Plan ahead - Get a catalogue when you order your tickets and plan the key things you want to see. It can be pretty overwhelming to try to do this when you arrive amid all the hustle and bustle. And you might miss something special ...

Shoes - You'll need a good pair of walking shoes, not only for the mud that often accompanies the traditional Chelsea downpours, but for minimising the risk of crushed feet in the floral marquees. Mind you, I suppose part of the fun is seeing some of the "flamingos" teetering around the puddles on their Jimmy Choos.

Plant hunting - Have a care not to get pulled into the "Plant Name Game". There seems to be a current trend among nurserymen for localised and fanciful names for popular varieties - your plant could be called "Marmalade" by one and "Copper Kettle" by another. Check the Latin names if possible or do your homework via the Royal Horticultural Plant Finder or the society's online plant bulletin board - it will save you a packet.

Water - If it's a scorcher, a couple of bottles of water in your jacket pockets will save you the discomfort of sweltering in a queue for an over-priced bottle of Peckham Spring.

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• Home on the web - Chelsea Flower Show

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• Women ‘have the greener fingers’

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• Picture gallery: Chelsea Show Garden Winners 2007

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• The lowdown on Chelsea Flower Show

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Chelsea Flower Show 2007 winners

Find out if your favourite garden won a gold at this year's show

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Diarmuid Gavin plays it safe at this year's Chelsea Flower Show

Horticultural revolutionary Diarmuid Gavin is nothing if not controversial. But for this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, he seems to be hedging his bets

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• Iggy, flower child of the Chelsea show

• Royal Horticlutural Show: calendar of events

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• A path runs through it

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Camera phone - Take a camera phone for snapping celebrities (and the occasional royal visitor) and sending them to your chums. Make sure you don't accidently post them to your boss...

Food - Don't just queue up at the first stall you see - there is a wide variety of fast food outlets at the show - some of them quite reasonable in price. However, if you are determined to have your champagne and smoked salmon, make sure you get in the queue early.

Plant buying - When buying plants from stallholders, check the root ball is reasonably solid in the pot. Some stock can be hastily potted up just prior to the event and you may find a nasty mess of roots in the bottom of the bag when you get your prized specimen home.

Plant societies - Many people blaze round the show and forget to visit the numerous plant societies' stands that are usually coralled together. Not only do you get good specialist advice but you can also find some rarities (seed and plants) going at a reasonable price - and it's for a good cause.

The Grand Plant Sale - Not for the faint hearted, so go prepared with sharpened elbows. Buying a wheelbarrow at a knockdown price will also help you transport your many bargains from the Show.

Tickets - Those who just want a snippet of the excitement of the show can still get tickets for the evenings (5.30pm - 8pm). RHS members can book Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at the reduced price of £14.50 and £12.50, respectively. Booking details for all tickets available from the RHS ticket office.

RHS Chelsea Flower Show, May 22-26

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