RHS Chelsea Flower Show Season 2011: Episode Guide & Ratings

Alan Titchmarsh and Joe Swift take a first peek at the Royal Horticultural Society's Chelsea Flower Show 2011 in this exclusive preview of the event. With show opening only hours away, they are joined by Andy Sturgeon, Nicki Chapman and Christine Walkden to see what horticulture's finest are exhibiting this year. Plus they reveal the behind-the-scenes preparation that designers, landscapers and nursery folk do in order to exhibit at the most prestigious event in the gardening calendar.

It is the start of the 89th Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show, and presenters Nicki Chapman and Andy Sturgeon kick off the week with a look at some of the show-stopping exhibits delighting the celebrity crowds this year. From high-rise vegetable towers to fantasy floating gardens, and even the promise of a baby gorilla, this year's event has some sensational surprises.

There is more than just a nod to the arts as Alan Titchmarsh and Joe Swift look at the Chelsea exhibitors who have been inspired by some of Britain's greatest writers and artists. Barbara Hepworth, Dylan Thomas, Turner and David Hockney are just some of the figures represented at the show. Gardening writer and presenter Christine Walkden joins the team to look at one of the nation's favourite flowers, the rose.

Alan Titchmarsh and Joe Swift launch a week of Chelsea celebrations with a look at the designers paying tribute to the lyrical landscapes of the world. As the Royal Hospital opens its gates to this year's celebrity visitors, the show team traces the gardens inspired by a host of different areas of the world, from the countryside of Japan's Nagasaki to the Welsh estuary. There's news and views on the show from this year's famous faces and a report on the Queen's customary visit to the flower show.

It is medals day at the Royal Horticultural Society's 89th Chelsea Flower Show. Nicki Chapman is up at dawn to discover who has won what as the medals are handed out. Andy Sturgeon is joined by Toby Buckland and Carol Klein to take a closer look at the gold medal winning show gardens and exhibits in the Great Pavilion. With 'grow your own' being big at this year's show, Nigel Slater rustles up a simple salad and tells Nicki why he loves this event. Plus, the 2011 Young Florist of the Year is revealed.

Alan Titchmarsh and Joe Swift talk to the gold-medal-winning designers and reveal who has won Chelsea's prestigious Best in Show award. Rachel De Thame finds out what it takes to win gold in the Great Pavilion and Nigel Slater gives an exclusive look around the kitchen garden at his home in London.

The contenders for Chelsea Plant of the Year are put under the spotlight, as Andy Sturgeon and Nicki Chapman profile the real stars of the show: the plants. Andy looks at the perfect planting schemes in the show gardens this year, and there is a master class on the key plants needed for a successful cut flower garden.

Alan Titchmarsh and Joe Swift host a 90-minute special charting the evolution of the modern mixed border from late Victorian times to the present day. Alan talks to designer Nigel Dunnett about his garden, inspired by the Victorian writer and gardener William Robinson, whilst special guest Laurence Llewellyn Bowen looks at the influence of nature on William Morris, one of the key personalities behind the Arts and Crafts movement.

Nicki Chapman and Andy Sturgeon take a closer look at the themes and trends dominating this year's show. The 2011 Chelsea Product of the Year is announced, and the team find out who has been crowned Florist of the Year. Poet and keen gardener Pam Ayres turns guest reporter, seeking out the wildlife-friendly areas of the show.

Alan Titchmarsh and Joe Swift discover how water, sculpture and wildflowers are dominating the exhibits at this year's Chelsea Flower Show. Chris Beardshaw is in the show gardens to discover radical ideas for the future of horticulture, whilst Pam Ayres opens the doors to her home and private wildlife-friendly garden. Also, Bunny Guinness explains the thoughts behind her modern take on a kitchen garden.

'Take home Chelsea' is the theme for the final lunchtime visit to the show. Presenters Nicki Chapman and Andy Sturgeon host a half hour packed with designing, planting and caring for every type of garden. Andy also takes time out in the Great Pavilion to offer advice on the best indoor plants for every room in the house.

Alan Titchmarsh and Joe Swift celebrate Chelsea's horticultural heroes in a second extended special from the Royal Hospital Grounds. Alan meets the Australian nursery who are recreating the voyage of plant hunter Sir Joseph Banks in a plant-packed show garden. Modern-day plant collector Tom Hart Dyke joins the team to seek out some of his favourite floral exhibits in the Great Pavilion, and writer and broadcaster John Humphrys joins Alan to talk about a passion for gardening which started when he was a teenager.

Alan Titchmarsh and Joe Swift round off their glorious week at the Chelsea Flower Show by enjoying the famous plant sell-off. We find out which show garden has been voted the best in The Peoples' Award, and the team share their favourite moments of the show.

As Chelsea's floral fiesta draws to a close, Alan Titchmarsh and Joe Swift look back at the highlights that have made the 2011 event so special. From the magical medal moments to the new plants and new faces that made an appearance this year, Alan and Joe remember them all. It is a chance, too, for them to share their own personal anecdotes from the week - both horticultural and humorous.