and this was a
22:52particularly important moment for my father he was a perfectionist and I think
22:58Olivia is the rose that ticked every box so it's a fantastic flower it's got a
23:05lovely scent it's super healthy the foliage is amazing it flowers very early
23:10in fact so you will get probably three good flowerings out of Olivia it's one
23:14of our best roses
23:18the creation of a new rose from sealing to introduction takes approximately 12
23:29years and during that process there is a dedication which is a mixture of science
23:35and art I'm Daniel Myhill I'm senior head of breeding here at the nursery and
23:41my role is to innovate and breed the most charming roses in the world we
23:46hand-pollinate about 40,000 individual flowers per year as part of the
23:50breeding process when breeding roses you have to have a lot of perseverance a lot
23:54of patience it can be frustrating at times because we're taking two roses
23:58across them together and we're trying to get the best rose from them it doesn't
24:02always work and it's that patience which really makes the rewards at the end of
24:05the day people are definitely using roses in a different way if you go back
24:12to the 60s you would often get a single rose bush with a bare earth then another
24:19single rose bush and a whole bed I personally prefer growing roses with
24:23other perennials we really do think that combining other plants really brings the
24:30beauty out of the roses Chelsea Flasher without doubt is a huge pressure we've
24:36been exhibiting for over 40 years and in that time we've won over 28 gold medals
24:42to get roses ready we're bringing the flowering period approximately three
24:47weeks earlier than they would naturally this involves a process of four
24:53different greenhouses at different temperatures that would also flower at
24:57different times we have to bring them all together to flower en masse at the
25:02same time on press day at Chelsea every Chelsea has a slightly different theme
25:08to it and the essence of this year's Chelsea flower show is a secret garden
25:13at the center of the stand is always a nerve-wracking time and particularly as
25:19we've got such a high prestige launch this year we're very honored to work
25:25with the King's Foundation and have a rose that we're naming the King's Rose
25:30we've been working on a rose that we feel is fit for the King that's going to
25:37be launched at Chelsea flower show it's taken 12 years to create this rose our
25:42breeding team have been working on this even longer than that in terms of
25:46concept but they've been a big part of the introduction of this new rose just
25:54putting the final finishing touches to this spectacular display but the scent
25:59in here is really as something else isn't it feel like a boss in it you
26:03really do now look at all these beautiful roses any favorites among them
26:07I think if I had to choose one Gertrude Jekyll that is spectacular classic that's
26:12one of my favorites rambling recta and grew up with that all over my parents
26:16house just need space yes you do need it doesn't ramble it certainly does now
26:20that is the secret garden that David was talking about and inside I think we're
26:25going to find the King's Rose let's go have a look you're just teasing come on
26:29through the gates come on then yeah there we go Wow yeah and here it is the
26:37King's Rose reveal David it is beautiful are you happy very happy yes
26:42the scent is incredible honestly but I love the shape the openness and if you
26:47look carefully there's bees already in here it's beautiful it took you such a
26:50long time to finally get it why did that process take so long to explain it it
26:57starts 12 to 12 years ago with 60,000 individual different seedlings in a
27:03bench and over the next 12 years we we reduce the number until we have just one
27:09single plant that we deem good enough for introduction 60,000 and down to one
27:14I mean there's such an intricate process it's incredible isn't it that you know
27:18the plant breeders the work that they put in just to get that one rose but me
27:24the gardener wants to know so how high what conditions can I grow it in a
27:29container yeah absolutely you can grow it in a container it's an extremely
27:33robust rose it's very healthy it'll get to about four feet obviously pruning
27:39can vary the height a little bit it's the amount of flowering over the long
27:42period of time it's real real asset the colors are beautiful I mean the striped
27:47rose have you ever had one like that before this is our very first striped
27:51rose that's inspired by a famous old-fashioned rose it goes back
27:56hundreds of years but that old rose only flowers once in the season this will
28:01flower throughout the season till the first frost so many I mean this this
28:05looks like it's never gonna stop I love that classic or up-to-date there's a
28:11magic in there you know yeah my father's concept was basic take old-fashioned
28:16roses and improve them and we still we still doing the same thing as right at
28:22his start of his career that's the king's rose for the Kings Foundation
28:25yes tomorrow King will be here do you think he's going to come and have a look
28:30at his new rose we never know but obviously it'd be a fantastic honor if
28:35he did you'll have the king in the secret garden well let's fingers crossed
28:39for you that he comes to see it because it is spectacular and I'm sure he will
28:43love it thank you very much David my pleasure we've got plenty more to come
28:48on tonight's exclusive first look at the RHS Chelsea flowers show 2025 an event
28:55supported by the Newt in Somerset a big trend at the show this year is the
28:59creation of the ultimate garden retreat Rachel and JJ have been finding out how
29:04you can do the same at home and we'll be exclusively revealing the RHS and BBC
29:11radio to dog garden with the help of Monty and DJ Joe Wiley but first if you
29:17have no outdoor space at all there is plenty of inspiration for you right here
29:22at Chelsea house plants there are a lot of them on earth for me house plants are
29:26becoming the new rock and roll of the gardening world and they're normally out
29:30in the showground and they're more and more creeping in here into the Great
29:33Pavilion well Harriet has been to explore how you can make a statement
29:37indoors by going big and bold with house plants what's clear at the show
29:47this year is gone of the days of having a single house plant solitary sitting on
29:54a windowsill the big trend is all about maximalism that's being bold that's
29:59having more is more that's having a layering you cannot have too much
30:03exuberance in your house plants I'm really looking forward to see how it's
30:08been shown
30:15this display absolutely exudes maximalism and I really love how every
30:22piece of space is packed full of plants to give this really bold and vibrant
30:27look the use of color here is really exciting because variegated leaves have
30:32been used different colors sort of really jangled together here I think
30:36what's really a nice touch to this whole look has been by adding in upcycled
30:41vintage vessels and bowls it's a great idea especially if you want to create
30:46this indoor landscape by using lots of plants that come from the same growing
30:51conditions and will really maximalize your look part of growing house plants
31:02successfully is about the light levels in your home so this display has been
31:06set out by those plants that like highlight levels like things like the
31:11Sansevieria or if you've got medium light with the light levels a bit lower
31:15in your room you could go for something like this variegated rubber plant or if
31:19you've got a shady part of your room something like this asperdestra
31:23whatever the light levels whatever the plants that you've got in your home I
31:27think there's a look here for everyone
31:33now here we see maximalism pulled together under a concept this is a
31:39shrine to mother nature it's pulling together all of the elements of the
31:44earth of wind of fire now this one is earth and what's been done is pulling
31:50together those plants actually like to live on the forest floor so things like
31:55this fern or a trailing philodendron it's really nice how it's a compact
32:00space which really adds them to the exuberance coming past here a little
32:04splash of color I think this one must be fire but this one down here which is
32:10depicting the sea now these plants don't really actually like living in water
32:15they're all like arid plants but it's all about being creative and having a
32:19look so things like the string of pearls here actually look like seaweed if you
32:24want to follow this trend if you want to really go in for maximalism you've got
32:28to be bold you've got to be creative you've got to add more and more and just
32:33go with it in fact just Max out one plant that has sucked me back in I'm
32:45growing indoors actually he's cacti started on the windowsill and they're
32:49now traveling to other parts of the house much to my wife's annoyance as you
32:55can imagine now with our lives getting busier than ever having a garden to
33:01relax in has never been more important and we're better than Chelsea to
33:06discover how to do just that so we've set Rachel and JJ the extremely difficult
33:13task of taking a trip around the showground to find the best places to
33:20retreat it's a tough old job
33:32well this place feels very special it's a bit of a secret hideaway it's one of
33:37the container gardens here at Chelsea it's extraordinary because the designer
33:40Juna Shihara he's given us a completely different take on containers so instead
33:45of something rectangular or circular you've got these gorgeous very organic
33:50shapes and that they function in the same way it's the sound as well I mean
33:55obviously it's very calming but equally we're not far from the main road here at
33:59Chelsea and you just cannot hear the sounds of the city at all but you know
34:04it's not the only sense of mine that gets a treat in here it's also touch
34:08that live edge wood there I love running my hands along it really just helped
34:12groaned me and it's very medicine I think picking up on that's a
34:16multi-sensory thing the texture is also in all the plantings and the gorgeous
34:22velvety mosses through to the aces that's feathery I mean it's really very
34:26special I think just want to breathe it in
34:30Oh come on in oh this is very lovely isn't it I was struck by the planting
34:45straightaway because we're on the Norfolk boards and all of these plants
34:49so suitable for growing near the seaside so you've got all the silvery foliage
34:53lovely soft things like the phyllic trim love this little single rose as well
34:58that's beautiful but actually the softness of the planting I think it
35:02sets off nicely against the hard landscaping yes there's natural stone
35:06but for me it's these boards here I like the boards reclaim timber is gorgeous
35:12and it's it's got that kind of boardwalk feel or appear which is very fitting
35:15because I can see the tide is coming in yes we won't be able to get across again
35:19what a shame what a shame I won't tell if you don't
35:28you
35:32well this is a bit of a novel idea to add rain to a British garden actually we
35:39could do with a bit of extra rain couldn't we so at least we have it here
35:42and I'm really responding to the planting in this garden all these
35:46lovely lush greens and I I like the little pinpricks of color you've got the
35:50pale dosky pink and some white but the green is the thing and green of course
35:54has been shown to be restful it de-stresses us very calming so that's
36:00the atmosphere here yeah it's the same for repetitive patterns as well you've
36:04got these lovely circles and the metal work and the stone work even as the
36:07bubbles erupt in the ponds over there and even the hostas actually have got
36:11those really nice ripples in them yeah well notice that it goes all the way
36:15through but the sound isn't that lovely yeah it's serene
36:25well we know where to find JJ and Rachel then now one of the joys of Chelsea is
36:32spring warming us up for the summer ahead and nothing heralds that more than
36:37fruit blossom one family-run nursery in the Great Pavilion is hoping to make a
36:42real impact with some glorious trees we join them as they prepared to make their
36:47debut at Chelsea
36:56nothing says spring like the arrival of the apple blossom season here in mid
37:01April I'm surrounded by a huge wealth of color bee activity the smell is just
37:09absolutely incredible I'm Steph James and I'm fourth generation of tree growers
37:13here at Frank Matthews trees our family's been growing trees since 1901
37:19so well over a hundred years now my great-grandfather mr. Frank Matthews
37:24started the business he actually started growing roses and selling them door-to-
37:28door he shortly progressed into selling fruit trees I have so many fond memories
37:34of growing up on the nursery from playing hide-and-seek in amongst the
37:38orchards to running under the irrigation and a hot summer our site here which is
37:43on the Worcestershire Herefordshire border is really good for growing fruit
37:47trees because it's got quite heavy clay soils the soils are really high in
37:53nutrients we have a great balance of rainfall throughout the year it's not
37:57too cold it's not too warm our nursery is around 500 acres we grow around a
38:02million trees every year and we have one of the widest range of fruit and
38:07ornamental trees in the whole country
38:13we're in one of our mother tree orchards here this site is just 10 acres and we
38:19have thousands of different varieties we grow over 200 different types of apple
38:25varieties malus or malus is the Latin name for apple and these are broken down
38:30into dessert varieties and ornamental varieties or crab apples here we have
38:35one of our dessert eating varieties it's called scrumptious it's got small pink
38:40flower buds which open into lovely white single flowers it produces the most
38:44gorgeous apples they're aromatic crisp juicy and a real particular favorite for
38:51children actually because they have quite a thin skin so easy to eat here we
38:57have an edible variety of apple called apple surprise our most edible ones are
39:04white in a flower we don't often see edible apples with pink blossom and what
39:10that translates to in the actual apple is when you bite into it it has pink
39:15flesh the flavor of the apple also is quite special it's really tropical the
39:23difference between the edible varieties and the ornamental varieties is that the
39:27edible varieties are predominantly grown for their fruit production whereas the
39:31ornamental varieties are grown more for decorative purposes in this part of the
39:35orchard we have a huge range of our ornamental varieties and here you can
39:39see the different sizes shapes flower colors different forms just showing the
39:45diversity of the group this is one of our ornamental varieties called
39:49Comtesta Pari and it produces in the autumn some lovely sort of oblong
39:54shaped yellow fruits which just give the tree a real glow in the autumn sunshine
40:01it's got this really beautiful single white petals and the tree is just
40:06covered in blossom in the springtime this is Malus Sargentii Tina and this is
40:12a fantastic variety for small spaces this tree is actually 15 years old and
40:18look at the height of it I mean it's it is actually slightly raised but it's no
40:22higher than me as I stand here it produces a absolute mass of blossom in
40:29the springtime so each individual flower here turns into one crab apple
40:33and those are perfect for feeding the birds we're so delighted to find out
40:38that we've been selected to do a display in the Great Pavilion of the RHS Chelsea
40:44Flower Show this year my dad grafted this group of trees back in 2020 with
40:49the thought that they would always end up at Chelsea and here we are we will be
40:53doing what we think is first of its kind and that is a display of a single
40:59genus of tree in one exhibit our main challenge is to try and get all of these
41:05different varieties to flower on the same day now this is a particularly
41:09interesting challenge because the malus group of flower over a four to six week
41:14period so we've got to condense that and make them all flower on the same day
41:18they're currently all tucked up in our cold store which is running at about one
41:22degree centigrade and we'll bring them out so that they all flower at the same
41:26time another challenge will be actually transporting them to the show when we
41:32bring them to the show they'll be in a very fragile state and we have to be
41:35really careful that we don't rub off any of the buds or shatter any of the
41:39blossom so it'll be a very very nerve-wracking journey to the show being
41:44a fourth generation of our family business I feel an immense amount of
41:48pride to be able to carry it on hopefully we'll be able to be growing
41:52trees for generations to come
41:58and here it is and I'm delighted to be joined by Steph and your father Nick
42:03lovely to see you both what's it like to be here gosh so exciting yeah it's been
42:07a roller coaster and we're incredibly proud to be here and someone said last
42:12year we've very much you know they very much got their L plates on and we feel
42:15like that but we're so proud to be here and yeah kind of can't wait for the week
42:20yeah everyone is putting the final touches I mean you can see around us
42:23still so much going on people getting ready but you're pretty much ready are
42:27you you're you I mean you talked in the film about the challenges of getting
42:31these to flower on time yeah well we've had we've had challenges we've got a lot
42:37of different cultivars and species all that generally flower at the wrong time
42:42or different times so we're trying to bring them all together and that's been
42:47challenging we're probably two to three days out for Monday judging like this
42:53one but it'll be ready for the public work on Tuesday yes it should be it
42:56should be out for you I think Tuesday Wednesday this will be in full full
43:01blow and you've got some wonderful shapes on this one particularly is so
43:06striking it's it's perfect isn't it for a for a small space absolutely I mean
43:10train form forms that's an espalier they are absolutely brilliant for if you
43:15don't have so much space perhaps growing up against the wall or a shed
43:18and they're also really decorative and if you want to do something like that at
43:23home how easy is it when when were people pretty I think with a little bit
43:27of patience and courage when it comes to pruning it's not that difficult but it
43:32it's it's it's precise and do and just doing what you want to do we do four
43:37more types like the espalier and it's you prune them twice a year once in the
43:43summer on the new growth at about mid mid July and then again in the winter
43:49but it's very simple right well I'm sure you're gonna have so many questions when
43:53the public arrive here on Tuesday you you must be looking forward to it yeah
43:58we really can't wait to talk to people and explain I mean it's a great
44:01illustration of all the different forms and flower colors and how you can grow
44:05fruit and ornamental malus so yeah we can't wait yeah Nick thank you so much
44:09and have a wonderful week now the gardens here at Chelsea can transport us
44:19to incredible landscapes they also offer designers the opportunity to tell
44:24powerful stories that will leave a lasting impression the British Red Cross
44:30here for Humanity Garden has been designed by John Warland and Tom
44:35Bannister and I'm telling you this is stunning they've created I suppose a
44:42modern-day rock garden 70 concrete containers blocks water features the
44:50whole thing glues together using that hexagon shape and seriously the path
44:56slows you down the steps are not quite the right height so you have to enjoy
45:00you're looking down on our alpines plants that are singing this time of
45:05year and in all honesty I can't wait to talk to these two come in come on lads
45:10honest a concept concept is celebrating 150 years of the British Red Cross and
45:18its founder Henri Dunant who saw suffering at the Battle of Solferino
45:21and he decided irrespective what side yeah fatalities or casualties were they
45:27deserved humanity to intervene returns to Switzerland hence the Alpine
45:31landscape somewhere he would be familiar with he founds the Red Cross rights the
45:37Geneva Convention for Modern Warfare John the containers they feel like a
45:42man-made shape don't they but that's not where the idea come from they are all
45:47beautifully man-made by Tom yeah co-designer crafted that's what takes it
45:52to artisanal level but it's completely inspired by nature yeah well it's a
45:56honeycomb with a B whether it's a giant causeway the basalt columns you'll see
46:00on the beaches of Iceland nature tells us that hexagons are the most efficient
46:05use of that material to create the strength and tessellation required to
46:08what you see to this day so it's man meets nature we're inspired by it and
46:13Thomas brought it to life and find style and part of that bringing it to life has
46:17been these Alpine plants three plants you're gonna take on go on okay for me
46:25some of the show is the tulip spangaria yeah behind me from Turkey and quite a
46:31rebel to find beautiful little species to it really yeah you sir I'm just gonna
46:37stick with London pride we're in London it resembles the work the British Cross
46:41do within this country but also the resilience during the Blitz it was the
46:45plant that learned to inhabit the squeeze slopes and it gives us very
46:48good beer in London to what's not to love I tell you what guys thank you very
46:54much absolutely stunning
46:59well there are so many different gardens to see this week like this one called
47:05save for a rainy day but there is one garden that has got the nation talking
47:10our very own Monty Don's debut design at Chelsea that combines two of his
47:15passions gardening and dogs the RHS and BBC Radio 2 dog garden has been grabbing
47:22the headlines in the run-up to the show and we are moments away from the big
47:27reveal but first I caught up with Monty during the build to find out how he has
47:33adapted to life as a Chelsea garden designer
47:40Monty Don your first ever Chelsea garden no pressure there then I once said I
47:47would never ever do a Chelsea garden and here I am it's a huge amount of pressure
47:52this is the plan I mean obviously it's a dog garden the basic premise is that
47:56everything in this garden is either directly for dogs or influenced by dogs
48:01there's a lawn I mean that's not something you see it you don't get many
48:04lawns no and then there's the woodland area we're making earth pies and then
48:10planting around them and so the dog will follow that his nose there's a stream
48:14with a wallow and when it gets hot Ned and any other dog can just go and get
48:19his tummy nice and wet and wallow and it's very shallow and the man who is bringing it
48:24all to life for you and for Ned is Jamie Butterworth he knows what he's doing
48:28doesn't he I sincerely hope so one of us needs to Jamie what is it like doing this
48:36garden with Monty he's the reason I got into gardening in the first place he's
48:39brilliant to work with yes there's pressure there because it's Monty and
48:43it's his first garden and it's Chelsea and everything that comes with that but
48:46Monty's got this really great way of just keeping things calm and the trees
48:50are starting to go in today which is the bit that I love once you start to get
48:53some green in the garden it all starts to make sense that tree yeah I mean you
48:58know you you look quite cool most of the time I could see your eyes widening at
49:01some points and yet it isn't quite right at the moment it's not right it leans left and I think it
49:06needs spinning yeah and a bit of lifting it in and out but it would be very
49:10unusual to get it right the first time I look forward to seeing it, love you, bye bye
49:17Monty and Jamie I cannot believe what you've done here it's amazing a week I've
49:27been away, you realise it's all me, Jamie has done practically nothing, he's just been sitting around drinking coffee hasn't he, how's it going really really well thank you I'm glad to see you got the tree
49:36straight Jamie I know I couldn't leave it as it was we've got rails of plants
49:40lined up how difficult has he been in his plant choice Monty's been the easiest
49:46designer I've ever worked with and the emphasis is very much on native plants
49:50yeah I mean what I wanted was a garden to me feel at ease with itself and that
49:56really comes through the planting the very first zoom call that Monty and I
49:59had the very first thing you said was the most important thing is it's a
50:04beautiful garden that gets better the more you look at it I mean what's
50:07interesting about the building is that the public will be able to see every
50:12little bit of the inside from the outside there is no privacy on this
50:16garden at all anywhere are you on schedule you're looking quite relaxed I
50:20was nervous about Monty seeing it for the first time because up until then it
50:24had only been through video calls and photos and there's been a few tweaks
50:28which is really he did move a tree I actually don't feel relaxed I have
50:32learned a lot about Chelsea Gardens doing this because however much you
50:36think you know you cannot imagine the level of detail you have to go into and
50:40it's just deepened my respect for anybody who does this. You're a brave man for taking him on
50:44I'm gonna leave you both to it because you've got a lot to do and I cannot wait
50:47to see it in a week's time
50:58Monty, Jamie, it's like a fortress getting in here it's almost impossible to get
51:02into your garden is that done intentionally? It's because we've had
51:06quite a few people trying to get in the garden and take photographs before we're
51:09ready to be photographed. How's it going? Yeah I mean it's going it's gone it's
51:13almost gone we're almost out of time yeah you've only got another what day or
51:17so to go yeah the goal is always to be finished by tomorrow night we might be
51:27how are you feeling about the pressure with your first Chelsea garden? There's
51:31pressure and it's intense and it's demanding all you want to do is do
51:36right by the people who are working with you and to satisfy yourself. What
51:40about Ned? Is Ned gonna like it? I think he will I just hope he doesn't do anything ghastly. I'm bringing my dog, I'm bringing my dog. I can't wait to see what Luna thinks of your dog garden as well.
51:52And also Ned is going to meet up for the first time with his mother and his
51:55sister. They're coming. Well there you go a real family affair. A real family affair. I look forward to that. If they sort of do the crazies and start
52:05charging around and of course all our paths they ignore and they go through they go
52:10through the borders that will be quite interesting. I can't wait to see it when
52:12it's finished but it looks fantastic. Well done. Thank you, thank you so much.
52:20And here it is the RHS BBC Radio 2 dog garden unveiled. Monty Don don't get up
52:30you need a rest you need a rest. The fortress is gone can I come and join you?
52:34You certainly can. Look at this. I'm just taking it in for the first time because of course I haven't seen it without the fortress around it either from the inside or the outside. It's beautiful, it's a lovely it's a very lovely vistas here haven't you? Well thank you that was the hope.
52:50There's one thing missing, Ned. No he's coming tomorrow he's got a big day he's got
52:55interviews, photo calls, he's gonna meet the King and Queen so he's having a quiet
53:01day today, no excitement, probably a brush and he'll be here for 8.30 tomorrow. I do love some of the
53:10detail here I'm in a Frisbee that I've never seen a Frisbee on a Chelsea lawn
53:14tennis balls dotted around. Yeah well the whole idea was to make a garden that was
53:20dog friendly it's not you know it's not just for dogs it's for humans. It should be a
53:25garden that people think is beautiful I hope and that they enjoy. I didn't want
53:30it to be full of pregnant messages I didn't want it to have a sort of subtext
53:35that you needed to know in order to enjoy it. I'll tell you who is enjoying
53:38it the bumblebees they're loving it they're loving this garden you've got
53:42some beautiful plants there but they're all they're all very native plants. Yeah
53:45I mean from day one and we had long discussions Jamie and I were talking
53:49about the plants obviously a lot I said that I wanted wherever possible
53:54particularly the trees them to be native and also to have plants that people
53:59either could get from their local garden centre or felt were accessible. So you
54:04know we've got Nepeta and we've got obviously the wonderful orange
54:09gems and we've got cardoons that were taken from my garden and moved we've got
54:14poppies growing from seed and obviously the wonderful lupins. The Flomis which
54:18actually a very delicate Flomis just little plays on ball shapes. It doesn't
54:22look very like Long Meadow though was that the idea? Well again we had great
54:25discussion about this I didn't want it to be a mini Long Meadow but inevitably
54:31it's my kind of planting. You've had some help along the way with Joe Wiley
54:36who I think is going to come and have a chat with us she's here I can see her in
54:39the distance Joe. Hi Joe. Joe Wiley. Bricks with all the dogs names in. It's great
54:44and they're emotional. They're wonderful details they have they've got names of
54:48the dogs in the bricks and I love all this plant pots. Yeah. The Radio 2
54:52listeners have helped along the way with this. They've loved this
54:55whole thing all all along yeah and we have something called the pup loader
54:59which is where people could send through photographs of their dogs and they did
55:01so over 25,000 people sent us photographs of their dogs and we're
55:05trying we're doing our best in the doghouse to show as many of those dogs
55:09as we can. They're on a loop. Yeah. And they'll just be shown through so maybe not all
55:1525,000. No. But quite a few. Yeah it was really important that they had their
55:19dogs represented and told their stories and we've got music as well it's gonna
55:22be a radio so lots of songs coming out with dogs in the title. And you're gonna
55:26be broadcasting from here tomorrow. I'm doing the breakfast show tomorrow morning
55:28yeah with Scott Mills and our dogs are coming too. And I have to say Joe has
55:32been really engaged from very early on. She loves her garden. She's been here so I mean
55:41real credit. I've been living the dream honestly I've learned so much and we've
55:44got the the wallow there which is we talked about this at the very beginning didn't we. 100% Joe's idea of that.
55:50So tomorrow Ned comes obviously. Your dog is coming. My dog Brody is coming yeah. My dog Luna is coming.
55:56I mean Chelsea I don't think has ever allowed dogs in before. Never and of
55:59course everybody I know wants to bring their dog. Of course they do. I cannot wait to see it. It's gonna be
56:06fantastic. It might be a bit dog chaotic but that'll be part of the magic. That's the
56:11essence of the garden isn't it. Actually it's really important to say above all I
56:15just want people to enjoy the garden. Just without any sort of trouble just
56:20have a nice time. Have a nice time. Well there you go. Well I can't wait. Look
56:24forward to it. See you tomorrow. I think that is going to be fun. So much so that I wish I
56:31could bring my new puppy but maybe just a little too young. Maybe you can bring
56:38the dog next year. See how it goes. Well that is all we've got time for this
56:43evening. Our coverage continues tomorrow on BBC One at 2 p.m. when Nikki
56:48Chapman and Angelica Bell will be bringing you all the excitement from
56:52press day and meeting some of the experts who will help you make the most
56:57of your space this summer. Monty will be back with Arit and Rachel on BBC Two at
57:038 p.m. when they'll have exclusive coverage of Their Majesties the King and
57:08Queen's annual visit. But for now that is it from us. See you tomorrow. Goodbye.
57:38you
57:56Emersall therapy is something I did.