Koi carp make history at Chelsea show

Twenty-five koi carp are making history at Chelsea Flower Show by becoming the first living creatures to go on display in 140 years.

The £30,000 carp, so valuable they have their own security guard, break the tradition of flowers and plants being the centrepiece of every display. They are the focus of World of Koi, part Japanese water garden, part English rock garden.

Garden creator Stephen Hickling of Bromley, who designs, constructs and maintains koi carp ponds, said: "I'm very pleased with it, it looks just the way I wanted it to. I can't wait for the Queen to see it."

The garden is one of 61 - beating last year's record 40 entries - to be viewed by the Queen and Prince Charles at a special gala tonight.

The largest fish in the 5,000 gallon pond is an orange and white specimen, 36 inches long. Mr Hickling has employed a security guard. He said: "People told me to get my own security because the people already here could not watch the koi all the time. It's very reassuring to have my own guard."

TV chef Jamie Oliver, his wife Jools and their baby daughter Poppy Honey have already been spotted strolling through the floral pavilions.

Guests invited to the £250-a-head charity gala include Sir Michael Caine, Dame Judi Dench, Danni Minogue, Delia Smith, Jenny Agutter and Ben Kingsley. Prince Charles has devised the Laurent-Perrier Harpers & Queen exhibit, The Healing Garden, which comprises plants with medicinal and culinary uses. He demonstrates 125 different species of tree, shrub and plant, including wild flowers, along with a curved limestone path leading to a shelter, made of earth and containing a hand-crafted oak and stone bench.

Jinny Blom, who collaborated with him on the project, said: "I have the greatest respect for the way in which His Royal Highness champions our native landscape, our collective medicine cupboard, rather than allow it to become folklore in an increasingly urban world."

Help the Aged's Golden Garden is a tribute to the Queen's Jubilee and aims to illustrate the impact of gold in the garden. Lion head wall fountains and glittering pools complement a yellow planting scheme.

The show is open to Royal Horticultural Society members tomorrow and Wednesday and to the public on Thursday and Friday.

Buy tickets online now!
Chelsea bursts into bloom