|
5.0 out of 5 stars
Chelsea Flower Show 2000, 16 Dec 2001
By A Customer
The video is a celebration of the Chelsea flower show and the part it plays in the national obsession with gardening.The video begins with an overall view of the site, an exploration of the design and construction of the new marquee and the fate of the old marquee. Alan Titchmarsh then takes us on an extensive tour of many exhibits at the show. Exhibitors talk about their interest in gardens and Alan points out exhibits that have attracted him in terms of design, purpose and plants. He gives many useful tips on growing the plants. We see the preparations, the judges at work, celebrities at the show before it is open to the public and the public viewing the exhibits. The commentary by Alan is enthusiastic and well informed. He gets quickly to the heart of the matter in his interviews with a great variety of designers, nurserymen and gardeners and captures their excitement and inspirations. Many aspects of gardening are considered; there is a feast of ideas for gardens of all sizes, purposes and settings from small back yard or courtyard gardens to a most unusual garden reflecting medical aspects of the human heart exhibited by St. Bartholomew's hospital and a beautiful vegetable garden produced jointly by an English company and a French chateau owner. Plants and garden designs from around the world are shown as well as a vast number from Britain. There is a wealth of visually stunning material for the camera to focus on but a few too many panned shots. I thoroughly enjoyed the video and not having been to the show feel I have a good idea of the site, the content and the atmosphere of this English tradition. It inspires me both to want to visit the show myself and to think carefully about what I could do with my patch of privet and grass. Sadly we are not treated to viewing the years winning entries. I would thoroughly recommend this video to anyone interested or involved in plants and garden design.
|
