But I couldn't let the show end without showing you the final moments. I was at Chelsea this afternoon, manning the cloakroom along with the other Plant Heritage volunteers. It's hard work, but a really enjoyable afternoon - you're working alongside people who know their plants and have interesting things to say about what they think of the show. If you want a free ticket to Chelsea, volunteers get passes that last the whole day.
One of the best - and the busiest - moments is when the bell rings at 4pm to signal the start of Break Down. That's the moment that the show gardens and the exhibitors in the Great Pavilion start taking their creations apart. Many of them sell the plants or cut flowers off and you can get real bargains.
(Not all the exhibitors sell off - the best thing is to ask earlier in the day, so you know where to join the queue.)
The cloakroom is a wonderful vantage point from which to see the public take Chelsea home. It always reminds of that bit in Macbeth, where Burnham Wood comes to Dunsinane. I suspect it's a lot prettier though.
The plants seem to come in waves - first, there will be a wave of clematis, then a wave of roses, then a wave of foxgloves and so on. I don't know why this happens, since all the stands start selling at once.
But the biggest cause of wonder - and the question on everyone's lips - is: "How on earth are they going to get that lot home on the Tube?"
12 comments:
Fascinating to see sell off photos! I've learned never to underestimate the determination of a Londoner trying to bring home something via the tube (have seen someone hand carry a cycad with 50cm trunk from Ikea before...)
Oh, how I wish we in Canada would have such a wonderful show. Be grateful, it's sounds amazing!
Victoria, thank you SO much for your Chelsea Flower Show posts! It was such a pleasure to read them!!!!
I know it's done every year on the telly, so some will say it's a bit of a cliche, but I love seeing all the plants spilling out of the grounds into the streets of London. The ultimate take home Chelsea.
You weren't tempted by anything?
Have been looking for some coverage of the last day! Was rather keen to come and see it, but am in Oxon, with dodgy foot. Must have been interesting to see all the plants come by, though sad to see the show gardens broken up. Know not all sell off plants, but for those that do, must be sad sight. Did you pick up a bargain?
Ha, I bet they get that lot home on their laps, just as I have after every Blogger Fling! I do hope you can make it to SF next year for the Fling. And some day I will make it to Chelsea. Speaking of which, can you recommend some stops in central London for gardens? I'll be there for a few days in mid-June. Won't be long now! You can always email me Victoria, if you have some suggestions. Thanks!
I've never been to Chelsea and, until this year, have never been tempted. Maybe it's just that my taste, this time round, has coincided more with what other bloggers have enjoyed - but there have been loads of pictures of gardens I can imagine liking a lot. Were they more lush this, year? Leafier? Less formal? Or have the gimmicks been edited out of posts?
It was really fun to read along with you, Victoria! I can believe you are exhausted!! Have a good rest this weekend. ~Julie
Wow its a very good post. The information provided by you is really very good and helpful for me. Keep sharing good information..
thanks for posting aftemath of the CS and how the plants are then sold off. I would be interested to know how you go about volunteering for the event in order to get a free ticket. Do you have to do a minimum of a whole day and are the tickets for random days and are they're full day ones? thanks
have always wanted to go for the past 15yrs and never managed it (financially, somewhere to stay etc,)
am interested in finding out how you go about volunteering. would you have to commit to doing several hours or full days in order to get a ticket (full day ones?) and are they random tickets for any day?
thanks..
If anyone is interested in volunteering, the best thing is to join your local branch of Plant Heritage - or at any rate get in touch with them. They always want volunteers for Chelsea and Hampton Court, where they organise the Plant Heritage marquee, so they always need people to help set it up and man the stands.
The usual arrangement for the Chelsea cloakroom is that you do a four-hour stint, on a particular day. You can state a preference for a particular day, or time slot. The pass allows you into the show from the time it opens in the morning, until it shuts in the evening, so before or after your shift, you can wander off and have a good look round.
You do need to be reasonably fit, and able to lift/carry heavy objects. You've got to stand for four hours, and it's amazing how heavy even a small rucksack or picnic bag can feel if you're lifting it down from a top shelf.
The RHS also use volunteers to sell show guides etc, so get in touch with them too.
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