Britain bursts into bloom as Zara Phillips joins Joanna Lumley and Jamie Oliver at Chelsea Flower Show
- Zara Phillips cut 100th birthday cake before sitting astride a John Deere lawnmower
- Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Camilla, Prince Andrew and Princess Beatrice set to visit later
- Prince Harry will also attend and will show Queen around Sentebale charity 'Diana Garden' he helped design
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Zara Phillips was the first of the royals to arrive today for a sneak preview of the Chelsea Flower Show today ahead of tomorrow's grand opening.
The young royal had a look at the world famous show which other members of the royal family - including the Queen - are expected to view this week.
As the event celebrates its centenary this year, Zara, wearing white jeans, a black jacket and heeled ankle boots, was happy to cut a cake to mark the occasion.
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Getting the party started: Zara Phillips cuts the cake as the Chelsea Flower show celebrates its 100th birthday
More birthdays: Zara Philips sits on a lawnmower to celebrate 50 years of John Deere, and right, beauty: A Papaver commutatum Ladybird plant
Right at home: The outdoorsy Royal looked at ease atop the mower
Pampas yourself: A women wearing a dress of fresh flowers designed by Zita Elze poses for photographers in the M&A Centenary Garden
Gnome fever takes over: With the 100 year rule banning so-called 'mythical characters' relaxed for the first time, numerous figurines cropped up around the exhibition area
A-list gnomes: Garden gnomes, one of which, wearing glasses, was designed by British musician Elton John
Unusual: Contortionist performance lizards at the Trailfinders Australian Garden presented by Fleming's
In the pink: Joanna Lumley celebrates 100 years of the famous flower show as she attends today's sneak preview
Blooming gorgeous: The actress, dressed in a vivid pink outfit, inspected some of the beautiful blooms that had managed to grow despite the cold weather of late
The other Royal visitor: Dame Helen Mirren, currently starring as the Queen in a West End play, took in the gardens today
Where's the cycle track? Victoria Pendleton in the Australia garden entitled After The Fire
Great Chelsea bake off: Jamie Oliver is one of the celebs at the show today and gave a demonstration in how to use an outdoor oven
Horsing around: Maureen Lipman at a colourful rocking horse stand, left, and right, does it pass the Dragon's test? Deborah Meaden inspects a watering gadget
Walking on the wild side: Jerry Hall looking glamorous in leopard print pumps, left, and right, getting into the spirit: Model David Gandy channels rural chic in waxed jacket
True blues: Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and wife Jackie, left, and right, esteemed guests: Ben Fogle with wife Marina
English roses: Kirstie Allsopp, left, and Emilia Fox wearing a dress from Luisa Beccarias's SS13 collection at the show
There rain or shine: Former Beatle Ringo Starr, left, was on hand to open the WaterAid garden while comedian Rob Brydon was prepared for wet weather with his umbrella
Smile: Singer Lily Cooper posed for a picture she she browsed the show in a casual denim dress and cat face ballet pumps
Inspiration: Lily was delighted to see a flower named after her
Time for tea: Mary Berry joins Lynda Bellingham, left, and Ruth Langsford at the Homebase 'Sowing the seeds of Change' garden, in support of Alzheimer's Society
Blossoming: The 'Sowing the seeds of Change' show-garden was created by gardener Adam Frost
Prince Harry popped into the show before it opened last week to see how a garden close to his heart was growing. He is set to return this week to show his grandmother, patron of show organisers the Royal Horticultural Society, around the B&Q Sentebale Forget-me-not garden that has been created by his charity.
The show garden was created by renowned landscape gardener Jinny Blom for Sentebale, which helps vulnerable children in Lesotho. She said Harry had been 'passionately' involved in the design process - even having preliminary drawings sent to him for approval while he was serving in Afghanistan.
The garden is intended to represent the mountainous landscape of Lesotho as well as its people and is also a tribute to Prince Harry's late mother Princess Diana..
The Chelsea Flower Show will open to the public tomorrow and run for five days. A number of celebrities made the most of the opportunity to have a sneak preview today with those attending including Joanna Lumley, Helen Mirren and Ringo Starr.
Spring wardrobes: Esther Rantzen, left, and Katie Melua kept to the floral theme with their choice of clothing
Work of art: Lucy Ellis wears a flower hat and seeded dress inspired by the artworks of Van Gogh
To mark the centenary, many gardens draw inspiration from shows of yesteryear - with others looking firmly to the future, including one that reacts to messages sent on Twitter.
The landmark year has also led to the lifting of the usual ban on ornamental gnomes - ordinarily, the Chelsea Flower Show has a strict ban on gnomes 'and other brightly-coloured mythical creatures'.
More than 500 exhibitors spent the weekend putting the finishing touches to the 15 show gardens, 19 smaller gardens and 150 exhibits that make up the 2013 show.
The annual show has taken place almost every year since 1913 when the Great Spring Show took place at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea.
The annual show has taken place almost every year since 1913 when the Great Spring Show took place at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea.
The first show was staged in a single tent and included 244 exhibitors, less than half of today’s numbers. It cost the Royal Horticultural Society £3,365 to stage and made a profit of £88.
However, TV presenter and gardener Alan Titchmarsh has issued a stark warning that the Chelsea Flower Show as people currently know it would cease to exist if more young people did not take up careers in horticulture.
Recent research suggested many young people thought a career in horticulture was only for those who failed academically and that it was an unskilled profession.
He said the industry was 'rotten' at PR and that the centenary of the flower show was a chance to demonstrate that those who were involved in horticulture were not thick, dull, unadventurous or incapable of doing anything else.
He said: 'We have the best jobs in the world - growing plants, designing gardens, managing open spaces, feeding the population, looking after historic trees and famous gardens, conducting scientific research into plant breeding, pests and diseases, collecting plants in far-flung parts of the globe, writing and broadcasting about our passion - the list goes on, 60 different areas at least, by my reckoning.
'And yet our role is undervalued by Government, by the population and by young people in particular - in every instance because they just do not understand the breadth of what we do and its importance in terms of the wellbeing of the planet and its population.'
VIDEO Sneak peak. Spectacular exhibits at the Chelsea Flower Show in honour of 100th anniversary
What a show: A stunning display of Chrysanthemums at Chelsea today
The show was held during the first two years of the First World War, but was cancelled in 1917 and 1918.
It was back in full swing by the Roaring 20s, and now came complete with Chelsea tea parties and a resumption of Royal visits, although in 1926 it had to be held a week late because of the General Strike.
In 1937, to mark the coronation year of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, an empire exhibition was held featuring pines from Canada, wattles from Australia, gladioli from East Africa and a prickly pear from Palestine.
The show was cancelled again during the Second World War as the land was needed for an anti-aircraft site, and there was doubt as to whether the show would resume in 1947 in the face of low plant stocks, depleted staff and scarcity of the fuel needed for greenhouses.
Divine: A themed garden exhibit on display complete with a floral Buddhist temple
Northern soul: The Yorkshire Garden or 'Le Jardin de Yorkshire' as it has been titled at the show
But then Royal Horticultural Society president Lord Aberconway was keen for the show to resume as soon as possible and it did go ahead in 1947.
Most members of the Royal Family attended the 1953 show that reflected the celebratory mood of the country as a result of the coronation of the Queen. She was unable to attend herself as a result of a heavy schedule of commitments.
Most members of the Royal Family attended the 1953 show that reflected the celebratory mood of the country as a result of the coronation of the Queen. She was unable to attend herself as a result of a heavy schedule of commitments.
In 2002, Prince Charles designed a garden at the show with Jinny Blom, who this year has designed the B&Q Sentebale garden which supports Prince Harry’s charity.
The show has highlighted changing fashions in horticulture over the last century, from the interest in Japanese and topiary gardens in the early years of the show, through the craze for rock gardens in the war years to the paved back yards and cottage gardens of the 1980s.
More recently it has reflected the enthusiasm for contemporary sculptural gardens.
More recently it has reflected the enthusiasm for contemporary sculptural gardens.
In one of the more unusual gardens the show has seen, James May, the Top Gear presenter, created a plasticine show garden in 2009 which contained only plasticine flowers. He was presented with a special Plasticine Gold Medal.
RHS president Sue Biggs has promised this year is a show for people who love plants, and the centenary is being marked by the selection of a top bloom from each decade in the last century, with the public being asked to judge which is their favourite.
Moment of reckoning: Judges gather in Prince Harry's B&Q Sentebale Forget-me-not Garden, designed by Jinny Blom, today. The garden, she says, is inspired by the charity Sentebale, which means Forget-Me-Not in Sesotho, the language spoken in Lesotho, Africa and designed to educate people about Lesotho's Forgotten Kingdom to express not only the beauty and rich culture, but also the inaccessibility and fragility of the country and its people
Colourful: Lilies of all hues create an impressive show
Bold: Purple blooms, left, and a modern display, right
Pop art: Floral exhibits displayed on sticks like lollipops
Spring colour: Pretty daffodils, left, and lovely lilies
Desert flower: Cacti viewed from above at the Southfield Nursery stand
Pretty in pinks: A close-up of one of the millions of blooms at the show, left, and right, spectacular: Britain's rarest orchid, the Lady's Slipper
Magnificent: Lupins in lilac, peach and deep orangey red in one of the stunning borders display
A splash of red: A Chelsea Pensioner walks around the stands
Purple patch: Visitors will be able to walk under this floral archway
Gnome allowed: After the RHS lifted a ban on the use of the figurines, this one makes an appearance
Getting ready: Presenter Nicki Chapman prepares to broadcast from the event for the BBC
Stunning: Rebecca Louise Law makes some adjustments to her floral artwork during last minute preparations
Holed up: Carrie Burgess in the See Ability garden
Metalwork: Colourful wheelbarrows all in a row create an unusual display
That's acer! A bonsai Japanese Maple dating back to 1955
Last minute tweaks: A calla lily display being finalised ahead of tomorrow's big reveal
Oriental influence: British artist Marc Quinn poses with his sculpture of an orchid
Show-stopper: A contortionist dressed as a lizard makes an unusual spectacle at the Trailfinders Australian garden
Room with a view: The Trailfinders display features a waratah flower studio, right, which visitors can climb into
Block out the hustle and bustle: Viking River Cruises are offering sound-cancelling headphones to help create a serene space in which visitors can relax
Pots of plenty: Visitors will be able to buy flowers to decorate their own gardens - like these Auricula plants
Peekaboo! Visitor Sue Brown checks out a trailing display... before going onto inspect the chrysanthemums
GNOMES ALLOWED INTO CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW FOR FIRST TIME AS BAN IS LIFTED TO RAISE MONEY FOR CHARITY
The 100 year old Chelsea Flower Show rule book states that no 'mythical figures' are allowed in the show's display gardens.
The official line is that props distract from the flowers themselves. But it is popularly suspected that there has long been a sort of gnome snobbery among the show's organisers. This year however, the ban on gnomes has been lifted. A number of celebrities and well known names have designed their own gnomes to go on display at this year's 100th anniversary exhibition.
There's an Elton John gnome, a Kate and Wills gnome among others. The gnomes will be auctioned off on eBay to raise money for No place like gnome: Garden gnomes, one of which designed by British musician Elton John (centre, with glasses) on show today to raise money for the RHS Campaign for School Gardening, a charity hoping to bring more opportunities for schoolchildren to learn about - and try their hand at - gardening.
No place like gnome: Garden gnomes, one of which designed by British musician Elton John (centre, with glasses) went on show for the first time at Chelsea today to raise money for the RHS Campaign for School Gardening
Royal tribute: Television gardener David Domoney with gnomes based on Prince William and a pregnant Kate
Secret garden: More mythical creatures - here incorporated into a water feature
Ready for their close up: Photographers clamour to get a shot of the tiny gnomes
Trying to sneak in? Perhaps this gnome hidden in a pot hadn't got the memo about the RHS allowing them in this year's show
COLD WEATHER HAMPERS BLOOMS AS GARDENERS SUGGEST SHOW SHOULD TAKE PLACE LATER IN YEAR
Braving the chill: Flowers have been late to bloom, Chelsea gardeners said, adding that perhaps the event is too early in the year
Like gardeners across the country, exhibitors at the Chelsea Flower Show have had to contend with the late spring - but it means there will be some unusual blooms on display this week.
Soil temperatures that have been around 2C colder than on average and air temperatures also slightly below normal have forced nurseries to switch their displays to deal with conditions that have delayed flowers, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) said.
Ruth Willmott, who with Frederic Whyte designed the “9 Billion Conversation” garden for charity Business in the Community focusing on sustainability with a growing population, said: “It’s been challenging on the flower front. Everything is about four weeks behind. Everyone is struggling.”
But the conditions have been an opportunity to showcase plants which are not normally in flower at this time of year. Old fashioned grandiflora sweet peas, spring flowers such as deadnettle and bleeding hearts are all blooming for the show.
The M&G centenary garden, which marks 100 years of Chelsea, contains rhododendrons which would normally have finished flowering by now, as well as wisteria and a viburnum which are both later than usual.
And apple trees which would normally have flowered in April are still in full bloom in the Homebase “Sowing the Seeds of Change” garden.
Adam Frost, who designed the ornamental kitchen garden which provides space for a family and for wildlife, said it had been 'interesting' dealing with the weather.
“Everything was like Usain Bolt. It was waiting for a starter gun and when it went it was literally - whoosh,” he said.
But he said dealing with the weather was no different from last year’s show, and suggested the event took place at the wrong time of year.
'It’s the most famous flower show in the world and they have it when you have to deal with these conditions all the time,' he said.
Guy Barter, RHS chief horticultural adviser, said that despite the few days of warm weather in April, the spring’s late start meant gardens are about two weeks behind normal.
'Cold soil temperatures mean that seeds are slower to germinate and gardeners must delay planting out tender plants.
'This means that spring flowers have lasted a lot longer than normal, and there’s been a delay in some of the early summer colour, but with a bit of warm weather and sunshine, it won’t be long before the summer-flowering plants burst into bloom.'
However, the hoped-for sunshine may not be arriving in time for Chelsea itself, with largely unsettled weather conditions forecast for the week.
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