Starr of the show

USUALLY when you have a hobby you get to meet a handful of like-minded people in often weird and out-of-the-way places. Sometimes that hobby is one that you may not particularly like the world to know about. When I mention the fact that I am a member of a morris dancing team, I know that people smirk, stifle giggles and then throw out a torrent of snide comments about it. I donft mind, as we have fun, get some exercise and have a good social time. To boot, we are upholding a time-honoured British tradition.

When I mention to anyone that I garden, the reaction is completely different.

It seems to invite tipped caps of respect, perhaps for the associations of artful nurturing of nature, or the understanding of long Latin names, or maybe for the secret connection of fingertips and soil. The membership of the gardening club is definitely bigger than many other hobby groups and is one that continues to grow. It is being taken up by all ages, transcends all race and gender barriers and caters for all abilities. For the most part there is no wrong or right. The outcome is largely a subjective one, depending on the person who dreamed of it, created it, uses it and tends to it.

There is no bigger stage for meeting members of this club than the Chelsea Flower Show. This week I had the privilege of being allocated a ticket to cover the show on Press day. This is the day when you can actually get to walk around without being part of a sardinepacked, frocked and hatted crowd, where you can get right up to the gardens and peer into them at leisure, where you can go up to the designer, the sponsor and the endorsing celebrity and chat to them about their project.

So as to make the most of the day we (myself, John, another BBC Tees presenter, and two assistants, Sarah and Susan) went down to London the night before. We stayed in a big, posh hotel near Victoria Station. My window looked directly onto the roof and Johnfs was close enough to hear the announcement of every approaching train.

London was buzzing, all day and all night. It was exciting, but I did miss the peace and quiet of my little bungalow.

The following morning, one filled with blue skies, we set off with our back packs and walked the mile and a half down to the show. After 20 minutes of skyscrapers and double-decker buses, the claustrophobia lifted and the oasis of the Chelsea Pensionersf grounds provided a welcome green relief to us northern country bumpkins. Kitted out with appropriate microphones and recording equipment, we hit the show.

OBVIOUSLY, the one thing that we should have been looking at were the gardens and that is what we began by doing, but it soon became obvious that the gardens on Press day were being outshone by the celebrities that were either endorsing the gardens or those that were simply visiting the show. I soon lost my assistant. She went out hunting down the television gardeners (and proved quite successful at it, having had long chats with Rachel de Thame, Jekka McVicar and Sir Alan Titchmarsh). I bagged a few celebs myself, managing to get interviews with some of my designer icons, along with an invitation to lunch (and a guided tour of his garden) at Sir Patrick Moorefs. It was Ringo Starr, though, who stole the show, arriving at the George Harrison memorial garden in Harrisonfs red Mini Cooper, driven by Damon Hill. Apparently George was really into his gardening.

The gardens themselves were stunning.

Much of last yearfs hard landscaping, fountains and abstract structures had been replaced by much softer architecture, calming planting and still, or just bubbling, ponds. Green was definitely the colour of the week, with country cottage plants such as astrantias, geums, aquilegia, verbascums and peonies popping up everywhere. There were rainwater harvesting systems in many gardens, indicating a big shift towards environmental sustainability, even at this level. Vegetables were popular, both in the main show gardens and in the indoor marquees, reflecting the trend (and perhaps the economical need) of home-grown produce.

We slipped out of the ground, footsore and weary, but exhilerated and bursting with ideas, just before the royals arrived.

We managed to hop on the fast train back up North and slept all the way, dreaming happy scenes of rippled water features, large green leaves and pretty pastel flowers.

Membership of the gardening club is definitely not something to be embarrassed or coy about. It is one filled with people from all walks of life, from worldrenowned celebrities to the humble schoolchild, and is one that brings with it rewards of beauty, fragrance, peace and unity.

Brigid presents the BBC Tees Gardening show every Sunday from 1-2pm. Questions can be answered on the day by emailing brigidpress@bbc.co.uk anytime during the week, or texting 07786- 200995 and phoning 01642-225511 during the show. Written queries can be addressed to Brigid at East Durham & Houghall College, Houghall, Durham, DH1 3SG

JOBS THIS WEEK

Keep a close eye out for perennial weeds in the borders. Pull them out or cut them down as soon as they begin to show. By keeping on top of them they stop being a problem and eventually weaken and die off.

* Clip back any climbers on house or garage walls that have grown into the gutters, window frames or roof eves.

Be careful not to disturb any nesting birds in the vicinity though.

* Hang pheromone traps in apple trees in order to tempt and catch codling moths, and preventing their grubs from damaging your fruit.