“Chelsea really was a spectacle this year!”
We have had a Trade Stand at the Chelsea Flower Show for the last four years and we can honestly say it hasn’t failed to impress more and more year on year.
And 2016 was no different.
It’s the highlight of the year for everyone who contributes to the event and preparations sure for all concerned sure as hell do start early.
The Road to Chelsea Flower Show in 2016 …
We had 120 square metres of Trade Stand to think about this year and planning started just after the Chelsea Flower Show in 2015, believe it or not.
We knew we needed to pull out all the stops particularly as a visit from the Queen was due as a part of her birthday celebrations.
After much deliberation we decided on a Chelsea Mews theme for our Trade Stand in 2016 and so the planning began in earnest.
It’s by far the most complicated stand build of the many shows we do each year meaning we needed a full week before the show for the set-up.
The pictures below give you an idea of the effort we put …
LET THE SHOW BEGIN!
After arranging over £2000 worth of flowers and using enough construction materials to build a permanent garden building we’re finally ready to put in the real work as the proceedings begin.
And things get off to a flying start on Press Day when The Telegraph pounce on Alfie The Union Jack Cooler just as our very own Debs is reaching for the fizz …
Debs and Alfie in The Telegraph news feed ... (image courtesy of REX).And this sets the scene for the rest of the show as swathes of people descend on the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea and subsequently our Trade Stand as well.
The atmosphere is electric throughout with a buzz quite simply unlike any other – at times the 120 square metres of space we had was literally bursting at the seams as people took time to rest their weary feet the various pieces of luxury garden furniture available …
And guess who’s back?!
For the fourth year running it was great to see Dave the Chelsea Pensioner again.
He’s certainly become a regular highlight on our stand at Chelsea Flower Show over the years and it’s always great to see him with his charm for the ladies and general sociable nature.
Dave the Chelsea Pensioner in the Apple Day Bed with the ladies!And it really was a special moment to see him and Alfie entertaining an audience in the 326,000 poppies laid out on the main thorough fair that leads up to the hospital itself.
An audience in the poppies with Dave and Alfie ...Thanks a lot Dave – you really are a diamond! See you next year.
But of course, the Chelsea Flower Show certainly isn’t just about us …
At the end of the day it’s the world’s most prestigious flower show and the true spectacle are the many horticultural exhibits each year.
This year we got in early and managed to get loads of fabulous pictures on the Sunday as the various designers were putting the finishing touches to their exhibits.
We include a small selection below but you can view the full spectacle that got a great reaction on our Facebook Page.
Many thanks to Bizzy from our Showroom in Warwickshire for taking the time out to snap these fantastic images!
Chelsea Show Gardens in the News in 2016 …
BBC News …
Not only do they broadcast live from the show each evening but they also run some great news features that sum up the atmosphere and theme of the event each year.
One of our favourites from the BBC News Feed this year was, ‘Chelsea Flower Show: Maths, medicine and 'a little madness' which included the show garden by Matthew Wilson - ‘Gods Own Country – A Garden for Yorkshire’ …
the, ‘contemplative area - based on inspiration from York Minster's East Window, which is the largest single expanse of medieval stained glass in Britain.’The Telegraph:
It would be impossible to highlight all the vat swathe of news that they report in any given year but one of our favourites this year was their piece on the M&G Garden that combine the ‘ancient and modern’ so effectively.
M & G Garden at Chelsea Flower Show 2016 - image courtesy of The Daily Telegraph ...
