In May each year, there is a splendid and very well known flower show that takes place in London. It is of course the Chelsea Flower Show, and thousands of people look forward to going to the show every year for inspiration and a great day out.
If you have never been to the show before you might be surprised how enjoyable and eye opening it is. The gardens are created to show what can be achieved in all kinds of different plots, regardless of the size of the garden and where it is.
This year, the website has pictures of urban gardens which will inspire anyone who lives in the middle of a city and doesn’t have a lot of room to spread out. One of these doesn’t have a lawn and so there is no lawn mower or equipment to worry about keeping or storing anywhere.
They have shown that it is still possible to have a nice green garden even with no grass and in a small space though. There are small and nicely shaped bushes – easy to keep under control with a small hedge trimmer or hand trimmer – and even a tree to provide some shade. The idea has clearly been to mix greenery with the stark lines of paving and bricks, which provide walkways and another mix of colours to appreciate.
Elsewhere there is a garden display which has a large round planter filled with greenery. An intriguing pattern of bricks forms a path that goes right round it and then spills downhill, giving the impression of a flowing river.
The best thing about the flower show is not even the displays of flowers that are there to greet you at every turn. It is the fact that it gives you ideas and prompts you to think about your own garden space in a way that might be very different from how you have viewed it in the past.
And it is clear that you don’t need a huge space to achieve great things. It is quite often the process of getting outside and thinking about what you could do that makes a difference. Would planters look good? How about hanging baskets? Do you like certain types of flower and if so how could you introduce them into your own garden?
It might even be a good idea to take along a notebook with you if you visit, as you will no doubt find that all those ideas will start flooding into your mind as you wander round. And you won’t want to forget them all before you get home.
So it seems the Chelsea Flower Show is a success every year in inspiring people to do more in their own outside space. And however uninspiring your own garden might be now, you will be amazed at what you can do to change that. All you need is the ideas and the vision – and you can get both of those at the Chelsea Flower Show.