Friday Flowers

Chelsea Day 1

My visits began on Sunday morning, the last of the build up days. The final tweaks were being done on the big gardens, more serious work on some of the floral displays. Vans were everywhere, trolleys full of plants, diggers, men in hi-vis jackets (actually everyone in hi-vis jackets) and amongst all the chaos television crews and photographers vying to get their first shots of the show. And a lone artist capturing the scene on canvas.

I just stood back and drank in the scene.

Chelsea Day 2

Monday started at 4.30am, up, dressed and a 35 minute drive into London on suprisingly busy roads.
And then the privilege of seeing Chelsea Flower Show in the early morning light, hearing the birds sing and feeling a sense of urgency and purpose knowing that in a few hours time the place would be crowded with celebrities and the press.
Where to go? What to photograph? If you were expecting big views of the show gardens I'm sorry to disappoint, I'm used to being indoors photographing carefully arranged scenes.......this was all "too big" if you know what I mean?
Instead I decided to search out small details, still lifes that I could capture whilst growing in confidence and getting to know my camera. So I went to the side stall selling decorative items for garden and home and found little treasures to photograph and lost several hours just wandering around taking pictures of anything that caught my eye.

And then I found my Shangri-La, tucked away from the show gardens in a shady tree edged setting, where I could have lived happily given a bed and my own private bathroom! With coffee and cake stall just a step away, somewhere to eat lunch and enjoy the scene.......pure heaven. More next week on my favourite corner.

Before I go, there were Union Jacks and Jubilee themes everywhere, so here are a few pictures to put you in the mood for this weekend's celebrations. I couldn't resist the car! I had exactly this model as my very first car, it was old when I had it, but I loved it and wish I still had it today.

Have a wonderful weekend.
Georgie