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| Chelsea Flower Show opens for preview | Chelsea Flower Show opens for preview |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Chelsea Flower show has opened for a preview ahead of a visit by the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh later. | |
| Celebrities and others guests invited by the Royal Horticultural Society milled around the displays in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea. | Celebrities and others guests invited by the Royal Horticultural Society milled around the displays in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea. |
| The show - celebrating its centenary year - opens to the public on Tuesday and is expecting 165,000 visitors. | The show - celebrating its centenary year - opens to the public on Tuesday and is expecting 165,000 visitors. |
| Prince Harry is also due to attend to guide the Queen around an African-themed garden created by his charity. | |
| The Forget-me-not garden designed by Jinny Blom was built to raise awareness of the work of Sentebale, which supports vulnerable children in Lesotho. | The Forget-me-not garden designed by Jinny Blom was built to raise awareness of the work of Sentebale, which supports vulnerable children in Lesotho. |
| It includes native Lesotho flowers and a contemporary pavilion based on a traditional Basotho roundhouse. | It includes native Lesotho flowers and a contemporary pavilion based on a traditional Basotho roundhouse. |
| Ms Blom said the garden is intended to represent the mountainous landscape of Lesotho as well as its people. | Ms Blom said the garden is intended to represent the mountainous landscape of Lesotho as well as its people. |
| She said Harry had been "passionately" involved in the design process and preliminary drawings were sent to him for approval while he was serving in Afghanistan. | She said Harry had been "passionately" involved in the design process and preliminary drawings were sent to him for approval while he was serving in Afghanistan. |
| Among the early visitors admiring Ms Blom's creation was the prince's cousin, Zara Phillips. | Among the early visitors admiring Ms Blom's creation was the prince's cousin, Zara Phillips. |
| Gnomes ban lifted | |
| More than 500 exhibitors spent the weekend finishing the 15 show gardens, 19 smaller gardens and 150 exhibits. | More than 500 exhibitors spent the weekend finishing the 15 show gardens, 19 smaller gardens and 150 exhibits. |
| This year's displays heavily feature native British plants and the Royal Horticultural Society said it was hoping to inspire young people to start gardening. | This year's displays heavily feature native British plants and the Royal Horticultural Society said it was hoping to inspire young people to start gardening. |
| RHS director general Sue Biggs described the show as "a plantsman's Chelsea... a Chelsea for people who love plants". | RHS director general Sue Biggs described the show as "a plantsman's Chelsea... a Chelsea for people who love plants". |
| Organisers have also temporarily lifted a ban on the inclusion of garden gnomes as part of the centenary celebrations. | Organisers have also temporarily lifted a ban on the inclusion of garden gnomes as part of the centenary celebrations. |
| More than 100 gnomes decorated by celebrities including Sir Elton John, Dame Helen Mirren, Lilly Allen, Julian Fellowes and Dolly Parton will be auctioned for the RHS Campaign for School Gardening charity. | |
| Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, Olympic gold medal winning cyclist Victoria Pendleton and actresses Emilia Fox and Joanna Lumley were also seen admiring the displays. | Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, Olympic gold medal winning cyclist Victoria Pendleton and actresses Emilia Fox and Joanna Lumley were also seen admiring the displays. |
| Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and model Jerry Hall, both regular visitors to Chelsea, were also in attendance. | Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and model Jerry Hall, both regular visitors to Chelsea, were also in attendance. |
| Former England cricketer captain Michael Vaughan visited his friend Jamie Dunstan's garden As Nature Intended. | Former England cricketer captain Michael Vaughan visited his friend Jamie Dunstan's garden As Nature Intended. |
| "This is my first Chelsea," he said. "I expected it to be big, but it's absolutely spectacular. I'm not a huge gardener but I know when I see something special." | "This is my first Chelsea," he said. "I expected it to be big, but it's absolutely spectacular. I'm not a huge gardener but I know when I see something special." |
| Meanwhile, a report on strengthening biosecurity at UK borders was unveiled at the show by a task force convened by Environment Secretary Owen Patterson. | |
| Mr Paterson also announced that imports of sweet chestnut trees could be banned under proposals to prevent a repeat of the ash dieback crisis threatening ash trees across the country. Sweet chestnut blight is currently afflicting trees in France and other areas. |