Reflections

It's only when you have come back from Chelsea and had a few days to reflect on it all that you really begin to appreciate all the different themes, colours and ideas. I was made up for Chris Beardshaw that his appreciation of Hidcote garden was winner of the BBC viewers vote for the second year on the run. I thought his garden was the best in the show and couldn't understand what brought his medal award down from a Gold to a Silver Gilt. His win just about made up for Liverpool losing to AC Milan in the European Cup Final.

Sarah Raven wrote , in my opinion, the best review I have read of Chelsea in Saturday's Daily Telegraph. She pointed out that the most successful show gardens this year were the ones with plenty of air and movement in them and I certainly agreed with her on Jinny Blom's Gold medal wining garden for Laurent Perrier with its beautiful grasses and balance.

Diarmuid's garden too was really lovely, calm and inviting, relaxed and informal. I loved his hanging Perspex seats and daisy bubble chairs and his box. Excellent garden design.

It was nice to run into another Scouser, Liverpool lad, Geoffrey Hughes, aka Onslow or Vernon Scripps if you are a Hearbeat fan, who seemed to be enjoying himself.

I think one of the main ideas for me from this year's Chelsea is how I can incorporate more grasses into my small garden. They worked so well in many of the show gardens both large and small and I have now resolved to endeavour to use them more too.

I just loved Capel Manor College's 'A Garden to take Tea In' and hope you can get an idea of this lovely, clean and fresh garden with a neutral background, mixed palette of colours ranging from purples through blue with splashes of orange and yellow. I certainly wanted to take tea in it. and they deserved their Silver Flora.

I am becoming less obsessed with climate change and did feel the sustainability bit was overdone this year, hopefully, Hampton, which is a show I always look forward too, will not be too obsessed with it either. July cannot come soon enough as we start planning for our trip to the lovely Hampton Court. Plenty of room to move around, lovely environment, and the special treat for me of the roses in the great marquee. Can't wait.