A-Z of the Chelsea Flower Show

A is for art

One of the key themes this year is "the garden as art", but artistic, thought-provoking design that pushes boundaries and stimulates debate has been an underlying theme of the shows from the very beginning.
B is for bankers

Predictions were rife that Lloyds would spark a mutiny amongst shareholders by continuing to sponsor the event, despite their troubled financial status. But the banker's garden, designed by Sarah Eberle, is causing more eyebrow-raising at the event itself. The garden is a cheeky sideways swipe at the big players of the financial world - it is modelled on a Monopoly game and conveniently includes a jail.
C is for credit crunch

Much has been made of the budget cuts at what is usually the world's most frivolous garden party. With the average garden costing £250,000 (and several costing considerably more), several large sponsors have pulled out, citing financial difficulties. While this year's event may be slightly less spectacular than in previous years, it hasn't had any knock-on effect on the number of visitors, with tickets for all five days sold out.
D is for designers

The stars of the show. The perfectly balanced contrast between the play-it-safes and the serial controversy-courters always ensures that Chelsea pleases the crowds while remaining at the cutting edge of garden design.
E is for eating

There's something about the combination of food and flowers - though not necessarily in the same dish - that really gets the juices flowing. Whether it's a steak sandwich, a seafood platter or a champagne breakfast, Chelsea's catering crew have got it covered.
F is for (you guessed it) flowers

From the exotic to the esoteric and the pretty to the peculiar, if the Chelsea Flower Show doesn't convince you of the truly majestic power of the flower, nothing will. Have a look at this year's hottest plants in our picture gallery.
G is for the great pavillion

The grand floral displays of the great pavillion are the beating heart of the show. A highlight this year is an edible display from Pennard Plants, which celebrates 100 years of the vegetable garden.
H is for Hillier Nurseries

Company designer Andy McIndoe has claimed a record-breaking 64th gold medal this year, with his "seven ages of man" garden. The spectacle charts a person's entire journey through life, beginning with a starter garden and ending with "pushing up daisies".
I is for ingenuity

Almost from the dawn of the event, designers cottoned on to the fact that the most outlandish creations will always garner the most - if not the kindest - publicity. Those that dare to be different and push the boundaries of traditional garden design are part of what makes Chelsea special. Tom Stuart-Smith pinpoints this year's weird and wonderful trends.
J is for the joker in the pack

Over the decades, several gardens have garnered a somewhat negative reaction from critics unimpressed by a wacky concept or bizarre theme. Gardens featuring gnomes, Martians, gratuitous nudity and giant metal lollipops have proved particularly unpopular with some of Chelsea's more traditional fans.
K is for kids

The show is open to children over five and includes a wealth of activities to keep curious children educated and entertained. This year youngsters might enjoy learning how to adapt flower gardens in the Continuous Learning centre, nosing about in Laurie Chetwood and Patrick Collin's gold medal-winning perfume garden or playing in the plasticine paradise, which has been awarded its own special medal.
L is for landscape

Months of hard toil and preparation go into every individual Chelsea plot, and sculpting the landscape to perfection is crucial in achieving a gold-standard garden. Chelsea's most famous landscape architect is Swedish designer Ulf Nordfjell, whose speciality is combining Scandinavian sharpness with English elegance. His magnificent show garden for the Daily Telegraph has earned him his first gold.
M is for medals

Sixty gold medals were awarded for this year's event. In addition to the traditional gold, silver-gilt, silver and bronze medals, there are several other specialist categories, which include the RHS junior display trophies for talented young gardeners and the president's award, which is given to an exhibitor selected by the RHS president, Peter Buckley, as his personal favourite. View the eight section-winning designs in our picture gallery.
N is for novice

Despite the financial climate there is a glut of designers exhibiting for the first time this year. Chelsea newbies include Luciano Guibbilei, who has designed the gold-winning Laurent Perrier garden, and James Wong and David Cubero, the duo responsible for the Canary Islands Spa garden, which scooped a silver award.
O is for oasis

There is usually at least one stand-out garden each year, which has been lovingly crafted to provide a peaceful haven, such as Andy Sturgeon's garden last year. This year the Eden Project's Key Garden is taking up the challenge. Visitors who manage to navigate its spiky, arid maze will be rewarded with a calming oasis filled with freshly planted vegetables and a mass of artfully arranged flowers.
P is for plasticine

Ambitious doesn't really begin to describe Top Gear presenter James May's plan to build an entire garden from the squishy stuff. After the immense scale of his plans finally began to dawn on him, May cunningly recruited members of the public to help him complete his petrolhead's paradise.
Q is for queen

Those green-fingered royals just can't keep away from the Chelsea Flower Show. This year Her Majesty presented Prince Charles with the Victoria Medal - the horticultural society's highest honour.
R is for retail therapy

When it comes to gifts, Chelsea is home to the weird, the wonderful and the suitably whacky. With hundreds of exhibitors selling their wares at the event, even the pickiest punter will find something to suit.
S is for socialites

The prestigious event marks the start of the summer social season, with those keen to see and be seen making their annual pilgrimage. Come rain or shine, there are celebs aplenty pretending to be 'serious' gardeners, before making an undignified dash for the booze/cameras/goodie bags at the earliest opportunity. As our gallery shows, Helen Mirren, Sienna Miller and Stephen Fry are just a few of the stars who have put in an appearance this year.
T is for tantrums

Perhaps it's the pursuit of perfection that lead to personality clashes, but celebrity strops seems to be par for the course at Chelsea. Of particular note was a rather thorny plagiarism dispute beween Diarmuid Gavin and Andy Sturgeon in 2006, and Prince Phillip's public flounce-off after his pronunciation of a plant was politely called into question by a gardener in 2008.
U is for urban gardens

Urban gardens are one of the most challenging types to craft, presenting designers with a particular space or design challenge to overcome. This year the Tyndall Centre's creation focuses on the affects of high emissions on future gardens, while the Urban Rain Design demonstrates unique ways to conserve rainwater.
V is for vicious

Diarmuid Gavin's somewhat extreme description of the atmosphere at last year's show. Who'd have thought a show filled with sweet-smelling flowers and lovely-looking gardens could prove so toxic? Needless to say, Gavin is not exhibiting this year.
W is for water features

Water features are as much a permanent fixture of Chelsea as its Pimms-drinking patrons. The general rule is that too much is never enough, with gallons of H20 being showcased in all manner of weird and wonderful ways throughout the event.
X is for xanthorhiza

OK, so you might never have actually heard of it, let alone felt the urge to plant one in your garden, but it really is a beautiful flower. Honestly.
Y is for yacht

A remote-controlled one can be found in the moat of Sarah Eberle's offshore garden. The credit crunch-themed design is loaded with tongue-in-cheek humour and symbolises the importance of keeping assets away from prying eyes.
Z is for zucchini

… and other delicious vegetables available at the show. The grow-your-own brigade will out in force to promote their trade and various gardens will be offering much more than just a feast for the eyes.