I have been to the worlds most Famous Flower show quite a lot, to say the least!
Whilst in the last year of my Apprenticeship, six of us were picked from college to design and build a show garden for Chelsea.
To our utter amazement we won a Silver Medal!
I had finished my Apprenticeship and the parks department sacked everyone, taking on contractors as they were cheaper.
This was a move they deeply regret now. for they sacked people who had been in charge of the same Victorian parks for forty years. Who knew every square inch and every plant in it.
Right down to the nursery staff that grew all the plants as well. Then they bulldozed the nurseries for housing!
So I armed with my qualifications got a job for a famous London landscape nursery and garden center, my first job was to build a Chelsea garden for a designer, paid for by a top Newspaper!
In the end she stormed out in a rather drunken stupor. So we had to rebuild it, as her design was terrible. It took two days and nights of incredibly hard work, but we did it.
She won a Silver Gilt Medal for it, and did not even thank us!
So I decided to do my own next year, which I did, and at my first ever attempt on my own got a Gold Medal!
So here are some pictures from last year, I do hope you will not mind the intrusion of my wife in some of these as she gets a bit carried away with Delphiniums and Champagne!
Regards.
Neil.
p.s this was done with my old camera, I got a posh new one for Christmas, so I might be better now!
