Chelsea Flower Show

Probably my mom's favorite part of her trip was our visit to the Chelsea Flower Show. This garden show put on by the Royal Horticultural Society is sort of like the unofficial opening of the summer season in London.

We got really lucky with the day we picked, since I had to reserve tickets online. I was a bit panicked to find out earlier in the week that most of the show was actually outside. I pictured it in a big convention center or tent. It had rained earlier that day, but our tickets were not valid until 3:30 p.m. and by that time, the rain had virtually stopped and while it certainly was not warm, it was bearable with a jacket.

Anyway, it is a paradise for amateur and professional gardeners. You can buy all sorts of glamorous garden gear, such as hot pink garden clogs with matching gloves, or steel sculptures of farm animals, or seeds to plant and see what comes up. And of course there are thousands of flowers on display - mostly inside.

Plants usually curl up and die whenever I approach, but I didn't notice any damage that day. And despite my misgivings, I enjoyed myself.

This photo was also captured by a photographer for the Independent, a London newspaper, though I do not know if it was ever published. Since he thought it was a good idea, I took one too. More photos, including my mom from the front, are posted here.