That's the phrase that came out of my mouth as I reached the last show garden on the main avenue of this year's Chelsea Flower Show. What's trending in horticulture was glaringly obvious: crowded, informal planting continues; grasses have taken over from gypsophilia as the drifting plant that unifies the herbaceous perennials; dark purple dominates, with deep reds and apricot browns as counterpoint; the hard landscaping is modern, austere and unobtrusive. So much for the main avenue.
As a long-time Chelsea goer I've learned that this isn't where the action is. Have a quick look at the show gardens, grab a Pimms and get down to the serious work. The best stuff is in the smaller display gardens and in the great pavilion. The latter, of course, is where the real gardeners concentrate. I was on a mission to buy next year's sweet pea seeds, find a supplier for more interesting pond plants than my local water gardening store supplies, and to see what colour medal the Hampshire nursery that provided most of my herbaceous perennials got. All three accomplished, and a gold for Hardy's Cottage Garden Plants. Hooray.
Pictures speak louder than words when it comes to gardening, so here are a few highlights.
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