chelsea flower show

what sort of visit do you recommand concerning the 2012 chelsea flower show ? is it better to buy the very expensive 08.00 a.m to 08.00 p.m ticket, or a 3.30 p.m to 08.00 p.m ticket is it sufficiant ?
i've never been there, so advices and opinions are welcome.
sorry, my english is limited.

 

I went on a cheap ticket (more like less expensive ticket) and the crowd was immense. Whether it would have been the same on an expensive ticket i don't know...
ps wheather wise i find it ideal if the weather is not sunny but not cold.

 

Ive been a few times and found its best to get there as early as you can not so many people then by mid day you cant move

 

just get one of those flourescent yellow safety jackets with the word 'SECURITY' printed on the back and wear safety boots ... helps to have a fake toy walkie talkie aswell and pretend to speak as you walk through the gates

you just walk through and go anywhere .... works for wimbledon and rock concerts aswell

:WINK1:

 

Go to the marquees early, by the afternoon after thousands of people have walked through it can be very dusty (unless we've had a monsoon!).
I know from experience of standing in there for ten hours or more. The plants and flowers look fresher too.

 

'Fraid not dim. As a several times exhibitor I can tell you that the security gets tighter and tighter. Last time, in 2010, when I went to help with a garden, I had to wear a wrist band that was so tight it could only be removed with scissors. Without it there was no way I could get past the security guards. I'm afraid you'll have to buy a ticket.

Unless, like me, you're lucky enough to help with another exhibit. As I'm not exhibiting this year I'm hoping to work on the garden of a fellow designer. In this way I'll see the garden, without the crowds.

 

brilliant. fantastic. fortunately, i'm the owner of one of those pretty yellow safety jackets, i'll only have to embroide the word 'security' on the back.
do you think i should wax my safety shoes ? furthermore, i have a mobile vhf for sailing, which might be used as a walkie talkie.
i wonder if i could make use of the same cunning to get into the royal academy of arts, to see david hockney exhibition, as all the tickets are sold out.
the problem is i'm afraid my french accent betraying me as i'll be speaking in the vhf/walkie talkie, walking through the doors...

"down, down, down. would the fall never come to an end ?"

 

I spent all day on our exhibit in the Great Marquee and never got a chance to look around the rest of the show.
I have been told Hampton Court is nearly as good.

 

or how about one of these?

 

()

 

Pah! For several years now the number of people allowed through the turnstiles has been limited, and (compared to the old days) I no longer have a problem with the size of the crowds and the people with Harrod's-sale-sharpened elbows jostling for position.

If you want to dawdle then yes you will probably get frustrated, but I don't dawdle. I don't think I would get more enjoyment, or "worth", by ogling the show gardens for half and hour each ...

We always get afternoon tickets and race round in a few hours. As early evening beckons the Hooray Heston's head off to the Champagne tents and free up some ogling space.

Yes, Hampton Court, or one of the other shows in the Provinces, is probably a much more relaxed outing, but Chelsea is a phenomena and you should do it at least once in your life.

You should also:

See Saturn's rings through a decent amateur telescope
See a total eclipse
See the Northern Lights
Go to the Olympics / mega concert / mega sporting event
Skydive / Bungee jump / something outside your comfort zone
Start a new hobby each year or two ...
Bury a time capsule under the floor in your house your
Visit East Ruston Old Vicarage garden
Come and help me dig my vegetable patch ...