On Sunday 10th July magazine.co.uk sent Sarah from Modern Bric a Brac to the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show. Read on to find out her top 5 glorious gardens of the day (and take a peek at her snaps on our Instagram...!)
What a great experience! It was my first trip to the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show, the largest annual flower show in the world and it was quite a day.
Set in the grounds of the glorious Hampton Court Palace, throughout my visit I'd catch glimpses of this magnificent backdrop all the while imbibing a symphony of colour and scent that had come together for this year's show.
Inside the Flower Show, 47 carefully designed Show Gardens were dotted around in amongst a Rose Marquee, Floral Marquee, plant pavilions and exhibits. Each Show Garden evoked a range of emotions, through their use of water, rock, plant and flower. There was certainly a style to suit every visitor and here are my top five to give you a flavour of what was on display.
My Personal Top 5 Show Gardens
The World Vision Garden
Designed to symbolise the journey of life; undulating grass, long-stemmed daisies and rocky beds inspired by the lives of children around the world. The floating waves of turf were created to represent an individual life. The undulations symbolised how unpredictable and vulnerable life can be, in particular for children living in places where poverty and disasters are rife.
PMS: Outside Inside for NAPS
This garden was made to represent the internal struggle that sufferers of PMS feel. In the centre stood a Somerset willow screen surrounded by harmonious green plants in a circular shape. A curved path led into the centre where a concealed corkscrew hazel had been planted. This shaded interior marked a stark contrast to the planting outside, which seemed a fitting metaphor for how PMS can make you feel.
Dogs Trust: A Dog's Life Garden
Celebrating their 125th anniversary, this garden was created to mark the charity’s commitment to finding new, loving owners for thousands of homeless dogs every year. The use of blues, the dog sculptures playing in the water and the bedding full of grasses gave this space an incredibly alluring feel. It contained dog-friendly features, including tunnels and sniffer tracks that had been woven into the herbaceous borders and planting for visiting dogs to seek out.
All the World's a Stage
This sunken garden had been inspired by Shakespeare’s literary analogies. Visitors were invited to explore the space and take on a personal journey through ‘The Seven Ages of Man’. I came across this one as the Show was coming to its close. The garden had obviously created a great impact as visitors patiently waited to buy plants as the team began to dismantle the beds.
Crabtree and Evelyn: The Botanical Studio
Perhaps my favourite of all was designed by award-winning designer Jade Goto. The garden had been planted in tiers reflecting the base, heart and top notes of a classic perfume. A lady outside the garden invited us in to take a closer look. On an inner platform a copper distillery gleamed in the sunlight. This central area had been inspired by the 'still room' that was often to be found at great houses for distilling scents. Around it sat neatly packed beds, each containing one scent. For example, one with lavender, one with rose and one with moss. The scent of the rose took me by surprise, it was so strong. I later found out this rose, the Evelyn had been created specifically for Crabtree and Evelyn.
With huge thanks to magazine.co.uk for giving me the opportunity to explore such a wonderful flower show.
Tempted to dig out those gardening gloves yourself after a peek at those gorgeous show gardens at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show? Check out our great range of gardening magazines to give you a little horitcultural inspiration delivered direct to your door.
For more details about the RHS flower show, click here.
This is a guest post via the magazine.co.uk blogger network.
