The Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show held annually in London is one of the most important garden and flower shows in the world.
This year marked the 100th anniversary, and one of my entrepreneurial ventures – a garden design business was honoured to be selected to exhibit a small garden.
Some photos of the show:
[
](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/RHS%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show%202013/IMG_0246_zps5816aa9a.jpg.html)
[
](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/RHS%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show%202013/IMG_0247_zps59414117.jpg.html)
[
](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/RHS%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show%202013/IMG_0214_zps125f7eb2.jpg.html)
[
](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/RHS%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show%202013/IMG_0184_zps90f9b452.jpg.html)
[
](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/RHS%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show%202013/IMG_0192_zps0f55f19e.jpg.html)
[
](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/RHS%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show%202013/IMG_0187_zps573b15d3.jpg.html)
[
](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/RHS%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show%202013/IMG_0252_zps2a932e30.jpg.html)
[
](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/RHS%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show%202013/photo44_zps17599e55.jpg.html)
[
](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/RHS%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show%202013/IMG_0241_zpsedb6fa1f.jpg.html)
[
](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/RHS%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show%202013/IMG_0185_zpsf24f4ba4.jpg.html)
[
](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/RHS%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show%202013/IMG_0254_zps6de77df1.jpg.html)
Some photos of our Japanese Zen gardens inspired entry:
[
](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/RHS%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show%202013/IMG_0087_zpsca83e3af.jpg.html)
[
](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/RHS%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show%202013/IMG_0065_zpsdc30d034.jpg.html)
[
](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/RHS%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show%202013/IMG_0153_zpsdc5cab35.jpg.html)
Now is there any doubt what watch I would wear?
Big Pilot Tribute to Japan.
[
](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/RHS%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show%202013/photo210_zpscbdbfb17.jpg.html)
Zen gardens are meant to be contemplated with a Koan... a paradoxical question. The most famous one being 'what is the sound of one-hand clapping?'
So the Koan here is did my watch inspire the garden design
or
did the garden inspire my selection of watch?
LOL
[
](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/RHS%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show%202013/photo111_zpsdfe4a8c3.jpg.html)
Very many VIPs, celebrities, and big-wigs attend the pre-opening night.
Most I’m not sure many would recognise, but perhaps some of you will recognise...
A Queen?
[
](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/RHS%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show%202013/IMG_0222_zpscb149710.jpg.html)
[
](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/RHS%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show%202013/IMG_0229_zps32e9fb5c.jpg.html)
Small Queen and Big Pilot!
[
](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/RHS%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show%202013/photo38_zpsf7c3207d.jpg.html)
[
](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/RHS%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show%202013/photo45_zps5f31eaa0.jpg.html)
Or how about a Starr?
[
](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/RHS%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show%202013/IMG_0168_zpse150355f.jpg.html)
Evening falls on our garden.
[
](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/RHS%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show%202013/IMG_0279_zps09e6295e.jpg.html)
[
](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/RHS%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show%202013/IMG_0274_zps32e7ebb1.jpg.html)
[
](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/RHS%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show%202013/photo110_zpsc9090aa2.jpg.html)
I enjoy gentle dichotomies & contradictions in design. That’s why I love my Big Pilot Tribute to Japan… it is a very understated and elegant dial… but it’s still a big and bold BIG PILOT in the first place!
There are very many gentle contradiction in our garden (won't bore you with all!) but one main one is the very choice of a single 80-90 year old bonsai tree from Shikoku Japan in a flower show where most of the thousands of flowers might only survive days or weeks or a season at most.
No need for thousands of flowers to find beauty, one can find beauty in simplicity… in one sole tree. (queue dramatic zen silence (with occasional bird chirping and gust of wind)... =P
But could this garden really be called a garden?
How would the old guard of RHS Chelsea Flower Show view our garden?
Well, we found out the next morning.
A Silver-Gilt medal… an unexpected and much appreciated award for our efforts...
[
](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/RHS%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show%202013/photo29_zps62c27015.jpg.html)
[
](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/RHS%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show%202013/photo37_zpsa0567163.jpg.html)
Thanks for looking and wishing you all an enlightened Spring!
Regards,
Thang
[
](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/RHS%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show%202013/IMG_0301_zps54fafea7.jpg.html)
