It was a treat to go to the press day at Hampton Court Flower Show. Garden designers and stall holders were putting the finishing touches to their exhibits and there was an air of excitement about the place. Having written the feature 'Behind the scenes at hampton Court' for the July issue of Surrey Life, I had added interest and felt almost one of the 'inner circle'.
I bumped into my lovely interviewee, RHS judge Andrew Wilson, but he wasn't giving away any hints as to who had won prizes. "you'll have to wait and see" he said, with a twinkle in his eye.
I went straight to the amazing RHS Edible Garden, conceived and created by Jon Weatley and Anita Foy. Anita and I were kindred spirits on a Diploma in Garden Design course at Merrist Wood a couple of years ago. My word, how far she's come since those classroom days! Her Hampton Court garden, at over an acre, was an amazing feat. It showcased the best of Grow your Own - everything in the acre was edible, or could be used in an edible way ie: in an oil. There were hops & barley, fruit & nuts, herbs, edible flowers and masses of lavender - all providing a wonderful display of colour. After witnessing a group of schoolboys pinching the wild strawberries and throwing them a cool glare, I trotted off to the conceptual gardens.
Conceptual Gardens - you either love them or hate them but they always provide great conversation. I found them particularly lively and interesting this year, particularly Tom Harfleet's design based on human thought process and Anousha Feiler's 'Excuse me while I kiss the Sky' which was a wonderful and simple blend of mirrors and beautiful purple agapanthus.
On a more traditional note, the English Poet's gardens ere easy on the eye and the Small gardens category provided great ideas for tiny town gardens. This was my first visit to Hampton Court FS, and I enjoyed it so much I went back on the Friday when it was buzzing with visitors and the gardens were at their best. Definitely worth a visit - smaller, more relaxed, perhaps not quite as finely tuned as Chelsea Flower Show - but definitely a show with its own identity and a following of its own.
To add joy to the day, my friend and I hopped in a boat and went up stream to have supper at a pub on the river. Even the appalling service and a visible squabble between 2 waitresses couldn't dampen our spirits. Hats off to Hampton Court.
