Perfect hyacinths, chrysanthemums and thousands of other blooms at last week’s annual UK Chelsea Flower Show.
What do you think of such events - be they Flower Shows or Haute Couture/ London/Paris Fashion Shows? Do they set the bar impossibly high/ raise false hopes for the rest of us?
Can ordinary mortals ever attain this degree of perfection? Not just in their gardens but in their clothes, body weight, general appearance. In this age of "because you’re worth it" advertising, are we (and especially the young and impressionable) being manipulated by PR hype, the media and, don’t let’s forget, the retailers who depend on our purchasing pounds/dollars/euros.
AM I BEING TOO CYNICAL? DO LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!
(The Royal Horticultural Society flagship flower show has been held at th.jpg)
e Royal Hospital in Chelsea since 1913. This, the 87th show, originally known as the Great Spring Show was first held in Kensington in 1862.)
Happy Memorial Day and Happy Ruby Tuesday to everyone in Australia, New Zealand and the Far East where it’s already Tuesday! And do visit other Ruby Tuesday posts! (Links at Work of the Poet.)
Enjoy!
XOXO LOLA:)
43 comments:
Agree aiming at perfection's now the norm for some youngsters.Such a shame.
Too much hype,too much choice.I blame the media!
I agree, we'd be better off surrounded by less perfection. Breathtaking flowers, though :)
Women are being forced to be too thin, too perfect, too everything.Mainly by the media.
What a stunning series!
Word verification= perfekt! haha
Fantastic colours but agree too much stress these days on perfectionism. Leave it to nature!
Flowers by themselves are to be admired for their intrinsic beauty. Never in or out of fashion, flowers are simple and natural art...
It's best not to bother trying to be perfect. It would be impossible to keep it up day after day. It's like when buying something marvellous to wear. It's fine on its first outing but then, when the next day you have to put on non-new stuff, it's all so disappointing.
I have been to the CFS with my mum and it was a grand day out - although the queue for the Ladies was too long. Maybe they've installed more of them now
Kisses for Lola
Gorgeous blooms!
The place I so like to wonder around and admire each beauty. Happy Monday!
BM-Memorial day
love these images..l live in London but never managed yet to get tickets. Lovely images thoughx
I think you try to be the best youcan be and be happy with that. be yourself is what l tell my therapy clients.
Happy Ruby Tuesdayxlynda
http://chocolatelifeandjazz.blogspot.com
Gorgeous flowers
I love flowers, all kinds of them. My grandmother would always say, "There is nothing such as an ugly flower.
I agree.
If one had to work hard to get the dandelions grow, they would be priceless.
I still cherish the moments my daughter brought home uneven bouquets of dandelions and bitter grass.
Of course I would always place them in my finest vase.
I also cherish the lilacs growing outside my kitchen window.
Next week they'll spring out in full bloom.
Not because I'm worth it, but as a favor from my creator.
I think we all like to see beautiful RED things and of course beautiful "other colored" things, Lola! And they give us something to aim for! :)
Beautiful blossoms!
I love Chelsea flower show but never go even though its only an hour away. I just watch it on the box for the colour, the drama of the blooms, tampering with nature to force the plants to be at their perfection.
What a lovely mix of words and pictures! And you even give us something to think about!
I have another blog which is a sort of journal
http://jeriatricjottings.blogspot.com
those are such lovely blooms.
I am pretty good at not getting caught up in the hype and 'things.' When you have major health issues, it cuts life down to the bones of what's important and what you can let go of. I was in London during the flower show one year. Thanks for sharing the memories.
Beautiful blooms. Great captures.
Happy Ruby Tuesday.
Hi Lola and Nora,
Thank you for sharing a little of the Chelsea Flower show.
I really do not like the big burly guys guarding the jewels, you would not be able to relax here.
I think a garden has to be peaceful and I love all the pretty flowers.
I have just planted some pink hyacinths in a pot and I hope that mine will look like that.
Have a happy week
Hugs
Carolyn
Gorgoeus post, the flowers are amazing.
debby
I used to live in SA in the 90's and of course the flower shows and arrangements were always spectacular. I'm a "perfectionista"! I sometimes go overboard. Just have a look at my blog to understand LOL I dont know why I'm this way but I have learned to make peace with it! On the other hand I love to see people try and put on perfect shows of whatever. I feel they put their heart in it because they are trying to please me and so I feel flattered. Am I weird? Probably! LOL Thanks for sharing!
Anne-Marie
such beautiful flowers, they can really lift the spirits. The media has really such influence and we just let them. Too much hype makes living life really stressful, I think. why can't they just smell the flowers and enjoy.
My Ruby Tue is here.
Such gorgeous flowers!! My garden is full of green, hardly any flowers =(
Nothing is perfect. And if I were to be a celeb, I'd just be me.
Having burger in space,
Berlin =D
Hi Nora ~~ I suppose those striving for perfection get their rewards from getting as close as they can.
My poor little flower bed would be the laughing stock of the crowd there, if they even bothered to laugh. But it comes up every spring and has blooms. So?
You did pick a very nice assortment of red for the day.
Happy RT! Thank you for peeking in on my assorted blooms.
..
I love, love, love all your blooms!!! Very pretty!! I don't think you are being too cynical...just keeping it REAL!! Have a great day!!
I think that we should be able to experience perfect and beautiful things - hope and aspiration are good, aren't they? I'm sure those of us who've gone to Chelsea come home with all sorts of plans, most of which are quite impractical, but we get a lot of pleasure out of making a garden too. And if it's not as good as we'd hoped, we don't take it personally - though we might have been encouraged to spend a lot of money unnecessarily.
The body image thing and the manipulation of people into wanting more and more is another matter again. And when people fail at getting the perfect body or get into debt buying designer bags and shoes, they do take it personally.
the flowers are beautiful
yet so is a field of wild flowers
people need perspective, to listen to their own voice
not the voices of ads
Very beautiful flowers.Thanks for sharing England's rose and garden show.
However I might strive for perfection, day after day, just when I think I have everything correct, something is missed. To be human is to err. It matters that I try and might not achieve it.
Isn't it amazing that every flower is perfect just the way it is and doesn't agonize about whether other flowers are better? (I've got a Bichon, too -- is yours as spoiled?)
Come see my Ruby Tuesday post if you have a chance. It's really different from yours!
My favorite saying: Nothing is perfect.
I do think that we need something to aspire to,though. All the 'hyped perfection' is only someone's vision of perfection. Next year, someone there'll be a different image of perfection. I always thought perfection is an absolute...not so, apparently. In our world, it's relative.
these flowers are fantastic
Lovely flowers.
My Ruby Tuesday Link for you
Fashion shows -- don't know, don't care!
As for the flowers -- I do all my gardening these days by admiring other people's work (and taking pictures) , so I love the garden shows and I love your pictures of them!
lovely flowers! i agree with nothing is perfect but its not bad to aim perfection though just as long as you know how to it in case you didnt achieve it.
u may view mine here
Beautiful photos, Nora!
I don't feel pressed to match the accomplishments of folks whose lives revolve around growing perfect flowers, but rather choose to sit back and dig their results. They are, in the end, just plain beautiful!
If I can afford to come to UK, this is one place I must go. We hear about it in New Zealand
I think unless you eat, sleep and breath flowers year round.. no one's will ever be this beautiful... great flowers and we can dream, can't we??
fabulous and fun post!
Oh my gosh those flowers are just gorgeous!!! I am finally getting into gardening and now I am in awe of beautiful flowers everytime I see one. :) xoxo
Have a great day Lola and Nora!
All great shots, but that first one is stunning!
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