Visiting Chelsea Flower Show 2015

The Chelsea Flower Show – 2015

After many years of wishing to go to the Chelsea Flower Show, this year my daughter-in-law Melissa got tickets for us to go on the final day – Saturday.

Of course, this is an annual event which takes place in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

It is run and organised by the RHS [Royal Horticultural Society] and if you are fond of visiting their many events around the country it is well worth your while becoming a member as it comes with privileges not available to the general public – not least lower prices. That said, there is so much more to the RHS than their horticultural shows. Their website is one I use frequently for advice on growing ...anything!

It had promised to be a sunny day so neither of us took any suitable rainwear with us – big mistake – it rained [possibly the only part of the country where it did]. Among the many trade-stands, where they were selling rain gear and umbrellas there was a flurry of sales probably, much to the delight of the traders. I did buy a very handsome umbrella with horses on it which was one of four designs – I could have had pink pigs or hens or black and white cows instead. It was probably not the best choice of rain protection for such a crowded setting as mine had to be held high above people’s heads to avoid collecting eyeballs. Much more sensible and free were the plastic ponchos provided by the sponsors of this year’s show – M&G Investments [apparently their 6^th year of sponsoring the Show]. They were also giving out sturdy carrier bags and booklets which did save us from buying bags and spending £8 on an official Show Catalogue. No I am not working for M&G but, we did think it was an excellent advertising ploy on their part especially among those visitors to the show who wouldn’t have quibbled over the cost of the catalogue !

The huge indoor marquee is definitely the main event and is full of interesting and dazzling displays of flowers and plants, some of which must have taken teams of people and many days to create. My favourites must really be the bearded irises, the potato stall and a lone vegetable stall – I do love stuff I can eat !

Outside there were the small garden designs which, I had expected to love but, I think a combination of  not being able to get near them because of the press of the crowds of people and their inaccessibility made me somewhat disappointed.

The trade stalls had a much greater impact and although I had not intended to buy anything I did, in fact, buy my umbrella and a pair of ‘Cloggies’ very useful slip-on waterproof shoes. The last of the big spenders. Melissa did try on a very nice short, tweed jacket but, eventually she walked away from the extravagant price.

I think the downsides of the event were the crushing crowds and the lack of anywhere to sit down. I had been warned beforehand that there was nowhere to sit so, I equipped myself with a ‘shooting stick’ [one of those contraptions that doubles up as a stick and a singled legged seat]. However, it was so crowded that I didn’t dare to sit on it as it would have taken me out of the eye-line of the hustling crowds. I did feel sorry for those in wheel-chairs as the crowds just didn’t see them. It must be said that no-one was rude or obviously impatient, no-one used their elbows or pushed people aside impatiently, it was just that the presence of so many people wishing to see the flowers and the stalls and the gardens made it difficult.

As we had been there quite early, we felt ‘peckish’ quite early and wandered round to find something to eat. We had considered a packed lunch then decided that we could probably leave the site to one of the many cafes and restaurants on nearby Chelsea’s Kings Road but, the ticket does not allow you to leave the site and return.

The restaurants were well outside our price range so we scouted for stalls which sold snacks. Fortunately, we did find an indoor [it had started to rain] facility which sold hot snacks, salads, cold snacks, sandwiches, drinks, etc. We were fortunate in that we were early enough to not have to queue too long but, we were much too late to find anywhere to sit. We eventually found a shelf where we could plonk our tray and eat standing up. By the time we were leaving the queues were significant. Melissa had a very delicious Thai Green Curry and I had a Lamb Tagine with couscous. Both were quite substantial and reasonably priced.

There are toilet facilities though neither of us needed to use them so I can’t comment on them – probably we were not drinking enough water !

As we left and walked back to Kings Road a young woman stopped us and asked if it was worth it. We had to point out to her that this event is ticket only and all tickets had been sold out some time before so, if you plan to go do make your plans early.

The cost depends on the day you attend, whether or not you are a member, whether you are going for an allotted time or staying all day.

This year it ran from Tuesday 19^th May to Saturday 23^rd May. Although we had ‘all-day’ tickets, one of the allotted time would have been fine to see what was available. We left exhausted, by mid afternoon and had seen enough.

This year the prices ranged from £24 to £99 depending on whether or not you were a member, which day you were attending and the time you planned to be there.

On week days the Show is available for members only for the first two days and is open from 8.00am to 8.00pm. On the final day, Saturday, it is open from 8.00am to 5.30pm and the many of the plants are sold off from 4.00pm. I believe there are some excellent deals to be had for exotic and different species – I didn’t stay around for this.

Getting to the Show at The Royal Hospital Chelsea [SW3 4SL]. Of course, check first on the RHS website where you can also find details of many other shows they run. Make sure you book well in advance.

If you are coming to London by car then there is parking in Battersea Park but it is severely limited and is by a first come system although, I believe it is possible to book a place in advance

By Tube/Underground –take the District or Circle Line to Sloane Square. The site is about a 10 minute walk from there off the famous Kings Road [great shopping there]

By Bus – 11, 137, 211, 360 and 452 will take you close to the grounds and services 19, 22 and 319 will take you to Sloane Square.

Of course you can also travel there by my favourite form of transport – The Thames Clippers to Cadogan Pier – do check on their website.

These are the details for 2015 and there are not many differences from year to year but, of course, prices will, no doubt rise so, take that into consideration when you are booking.

I am glad I have been though, I doubt I will go again. Melissa intends to visit again next year with my son. We believe he will love it.

May 2015 - On the Allotment

May 2015  on the Allotment – what we should do

Although winter 2014 into 2015 has been fairly mild, it has rather continued into the spring making the growing year slow to start and some seeds – sown well within their sowing time have failed to germinate. While this may well have been my fault, I really believe it was just too cold. This was followed up in April with a long dry month which was also unseasonally warm. Now at least, we are getting some much-needed rain although it is still a little cool. Today – at the start of May, I have been planting out my Runner Beans [Lady Di] which I have germinated in pots in my polytunnel. Germination has been close to 100%. The ground I was planting them into was in really nice condition. It had been well dug in the autumn then dug over again earlier this spring

My autumn sown Broad Beans have survived the winter well and pods are well set already – no sign of black fly, as yet – this is one of the advantages of autumn sowing broad beans – they avoid the worst of the black fly infestation. This time I sowed Aquadulce Claudia [as I usually do].

For the first time for a few years, I have been able to harvest parsley all winter – only a little during the winter as the growth was very slow but my, really quite substantial bed is now keeping up with my demands quite well My newly sown parsley is now germinating. I have sown 2 varieties this year – curly leaf – Lisette and flat leaf – Titan. I haven’t sown either of these varieties before.

Potatoes – although I had most of my 1^st and 2^nd Earlies in the ground my mid March, or there-abouts and they are now mostly above ground [some of the leaves showing a bit of frost damage which they will recover from] my late main-crops were not planted until the end of April as the ground was so hard.

Maintenance around the plot and in green house or poly-tunnel

– keep established plants healthy and pest free – protect from slugs, snails and birds, especially on newly planted brassicas – cabbages, cauliflowers, Brussels sprouts, broccoli. As asparagus is now growing well, watch out for asparagus beetle and remove any beetles or larvae as soon as they are seen. Aphids, whitefly [on brassicas], caterpillars can all weaken or eat you precious young plants. Watch out, also, for ants – while they don’t, in themselves, damage the plants, they encourage aphids and will build their nests under plants undermining them.

Watch for red-spider mite on indoor plants – spray the young plants with water regularly – [red-spider mites like dry conditions]. Regular spraying with SB Plant Invigorator [it is organic] will strengthen the plants and discourage pests.

- Keep the plot tidy - cut grass on paths regularly to prevent weeds and grass from encroaching on your plot and to reduce slugs and snails.

- Weeding – keep seed beds, particularly, free from weeds. Hoeing is useful but take care to not damage young plants [hoeing is not very effective in wet weather as the hoed weeds will often re-root].

- Earth-up potatoes as they start to appear, to protect from late frosts.

- Set up support for early sowings of peas.

- Pinch out the tender top growth of broad beans as soon as the first few rows of pods set at the bottom of the plants to deter black-fly [aphids] – particularly in spring sown beans, autumn sown beans, if they survive the winter, are less likely to be attacked.

- Protect strawberries from resting on the naked earth or mud – place straw under the plants or plant matting. Blackbirds do love the early ripening strawberries so netting might be necessary but be careful that the birds don’t get trapped under the netting.

- Remove the flower heads of rhubarb as soon as they start to appear as they will stop the production of new leaves [also some people prize the rhubarb flowers for flower arrangements – the flowers can attract aphids].

- As soon as they are big enough to handle, thin carrots and parsnips – dispose of carrot thinnings carefully to avoid attracting carrot fly.

- Keep fruit cages tidy and weeded – for particularly vulnerable bushes like redcurrants and gooseberries, ensure the cages are secure although do allow an escape hole for those intrepid birds which find a way in, in case of predators – cats and foxes will force a way in to catch trapped birds.

- Compost old plants or those which have finished producing.

- The polythene cover on my poly-tunnel is now becoming quite ragged in places and I plan to replace it early next spring. However, as I have had tomato blight in the tunnel last season, I think it might be best to move the tunnel to another spot on my plot and give it a fresh start on new ground.

Preparation and planning

- re-dig beds to create a good workable tilth - ready for planting out. As far possible, maintain the plan for good crop rotation you created over the winter – sometimes this does not work out as planned – weather, timing and condition of the soil can prevent implementation of excellent plans. Avoid planting root crops where you have added manure or lime.

When transplanting brassicas, it is a good idea to add a sprinkling of lime around each plant if you know your soil is too acid. Don’t add manure at the same time as lime but try to dig in good, well-rotted manure earlier in the season when digging the beds or in the previous autumn if possible..

For outdoor seed beds, ensure the soil has been broken down to a fine tilth. If your soil is particularly heavy or wet and is not breaking down easily - this can difficult on heavy clay soil or after a particularly wet season, it can be useful [especially with small seeds] to dig the bed over then create a shallow trench, fill with good quality compost [ bought-in is fine] and sow the seeds into this medium. Water well.

Sowing and planting

-  under cover [in green house or poly-tunnel] - winter cauliflower, celery, pumpkin and squash, runner beans. Herbs – basil.

– outdoors – [do wait a couple of weeks for the ground to be less cold] – beetroot, brassicas [broccoli/calabrese, spring, summer and winter cabbage, summer and winter cauliflower, kale, Swedes], Beans – runner and French, carrots, courgettes, outdoor cucumbers, Florence fennel, lettuce,  parsnips, potatoes [up to early May – the later the crop, the greater the risk of blight] 2^nd early and maincrop peas, pumpkins and squashes, radish, rocket, spinach and Swiss chard, spring onions, sweetcorn, turnips.

You can now transplant – into a poly-tunnel or greenhouse, young plants which have been raised in a propagator or heated greenhouse/conservatory – tomatoes, chillies and peppers, aubergines, indoor cucumbers.

You can now transplant outdoors – aubergines [only in warmer, sheltered areas], broad beans, French and runner beans, Brassicas – broccoli and calabrese, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, cauliflowers, kale], celery, celeriac, outdoor cucumbers, leeks, peas [if raised under cover], peppers and chillies[only in warmer, sheltered areas], pumpkins and squashes, outdoor tomatoes.

In all cases, harden the plants off well before planting out and do consider the weather. The young plants should be well watered into their final growing spot and continue to water until the plants have established – if necessary.

If you are planning to set up an asparagus bed in the spring, May is the last month for buying crowns though, in warmer areas it is probably too late as established beds are well into their productive season. Of course you can also buy in the autumn which will give you time to create a suitable permanent bed.

Last autumn I dug up my bed of Globe Artichokes as they were becoming rather untidy and woody – my splitting of the plants in the last couple of years had limited success. The ground of their had also become quite compacted. I bought in some new young plants from Thompson and Morgan which I have now potted up and will plant out later in the month. The received advice is to remove any flower heads which appear in the first year and don’t allow them to mature, to allow the young plants to establish well. However, I have kept a couple on which seemed to do little damage to the plants.

Harvesting – May is well into the lean time of the year. With luck and good planning spring cabbages should be available. If you are lucky enough to have a greenhouse or poly-tunnel, a crop of over-wintered spring cabbages should be available from late April onwards and should be available until the outdoor crop is ready

Overwintered cauliflower should start to head up now – as soon as the small heads start to show, make sure the plants are well watered.

Purple and White sprouting Broccoli  have been good this spring and some should still be harvestable in the first part of May

For salads - over-wintered lettuce should also be ready for harvesting. Spring onion - White Lisbon can overwinter successfully although it will have a strong flavour. Of course, radishes sown under cover or outdoors will provide a crop very quickly. Sow successionally for a constant harvest.

Spinach and Swiss chard should provide a good harvest now – fresh young leaves are excellent in soups, salads, stir-fries, etc.

Asparagus should now be at its best and most productive – check the plants regularly for asparagus beetle.

Globe artichokes should have over-wintered well and should be producing their first heads

Early sowings of peas – if sown under a cloche should start to provide an early crop in late May.

Autumn sown broad beans will have started to develop good bean pods – these can be harvested and cooked like French beans though do leave lots for growing on.

Young turnips, sown under cover in early spring should now be available for harvesting.

Rhubarb this year is well ready for picking [don’t forget that the leaves are poisonous].

Lentil and Cauliflower Curry

2Tblsp  vegetable oil       1 medium onion - finely chopped

2– 3 garlic cloves -finely chopped      a good tsp. grated fresh ginger

2tsp ground coriander      2 tsp ground cumin       1/2 tsp ground turmeric

salt and freshly ground black pepper    ¼ tsp chilli powder or fresh mild chilli - chopped

75g [3 oz] red lentils                    150ml vegetable or chicken stock

1 medium cauliflower - cut into small florets    1 large carrot - peeled and cut into small dice

75g [3oz] fresh or frozen peas - thawed

75g [3oz] fresh French or fine beans [when in season] – washed and cut into chunks

A good handful chopped coriander

Method

·         Sweat the onion in the oil in a large pan [cook without colour]. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook gently – don’t allow these to burn. [allow a little of the oil for frying the vegetables]

·         Add ground coriander, cumin and turmeric and cook for a few minutes, stirring all the time.

·         Meanwhile, fry the cauliflower and carrot pieces until slightly browned in a little of the measured oil.

·         Wash the lentils thoroughly in a sieve or fine strainer then add them to the cooked spices - stir in the lentils well.

·         Add the stock. Bring to the boil then simmer gently with the lid on for 10 mins or so.

·         Add the cooked vegetables to the lentil mixture and stir in well.

·         Bring the mixture back to the boil then simmer gently until the vegetables are tender.

·         Add the peas and the beans if you are using them, stir well and cook for a further 4 – 5 minutes.

·         Stir in the chopped coriander, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Rhubarb and Ginger Pancakes

For the pancakes

200g [7oz] plain flour

2 eggs

300ml [ ½ pint] milk

Butter for cooking

Method

·         Sieve the flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre.

·         Beat the eggs lightly and add the milk – beat it in well.

·         Add the milk/egg mix to the flour, gradually adding in the flour at the edges of the well until it is all mixed in to make a creamy batter. Beat well.

·         Leave the batter to rest and prepare the filling.

The Filling

3 good sized stalks of red rhubarb – washed, trimmed and cut into short lengths 2-3cm.

25 gm [1 oz] chopped glacé ginger

3 Tblsp sugar

1 Tblsp. brandy

Double cream - whipped

Method

·         Put the pieces of rhubarb into a saucepan with the sugar and a small spoonful of water to get the cooking started.

·         Cook gently until the sugar has dissolved then, simmer until the fruit is soft but still in pieces. Add the ginger and brandy.

·         Drain off the excess juice and keep aside.

Making the pancakes

·         Using a medium sized heavy pan – [preferably non stick] – heat a little of the butter until it is sizzling hot.

·         Pour in a little of the batter, enough to cover the base of the pan thinly – [swirl the mixture around the pan to make sure it is all covered without making the pancake too thick.]

·         When it is browned on the bottom, shake it loose, turn it over and brown on the other side.

·         Turn the pancake out onto greaseproof paper over a damp teatowel. If you wish to keep them warm while making the rest, place on a plate over a saucepan of simmering. Water.

·         Continue until all of the mixture is used up.

·         Place some of the fruit onto each pancake and roll up.

·         When serving pour over some of the juice and top with whipped cream.