The Bonsai of Chelsea - 2012

Setting off from Cornwall at 2.30am and bound for central London. Perfect empty roads and at dawn a lovely sun rise had me grabbing the camera !

Time for coffee and calories, then into London, along the embankment and park up at Battersea at 6.45am. Walking through the park and over the bridge is the shortest route to the show, and Dermots 7m pyramid garden stands tall over the surrounding scenery. Having an exhibitor wrist band on (will be working later) gets me straight into the show and what a luxury.....totally empty, perfect

This is a one off oportunity to buzz around with the camera before the gates open - even press day had bigger crowds !

 Welcome to my world

Best in show garden getting a quick brush up

Getting the angle just right !

Still deserted..................where is everyone ? ? ?
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found them.............................................

That was my quick tour of outside so into the great pavillion to look for bonsai, as promiced

Hinoki, Deshojo and Red Pine

Here is a view of one side of John Trotts stand - Gold medal 52 proudly displayed and here are the trees - some of these have quite a history at chelsea and other RHS shows - some have never been used here before.

Here is a 1m, 35kg Permisson sp. and a root on rock trident - neither been to Chelsea before



From the top - Permisson sp., Trident Maple, White pine - grafted parviflora, White pine kokonoe, Ginko, Satsuki, Deshojo, Hinoki, Red Pine.

Johns trees have a very natural and not over worked style to them - it certainly works in the Chelsea flower show scenario where horticulture, health and natralism all count highly. I can see that some modern styles, lots of carving & dead wood etc could go against you here....

Over the other side was the FoBBS stand - beautifully layed out in the traditional 2 tiered rows. Personally I think this Hinoki was trying to look like the Deshojo just by it, but it is incredibly healthy and very neatly styled

Here is the Deshojo - it would have been an amazing spectacle of colour a month earlier, and I'd love to see a little more of the trunk that is hidden behind the leaves, but again a lovely bonsai

 - and it was another Gold medal stand so the judges liked it plenty 

Here is the entire stand -Very impressing and I really like the variation of the lower tier of trees - each is styled differently.

This white pine tree was on the BBC telivision show the night before - even though all the branches are wired it is done really neatly and no large wires are visible from the front.

This juniper caught my eye - nice and natural - pot and tree go well together

And just to finish a little decadance that only Chelsea can supply -

This was an amazing opportunity to see the entire site without crowds

And then the gates opened...............................

12 hours later and it was time to pack everything away

That brings Chelsea 99 to a close and the countdown is on to the 100th Chelsea 2013.

cheers