Chelsea Trends

I'm loving the coverage of Chelsea Flower Show, both by the BBC and through so many blogs - such excitement and inspiring ideas for gardeners, and passionate debates on all things flower and garden orientated.   Variety, say the RHS, is the watchword at Chelsea, but there are themes each year and Julie Hollobone of The Garden lists trends to watch.

Water features, Wildflowers, Garden offices, Shaped Trees and Sculpture.

Sculpture in the garden has always been on-trend with me - and to place it with a backdrop of wildflowers and trees, in full view from the garden office and overlooking the pond - seems perfect!

I loved the Skyshades garden for this reason, and for its care and concern for wildlife and the environment.  The Artisan gardens took my fancy too, particularly The Art of Yorkshire where, centre stage, is a Barbara Hepworth Sculpture and planting to celebrate Yorkshire's art and landscape.

For exquisite planting I have to mention the Laurent-Perrier garden, with subtle soft pinks to echo the stone colour of the Peter Randall-Page sculpture - in fact this gets my favourite vote.

A close second would be the Irish Sky Garden, not necessarily for the pink aircraft, but the garden part was sublime.

One of the loveliest parts of Chelsea Flower Show is coming away with all the wonderful ideas and inspirations, new ways of planting, plant combinations, clever design and then coming home and putting the ones you like best, snippets of others, and your own interpretations to work.

Its a great week of feeling drenched in horticulture and all things garden, with eyes gone so wide, wide open by the show and splendour - it all just comes down to making me appreciate and love my own garden even more.