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andreageorgia

Chelsea Flower Show I - garden architecture, Peter Beales et al

andreageorgia
14 years ago

Like Robert, I made the pilgrimage to the Chelsea Flower Show in London. Here you'll find some of my impressions. Some will look familiar to those of you who saw Robert's wonderful photos, and some will be new, especially perhaps those of Peter Beales's terrific gold medal winning exhibit. I split the photos into two threads. This one is mostly about Peter Beales plus of course some other exhibits, and the second thread will show you David Austin's stand, and more.

Upon entering the holy grounds of Chelsea I could not help but notice that I was not the only pilgrim ...

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But there were also more serene moments

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with flowers artfully scattered

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and wooden boxes towering in the air

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you can find yourself amidst wild little sanctuaries

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or in the cool of white and green for the stylishly inclined

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or in black and white for the tropics of style

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Inside, there were indeed more flowers to be found, lots of them

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But also trees, very little ones

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And here is Peter Beales's gold winning diplay, best of show, I'd say, with their new rose Leah Tutu (named after Bishop Desmond Tutu's wife) in the foreground, quite an eyecatching rose

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Curious

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Amanda Beales's lovely pink climber Sir Paul Smith - I couldn't help but taking one home

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Peter Beales again

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Leah Tutu's flower power - I should have taken one home too

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Their new red climbing rose Highgrove looking terrific next to the ramber Francis E. Lester - I had the honor of being able to buy one Highgrove of the few they sold (for alottalotta pounds)

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The Beales repeat rambler Purple Skyliner and Rambling Rector looking terrific together ... I couldn't help but buying Purple Skyliner there, it's such a cute little rose with the most lovely lavender flowers, I really fell in love with it, so this is my first rambler

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Purple Skyliner

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Sir Paul Smith with Highgrove at the bottom right corner

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Highgrove, it has a medium sweet scent

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American Pillar, Souvenir du Dr. Jamain, and two ramblers (the double light pink one could be Rural England, another one I took home)

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Aloha et al

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Rosa Mundi

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Sir Paul Smith

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Souv. de Dr Jamain, Awakening and one of their ramblers

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Clematis triangle

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Aquilegia

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I hope you liked them.

Andrea

Comments (25)

  • aliska12000
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Those were wonderful! Glad you were able to pick some new roses. They even had just one of mine. Such beautiful garden design by the experts. Thanks for posting!

  • donnaz5
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow !! I'll bet you had a blast! My head wouldn't know where to turn first. Your pics are gorgeous...Donna

  • jbfoodie
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Great pictures. Thanks for posting them. They bring back good memories for me.

  • mashamcl
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wonderful photography! I feel almost as if I went there in person:-). Thank you for posting.
    Masha

  • allison64
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I really really liked them! Beautiful job on the picture tour. Thanks!
    Allison

  • catsrose
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Great post! Thank you. I'd like to know how they get everything to be so perfect.

  • ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Really stunning, thank you so much. You did a wonderful job. Purple Skyliner is probably my favorite rose; how wonderful to finally have a purple rambler that repeats.

    I would have given Cottage Garden first prize. That was my favorite exhibit.

    Ingrid

  • jackie_o
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What an amazing display! Thanks again for posting these. It's great to be able to go back and really study them. Congrats on all your new roses!

  • holleygarden Zone 8, East Texas
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for posting the pictures. They are absolutely gorgeous. Every flower looks perfect - what an amazing time you must have had. Would have loved to have been there just to smell all those beautiful roses!

  • andreageorgia
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks, Aliska, Donny, and Jbfoodie!

    Thanks, Masha. I'm glad this worked as a little reportage, heavily skweded toward roses, admittedly.

    Catsrose, yes, I also wonder what it takes for them to get all the flowers ready and so perfect. Especially the roses have to be quite pushed for the show, and some take it better than others. I think Austin's The Wedgwood Rose didn't like this treatment (whatever it consists of), and was especially floppy. But maybe that was just its natural shape. I'll find out when I get one!

    Thanks, Ingrid, good to know you like Purple Skyliner too. I was amazed that I would like a little rambler so much, but this one really got me. They also had the once-blooming rambler Veilchenblau there. I think that PS is even prettier with its delicate lavender hue. I also agree with you that the cottages were quite lovely. Next time I'll pay a bit more attention to these other exhibits.

    Thanks Jackie and holleygarden. It was certainly worth the visit - highly recommended!

    Cheers,
    Andrea

  • patricianat
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Andrea, thanks for the great picture show.

    About the flower shows, the one in Atlanta, takes years of planning for the one week show. It takes lots and lots of people, so I am sure this is no different and even larger, so much more time. I am a garden club member and only know about the one in Atlanta, which is similar in production but perhaps not in its size, but lots and lots of work and planning, and pushing flowers and people. ;-)

  • zeffyrose
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Amazing pictures---thanks so much for shraing them with us--The Purple Skyliner is a beauty---

    Florence

  • jerijen
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    WELL!
    That was extraordinary!
    Thank you so much from those of us who couldn't be there to see it. All that's missing is the fragrance.

    Purple Skyliner is really intriguing, but I have to confess that it's Leah Tutu I'd love to own.
    I love the rose -- and it reminds me of the day I got to meet the Bishop.
    Do you have any idea what its habit might be?

    Jeri

  • rosesnpots
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Andrea

    Thank you for posting the great and breathtaking picture of Chelsea. I can see why Peter Beales won gold again this year. My first few roses are Peter Beales roses and really enjoy them.

    Liz

  • andreageorgia
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks, Patricia, also for the info about the Atlanta show. I still can't imagine what it takes to get so many plants to be in such perfect shape on time for the show.

    Thanks, Liz! Which Beales roses do you grow?

    Thanks, Florence and Jeri, I'm glad you like Purple Skyliner. It's not perfumed (I think), but looks so lovely in my yard.

    Jeri, I agree with you about Leah Tutu, and now I wish I had bought one there (although that would have really hurt my wallet given what Beales charges for his new introductions at the show). They also have a new red rose named after Leah's husband Bishop Desmond Tutu, but I must have missed that one, too bad. Regarding Leah, I think the growth habit is upright floribunda style, with masses of those huge intensely colored, many petalled frilly flowers and very dark leaves. Makes for great contrast! The shot I took of it doesn't do it quite justice, but I think you get a better idea of its amazing color effect when you look at it above on my first Beales exhibit photo right lower corner, second Beales photo left lower corner, fourth photo front. The new Beales print catalogue states:

    "Introduced as a tribute to Leah, wife of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. This superb, multi-petalled shrub rose is very free flowering and of a rich golden yellow colour. It has a subtle fragrance and the plant is endowed with abundant dark green foliage. We have been testing this rose for some several years now and are pleased to have found such a worthy name. 1.2m x 0.9m / 4' x 3'."

    Catalogue symbols for this rose:
    Continuous flowering, suitable for growing in pots or tubs, can be grown as a small climber (!), tolerant for poorer soils, suitable for hedges, and of course, unique to Peter Beales Roses in the UK!

    Andrea

  • rosesnpots
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Andrea

    I have Happy Memories, RoseBall, Kitty's Rose, and Colby School. I got them all from Ashdown Roses here in the states.

    Thanks again for sharing your pictures.
    Liz

  • hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow, what a treat to see. Thank you so much for posting these!

  • andreageorgia
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks, Liz and Hoov. Liz, I'll look up your Beales roses. Beales and Ashdown are, as you probably now, partners of sorts. Paul Zimmerman also posts on the Beales website.

    Andrea

  • carla17
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Andrea, thank you for the wonderful photos, they are a treat for sure. So you couldn't resist some purchases? I can understand why. I really like the aquilegia picture.

    Carla

  • 5400jana
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks, thanks, and one more thank for telling me about Leah Tutu since I think more attention was focused on Highrove. And Im sure you will discover a new dimension of roses with your rambler, I love them so much, you can read about my passion for them on my pages.

    My Paul´s Himalayan Musk:
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    And Excelsa:
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  • roselovr_in_eh
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Andrea - let me add my thanks to the rest. How do you manage to bring potted roses back to the US??????

    George

  • andreageorgia
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks, Jana, also for the photos of your absolutely stunning ramblers, wow! Beales also had Paul's Himalayan Musk, what a beauty! I wish it repeated though. Does Excelsea repeat?

    Thanks, George. I bribed customs - just kidding! Well, we now live in Cambridge, England, and so do our roses. So this was only a short trip for us to London. Transporting the potted roses, including the two climbers, with taxis and trains was however a bit tricky. At King's Cross train station I very nearly scratched a few people by inadvertantly waving around the lanky Sir Paul Smith. Entering MacDo there to change our little one's diapers proved to be another challenge. Imagine surprise howls at the doorstep - but at least our baby didn't get scratched ;-).

    Should we come back to the US, we will have to leave our roses behind and start from scratch - again.

    Cheers,
    Andrea

  • 5400jana
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Excelsa doesn´t repeat, too, but I don´t miss it (and I´m a fan of repeating roses). I could write long poems about once-flowering ramblers, but it wouldn´t be enough for their opulent beauty, everyone just needs to try growing them personally. Jana

  • rosefolly
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Andrea, I completely forgot that you now live in England! Buying all those roses now makes much more sense to me. On a recent trip I was tempted by many plants, but kept reminding myself that I could not take them home with me. I, too, was wondering how you were going to import all those roses back into the United States.

    How wonderful your garden is going to look with the addition of those beautiful roses.

    Rosefolly

  • andreageorgia
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Jana, I see, it might really be worth trying some more ramblers - when I'll have the space ... ;-)

    Thanks, Rosefolly. The ones I got from the show have finally finished their (first) flush, so now I'm waiting for more.

    Cheers,
    Andrea

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