Saturday 23 May 2009

Chelsea concrete show...



They just don't get it do they!

Chelsea's all about growing things in gardens. This year's sponsors, Marshalls, have been making good concrete products for years. When I flogged concrete in the seventies, they were my biggest competitor, and while I recognised and noted their business, I beat them time and time again - especially when the M25 was being built, because I won most of that!

I also spent several years appearing on their main competitor's stand at Chelsea. Our stand had some paving, but it was almost covered with shrubs, colour, fountains and of course, 'men' like me and all the lovely ladies who turned up every day. We all had a marvellous time, and as I was able to smoke in those days it was paradise...

We won a Silver Gilt, or a Bronze Sod-all most years, and all sorts of silly prizes to denote some sort of skill, like 'Best Old Fart's Seat'. or 'Most Colouful Outside Commode', but the best day was the Friday, when we all got pissed/went mad and bought up all the stock on offer to the highest bidder.

Mrs S and I eventually stocked a whole garden with shrubs and cuttings from Chelsea, and we've still got (we think), some growing in the current Scroblene Towers today, or at least a few of their children.

Now, on the TV coverage, we see uniform, angular, slabulate, airport runway-emulate, council estate - admirate, apologies for a winner.

Absolutely unbelievable.

I cannot see why such a 'garden' is making any occupant sit and wonder at nature. All there is to see in these 'gardens', is a few sharp lines and a couple of greenish things lurking in the distance.

Our garden has a bend everywhere, no straight lines, vegetables planted in with the roses, cucumbers fighting the raspberries as an experiment, a runner bean (William), up the clematis by the front door, logs from a downed cherry tree in the churchyard behind in strategic spots (glass holders for emergency sips), in the bark bed, and I'm thinking of putting a few tomatoes in a hanging basket - just for kicks...

So, up yours Chelsea, you've given me a few years of fun, but the prats who exhibit, (not the professional growers - they have business acumen legs), can go jump in the ornamental-green enthused-antieverything-softoption-luvvieLondonpatio lake...sorry 'external liquid featurette.

13 comments:

Thud said...

Your garden sounds about right...this years stuff looked like eighties bachelor apartments .

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Morning Thud, thanks for that!

I really despair when they wheel out the old faces who've been buggering about with all sorts of 'whims' for years, but still patronise and create boredom amongst gardeners who actually want to grow something within their own scope.

I think Carol Klein is the best lady we've seen in recent years - she's just the sort of presenter we need nowadays, so, put the others out to grass!

lilith said...

Your garden is a proper garden Scrobs, one for sitting in and blissing away the time, all sorts of lushness everywhere you look, occasionally getting up to do some pruning or digging if the rage with the government overwhelms....

We get our plants from the WI.

Trubes said...

I like the sound of your garden Scrobs.
Our garden isn't huge but is very green and surrounded by a lovely green birch hedge. We have plenty of flowering shrubs too.
Now that the 'blessed rabbit' has gone to the great garden in the sky, I intend to start growing roses again.
I too, hate all the concrete stuctures that seem so popular at present.
Even worse, in my opinion, is the ubiquitous decking....the only place that belongs is at the seaside!

Have a good weekend with lots of
sunshine.

Di.x

Daisy said...

i tried that perfect garden thing (back when i had nothing better to do with my time) it was the most stressful thing i have ever done...not relaxing at all...then i got older and wiser and now just get a bunch of seeds...scatter them to the winds and see what pops up where...it's fabulous...and no stress...imagine the concept:)

Philipa said...

Your garden sounds delightful, Scrobs.

I can't stand that Diarmud Gavin blokey.

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

It needs people like you there Lils!

You're damn right about using the rage up too, I gave the whole hedge a hero seeing-to on Saturday, and almost liked one or two politicians for a nanosecond...

No I didn't, the hedge might have done...

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Decking is a problem Trubes. especially as the grooves are designed to create the maximum grip on any small stones, which therefore get stuck there for good...

Birch hedge sounds marvellous.

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Daisers, that's one way to get arrested if you use 'special' bird seed which may well have the occasional recreational substance in planting form...

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Absolutely Pips, he's not an interesting person.

rvi said...

Your garden sounds nice Scrobs.

Where I live it is too hot most of the time to sit out in mine. Nonetheless, apart from the hard standing carport, it boasts a wide variety of bits and pieces - different hued hibiscus (complete with an array of dazzling sunbirds and insects who call regularly for a free fill up), heaps of multicoloured bougainvilla(sp?), torch ginger running wild in one corner, palm trees, lime trees, various spices/herbs, lemongrass bushes (excellent for keeping the mozzies away, as well as for basting the barbie food), endlessly recurrent tall purple lilies, roses climbing all over the boundary walls etc. The only bit of concrete is the small area under the clothes drying line.

My little patch of heaven away from the turmoil outside the gates.

idle said...

You would never have guessed that rvi lived in Worksop.

Calfy said...

Hanging baskets- blight free tomatoes? I think you could be on to something!