You know when you realise you are having a really good day? It seems a rare feeling these days, but suddenly after making rather extravagant purchase (more of which later) I found myself in a happy place.
It was a lovely sunny day when I visited, not too hot, not too breezy. Sun hat and sunblock were necessary but it was a comfortable day to be outside wandering. I often think RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival gets all the weather, and this was a good weather day. There did not seem as many show gardens as in pre-pandemic years, but there was quality. The above garden is 'Connections' designed by Ryan McMahon for Alzheimer's Research UK. The planting was superb and I loved the large structures, they gave such a good contrast to the planting.
This is the 'What Does not Burn' garden designed by Victoria Manoylo and Carrie Preston. The garden represents Ukrainian culture and landscape with excellent planting and the designs on the structure being like the traditional embroidery on Ukrainian cloth.
Here is lovely Sue Kent in her #knollingwiththedaisies garden. The space is meant to be easier for people with physical challenges to garden/maintain. Apparently #knolling means arranging objects in parallel or 90 degree angles. The garden demonstrates this and creates a cheerful, wildlife-encouraging space.
'Turfed out' designed by Hamzah-Adam Desai is aimed at a beginner gardener in a new build, clean sheet of a garden. It is meant to be simple to maintain and effective at attracting wildlife. I thought it was wonderful. Beginner or not this is a good look to try and achieve.
The Planet Friendly Garden designed by Mark Gregory was another high point. You know you are going to get quality from Mark Gregory, he does not disappoint. This garden aims to show different solutions to tackling climate change: it aims to show sustainable planting that can cope with dry areas and also in other parts of the garden; wetter areas. It attracts pollinators and shows ideas for recycling. It is also very beautiful. It would be a nice place to sit and let the world go by.
The Iconic Horticultural Hero Garden - Sarah Eberle is a stunning garden. Well what you would expect from a horticultural hero?
it is a masterclass in planting of rare and wild plants.
I loved it.
I spent a fair amount of time looking at 'Sunburst' designed by Charlie Bloom and Simon Webster which I liked very much. I have almost got the sun filtering through the garden at the right angle, almost....
I did however get this rather nice rainbow captured in one of the fountains. This made me happy.
Of course there are lots of things to see at this show. I nodded hello to the Forest Whitby Arch which I have in my garden and is one of mine and Esme's favourite things. Esme climbs it, I do not.
There are lots of gardening tools to buy at the show, many having good offers on them. I got distracted by the robotic Miimo lawnmower on the Honda stand, so distracted I took a video of it to put on Instagram but not a photo for the blog (sigh). I did spend a happy five minutes on the stand playing with their interactive website where you can plot your lawn using an online map so that they can recommend the Miimo that most suits your needs. I did take a photo of their hedgetrimmers though; whom I reviewed last year and so I know to be exceptionally good.
I then got distracted by this rather lovely and somewhat huge stag sculpture. If I had space for him I would have bought him. I have no idea how much he costs but I work on the premise that if I could afford the space to have him then I could afford him.
There is also the joys of the Floral Marquee. I nodded hello to the Heucherholics platypus.
I also spent more time in front of hostas than is probably reasonable.
But I did resist them, just.... I did not resist some other plants though. I am going to Tatton Park Flower Show in a few weeks so I needed something left to buy so that might be hosta buying time. There seemed a lot of hostas on sale at the show, I think they may be the plant of the moment.
In the plant nurseries area I got very tempted by this Lotus Mrs Perry Slocum. UK readers of a certain age can now make Mrs Slocombe jokes to themselves and understand why I was so tempted.
I enjoyed my wander around the RHS Allotment area, these gorgous knitted animals and vegetables on the Walton Charity Community Allotment stand really caught my eye.
it was so cute! even the knitted snail.
There is so much to see at the show, I cannot show you all of it. This show is so big I seem to always miss things and wonder how I did not find them; it is very possible I missed things this year too. But I enjoyed it hugely nonetheless.
I did not miss buying some plants. I had gone with a list in my head of begonias I 'needed'. I am not writing posts in a linear order at the moment as I have just got back from a few days away and I do need to write up the garden visits I went on. Let's just say one of the visits made me desire begonias even more than I usually do. So Dibleys Nurseries was high on my 'get me in front of that stand' list. I bought Begonias: 'Sea Urchin', Listada, Sizemoreae and carolineifolia from them.
I then got entranced by the Paradise Plants stall. I bought an Iochroma australis, Diosma and a Gardenia 'Kleims Hardy'.
I also bought these three 4ft tall plant stakes from the Gap Garden Products stand. Aren't they wonderful - they were £15 for the three, £15!!! It was a miracle I did not come away with more but I did make another purchase from this stand that is going to be delivered. I shall put on an air of mystery at this point and you shall have to wait to find out what. It was not hugely expensive, it just would not have fitted in the car.
To keep the air of mystery going, I also made another purchase, the extravagant one referred to earlier. This too would not fit in the car. It is something I have seen at shows for some time now and always wanted. I keep thinking 'next year I will commit' but next year comes and goes and still I have not purchased. This year I decided to stop thinking manjana and just go for it. You will have to wait and see for that one too.....
....no it wasn't the stag, but I did decide it was time to get in the car and drive away before I bought anything more!
I had the best of days at the show. Even the motorway was kind to me on the way home so that I got home in time to pot on my plants and just chill for a bit. Good days are made like this.
Take care and be kind.