The winning garden, right, at the Chelsea Flower Show may have had a Martian theme, right, and cost £250,000, but the people at eBay have more terrestrial ideas. They teamed up with residents of Chesley Gardens in East London for the fringe “Chesley Flower Show” to demonstrate that prizewinning plots don’t have to cost a fortune. Three gardens were made for £500, £1,000 and £1,500. Bid for anything from seeds and tools to outdoor hot tubs and antique Belfast sinks.

The odd horticultural hullabaloo is as much part of Chelsea Flower Show as wellies and Pimm’s – this year there was cannabis in the South East England Development Agency garden; while the peace plot “Through the Moongate” caused a fengshui furore (find out about the gardens at www.rhs.org.uk/chelsea/2007 ). However, homeowners should be less daring when it comes to their own back yards. According to the website www.uktvgardens.co.uk, leylandii, pampas grass and pet cemeteries can knock thousands off the value of your property.

For picture galleries, an audio guide by the Times gardening writer Stephen Anderton, and articles on past and present Chelsea Flower Shows, visit www.timesonline.co.uk/chelseaflowershow. Damian Barr will be joining the great plant sell-off tomorrow and videoing the scrum – catch the antics online from Wednesday!

Got a great website? E-mail lucia.adams@timesonline.co.uk

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