There was a sense of the decidedly futuristic at Chelsea this year, with many stands featuring galactic themes, but at the same time there was the pleasing familiarity that not much had changed.

Hilliers won yet another gold medal, British produce from NFU growers was again toasted for its outstanding quality, and numerous exhibits reminded us of the dangers of climate change.

But congratulations to all the exhibitors - Chelsea remains a wonderful demonstration of UK horticulture that is rightly held in the highest regard around the world.

Elsewhere this week it’s been a case of ‘here we go again’ with the agricultural wage negotiations, which in the time honoured tradition have dismayed many in the horticulture sector.

The Agricultural Wages Board is, in a sense, in a no win situation. Workers naturally want to earn as much as possible, while employers - who also would ideally like to pay as much as possible - simply cannot afford to in many cases.

But this puts a considerable strain on resources and can lead to redundancies in the end, meaning nobody wins.

It is, in many ways, an impossible balance to maintain.

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