Nocte Garden

The Queen Of The Night Tulips at night start this blog post. I was feeling very lethargic today after all my days of digging and two 13 hour work days. I did not go upto the allotment. I went shopping for plants but came back with water absorbing granules and plant food for hanging baskets. I made another five large baskets up and they are hung up now around the garden growing on before they can be collected.Thats eleven baskets I have made now..

The oasis that is my garden aided by the security light. It is when the garden grows at night. It spends the day light doing photosythesis with all the green chlorophyll. It is so calm and quiet at the back, only the breeze is blowing. Even the birds were not singing tonight.
I was inspired to take two night photos after watching the RHS Chelsea flower show programs on the BBC iPlayer. Alan Titchmarsh presented the one hour taster on Sunday night, then Nicky Chapman did a thirty minute one this afternoon. I could not watch the one they broadcast tonight.
As most of the time I am in the garden or allotment it is good that I can watch tv I would normally miss. These shows gave glimpses into beautiful large show gardens, smaller urban and courtyard gardens, and the enormous floral pavillion.
Monday is Royal day when the Royal Family and Celebrities visit before the official opening tomorrow.The judges walk about tomorrow to bestow the medals, and what all the designers hope for is a Gold medal at Chelsea. The worlds most prestigious flower show, its the 86th one!
Watching all the gardens, structures, water features, and plants you start drooling.There is so much packed into the Chelsea Hospital grounds. Alan Titchmarsh was singing lyrical that the third week of May is about Chelsea.The celebs said they looked forward every year to visiting the show.
My garden is between seasons at the moment.The brightest colours are the fading Red Tulips, the sumptuous Queen Of The Night Tulips, and two flowering Brooms.with flowers of white and copper orange.The Daffodils and Anemones have faded.
Dutch Iris, Gladiolus, Freesias, and Roses are just a few of many summer stars that are growing on now. The gardens energy exploded in spring but is slightly dampened at the moment. As though it had to take a deep breath before another explosion of colour!
The greens are glowing in the light days, more so when it is sunny.The structure of the garden is green at the moment, but contrasting in forms, textures and shapes.The temporary hanging baskets add another layer of planting. I must have been dreaming about a tropical garden, full of lush green growth and bright coloured flowers.
Chelsea inspires I think, makes us want to grow bigger, more beautiful plants. All the energy and passion of the growers, designers, and the public focus on Chelsea. I must go one day to see it in person.The British hunger for plants and flowers and all things garden shows no sign of abating.The main show programs are on BBC1 so it has become attractive to a wide stream audience.
I think a tip for a Gold medal will be the Marshalls Childrens garden, designed by school children and very fun looking with secret hiding places and tunnels from one side of the garden to the other. Everything the children wrote down they took into account..