Finally the dust has settled, I am home and all the trucks have returned from a fantastic RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024. The show was exhilarating and exhausting in equal measures.
I thought I would share some of the highs and lows of the show this year and some of our favourite photographs taken by the wonderfully talented Emma Drabble.
At daybreak on Saturday 11th May a 7.5 tonne truck loaded to the gunnels and two trailers headed up the M4 from the workshop in Clytha to Chelsea. Each year every pebble and blade of grass must be brought to and removed from the show ground. For Border Sundials this year that included several tonnes of timber, gravel, peat free compost, moss, bamboo, trees, planters, furniture and of course a plethora of sundials. The stand has a Japanese theme inspired by my recent visit to Kyoto.
Brass Armillary Sphere on a Cupola Plinth
On the Sunday our crack team of 5 set to work in earnest, they powered through all six build days, without incident, accident or injury, which was a blessed result. It was undoubtedly our easiest build ever and to top it all we were bathed in sunshine throughout.
Day 1, Monday, was Press Day. Celebrities, press and royalty gathered to view the show without the general public. Each stand holder is permitted one guest, this year my darling daughter Grace accompanied me. At around 4pm King Charles did a walk about and we could have sworn that the new water feature caught his eye! Sadly no photos allowed. The sun shone.
Day 2 was another story. It rained ALL day and boy did it rain, it was biblical, not a breath of wind and it came down in stair rods. I was very glad that I had my shoji shelter but by 4pm even that had developed a bit of a leak. I left the stand at 8pm with certain trepidation as to what havoc the weather would wreak over night.
Day 3, 8am – the stand was still in tact but the rain didn’t abate until the afternoon. All the visitors who did brave the weather were kagool clad and a little bedraggled. I owe a huge debt of thanks to all that did turn out and visit us on such a miserable day.
Days 4, 5 & 6 – Finally the weather broke and we enjoyed the May sunshine we long for at Chelsea Flower Show. Panamas and sunglasses were donned spirits lifted and we greeted drifts of friends and interested customers. The stand was appreciated by all, sales were made and conversations enjoyed along side plenty of good champagne.
Many thanks to those of you who came to visit, for all your kind words and appreciation it was a wonderful show.
By Capel Tenison
