The Chelsea Flower show and The Gore

So The Chelsea Flower Show....

There were Roses

Miniature fields of lavender

Irises

Irises

and deepest purple Irises

This was an innovative way of re-cycling old plastic bottles

But this was my favourite garden

Silver birch underplanted with white Astrantia, Foxgloves Soloman's seal, 

Ferns, Heuchara, bleeding hearts

Simple and so, so fresh and beautiful.

Reminded me of this painting

The Goose girl by Stanley Royle previously attributed to Lavery

and of course of the ultimate white garden

Sissinghurst
Created by Vita Sackville-West

After a long day discussing all things horticultural we retired to 

The Gore

This was the Headboard of our bed 

The stay at The Gore was a gift from dear friends as I mentioned, 

and it was so generous and kind.

I debated for a long time as to how to write this post not wanting to seem ungrateful

and I had decided when I started HelenJamesDesign to blog about things I loved 

and not too write about things that I didn't....... but in the spirit of transparency 

unfortunately The Gore was disappointing.

The service was terrible, the food was not great, the room was unremarkable

(apart from the headboard)

but it didn't spoil our fun.

Next post is about EGG the inspirational store in Knightsbridge 

owned by Maureen Doherty

EGG was the second highlight of the trip.

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Chelsea Flower Show and The Gore Hotel

Truly friends are a wonderous thing

The Daily Telegraph garden winner of this years Best in Show

Today I am off to London to attend

The Chelsea Flower Show

This has been a dream of mine for so long

On Dec 25th I opened an envelope from a dearest friend......

So Today we both fly off to London to look at all that is new and wonderful in the world

of horticulture.

images from The Gore Hotel website

and if that wasn't enough..........

my gang of ladies who keep me sane here in the depths of middle Ireland 

pooled together to buy us a night in 

The Gore Hotel

The first time I set foot in this place I vowed I would one day

Lie my silken locks upon their feather pillows for a night.

I was in London for a designer Showcase in the 

Irish Embassy and was tagging along with the girls from 

Tatler Magazine who were staying there. 

Then Lisa from A Bloomsbury life 

did a post which included her stay here and how she loved it

I was further compelled 

So Now this weekend I get not 1 but 2 of my wishes!!!

Then Sunday I am off to NYC again for a month!

And to think in April I was wondering what to do with myself!

 

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