My Garden

Well, as I pointed out in my last blog, I had to come down to the show again today to get some pics and coverage of the last floral arrangement and florist of the year sections. When the alarm went off at 3am it was a bit of a shock to the system - it was an even bigger shock when it went off 5 minutes later and I got a dig in the ribs from my girlfriend! She not happy!!

Anyhow, I got to the showground before 7am and got all the pictures needed before the doors opened to the public. Once the showground starts to fill up it's impossible to get good images - without having grinning faces in the background

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So, my first stint in the Press Office at Chelsea 2009 is over - I've rolled up my sleeping bag and made my way back home. This morning the web team is finishing off the live coverage working on the video and slideshow of pictures in the Great Pavilion.

We're all working at half speed, just staring at our computer screens as our brains have turned to mush after the long-haul slog that is live coverage of an RHS flower show

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When you're having fun. We were so rushed yesterday I didn't manage to get time to put up a blog!

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... that, as usual, before the show opens to the public it's a sea of fluorescent yellow and orange - from the hi-vis vests that health & safety demand.

Once your eyes acclimatise to this shocking colour clash, you realise that it's business as usual at the world's greatest flower show. Despite the 'credit crunch', there are some fantastic displays - both gardens outside and nurseries within the Great Pavilion

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I've arrived. I'm well and truly encamped in the Press Tent at the showground. I've set up my computer and sleeping bag (well, not really, but it's an idea!) and I can now wander out into the heart of the show and see what delights this year's Chelsea has to offer.

It all looks very exciting on paper, with a new layout and several new features. These will, I'm sure, improve the visitor experience and even those people who think the show has got a bit repetitive over recent years will be pleasantly surprised

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Having spent the last gawd knows how many weeks creating and uploading the pre-show content for Chelsea Flower Show, it's now all in place. And even better than that - I'm off the show tomorrow.

I'll be camping at the showground and in the Press Tent for the next four days - well not literally, but I'm sure it will feel like it. On Sunday I'll be joined by Michelle the Assistant Web Editor, Jean Vernon who will be blogging on news stories and having chats with stars and exhibitors, Graham Rice blogging on the new plants, a possee of photographers - Martin Mulchinock, Tim Sandall & Neil Hepworth, our friends from spin360 who are doing the panoramic tours of the show and countless people from twofour who compile our online video clips as well as producing the souvenir DVD

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I think that's it, I think I'm finished - both the live show coverage and physically! I've been on the showground since six o'clock this morning finishing putting up the awards details and mopping up the last pictures we need. I've been putting them up live on the website and now I think everything is complete.

This means I can now go home

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Press Day at Chelsea has been a great success - both for the show itself and the RHS Online team.

All the displays look fantastic and, all in all, this year's show is going to delight, and possibly surprise, all the visitors. I know there have been some comments on the forum that many of the gardens have a green theme (the colour green that is, but many also have a green 'eco' theme) and are lacking colour, but I think it's a refreshing change. After all, green is a colour too and the green and white shades provide a really peaceful and restful feel to the show

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Well, here we are at Press Day at Chelsea - also unofficially known as celebs day, since a lot of TV, film, radio and other celebrities also come for a good look around. And, of course, the queen will be arriving later this afternoon.

It's a beautiful day and the show ground is looking fantastic - as are the gardens, floral displays in the Great Pavilion and everything else at the show

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The excitement is mounting. I'm in the Press Tent on the showground, just checking that my computer works and I have everything set up to start producing the live coverage of the show.

And it's all go here at the moment. The show is taking shape nicely and there are some cracking gardens. Despite the rain over the past few days, most of the gardens look well advanced and, unlike this time last year, there doesn't seem to be an overall air of panic. Last year the weather leading up to the show was horrendous and many of the gardens looked like they would never be finished! But it takes more than several inches of rain to put off the hardy show exhibitors and, of course, everyone finished their displays in time for judging

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As Web Editor for RHS Online one of the best bits of my job is going to Chelsea - and the other RHS shows - especially being able to look around before the show opens and see how things are progressing.

It's not a big 'jolly' though by any figment of the imagination - long days, early starts, late nights and lots of running around like a loon with my camera and notepad

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