TWO weeks ago I was privileged to be invited to a press preview down in London of some of the gardens which will be on display at this year's Chelsea Flower Show.

This took place in the Royal Horticultural Society Conference buildings, and was attended by writers, television crews, designers and fellow gardeners.

This year will be the 200th year that the show has been running, and its popularity has risen to epidemic proportions.

As well as the usual large stands (for which there have been over 250 applications), there will be a bicentenary display with plant collections and newly bred, never seen before varieties.

In order to accommodate this they have had to put in an extra roadway, and are trying to encourage more people to spend time in the marquee exhibition areas.

So, what are going to be the main talking points this year? One of the most fluid gardens that I have seen for a long time has been designed by the husband and wife team of Eric Maeiyer and Jane Hudson.

They are doing a garden sponsored by Cancer Research UK, called the Life garden. The feeling of the garden is one of celebrating life with gentle but energetic and organic movements.

They want to stimulate the senses with vibrancy, water, light, reflections and textures. The water feature consists of an arching polished steel tube which pumps the water into a bowl.

The waterfall is lit up by fibre optic lights within the spout, and this dances and is reflected within the large bowl. Planting uses characters from the hot border, such as red and yellow hemerocalis, Icelandic poppies, yellow achillea and burgundy astrantia.

A swirling pebble mosaic pathway is being created by a local artist, giving viewers a chance to actually tread on a genuine piece of art.

A curved stone bench comes from Portugal and a lobed canopy is being made using never-tried-before technology.

All in all, it comes over as a very restful but stimulating garden. One of the main sponsors of the Chelsea Flower Show is Merrill Lynch Investments.

They are entering a garden designed by Dan Pearson (who used to appear regularly on BBC Gardeners' World and has had his own series, but now sticks mostly to writing and consultation work).

He last displayed at Chelsea in 1996, and has been persuaded to come out of retirement. He has looked to the landscape for inspiration for his garden, and in particular the changing forms and patterns caused by the movement of the sun.

His is a 'two-perspective' design. A large expanse of grass is mounded so that from one end, it just looks like a lumpy lawn, but from another angle the lumps will appear as brick walls built into the greenery.

He is celebrating greenery and spring, which is accentuated by a mirror-like circular pond that is filled with a black dye. This may be different to most of the other gardens in its clean lines and simplicity, but it is certainly clever and thought-provoking.

The third garden that caught my eye is that sponsored by the Salvation Army. It is titled 'from darkness to light' and has been designed by Julian Dowle.

This is Julian's 25th and final flower show. This year he is using the ethos of the Salvation Army, that of helping someone climb out from out of the depths of despair (darkness) into a happier and safer place (light). The front half of the garden is planted up with deep purples, reds and blacks.

He has imported a statue carved from black totora wood from New Zealand. It represents 'nurture', and marks the start of the steps that lead to a 'cleansing' water feature.

The garden beyond this is made up of gold, green, silver and white plants. Most uniquely though, Julian has managed to persuade the 'powers that be' to allow a live band to play twice a day on the bandstand that he has created in the light side of the garden.

This is a garden of statement and representation, of contrast and transition.

I, for one, am looking forward with great enthusiasm to this year's flower show. I am sure that there will some unique and some almost controversial designs put forward. It is impossible to guess who will emerge as the show champion.

The only certainty is that the winners will be every garden enthusiast who makes the trip down to Chelsea.

JOBS THIS WEEK

* Lift rhubarb for forcing

Cover the roots of a clump of rhubarb with a box, bucket or specialist forcing jar. This encourages the shoots to develop at a quicker rate, and with a softer, sweeter taste than the naturally grown stems.

* Check outdoor pots for water logging

Make sure that the pots are raised off the ground so that any excess water can drain through. You can buy special 'feet' for this or alternatively stand them up on bricks or flat stones.

* Harvest parsnips

The cold snap will have improved the sweetness in parsnip roots. Lift them up carefully with a fork and store in a cool shed or garage in boxes full of sand.

POSTSCRIPT

Brigid presents 'Ask about Gardening' every Sunday from 12-2pm on BBC Radio Cleveland 95FM.

Published: 07/02/2004