RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show – Press Day – Part Two

Hampton court palace flower show

I thought ‘The SMART Vision Garden: Having the vision to see beyond mental illness’ had a very clever concept behind it.

RHS Hampton Court flower show

Sealed in a big black box with yellow hazard tape around it, the garden acts as a metaphor for the mainstream attitudes towards mental health. The calm and reflective interior symbolises breaking down the boundaries of limited, closed-mind thinking and illustrates how amazing things can be created when one ‘thinks outside the box’.

Hampton Court flower show

RHS Hampton court flower show

RHS Hampton court flower show

Another engaging interactive garden is the ‘DialAFlight Synaesthesia Garden’.

RHS Hampton court flower show

You crawl through into a white tent as the entire garden changes colour with bright lights.

RHS Hampton court flower show

RHS Hampton court flower show

It reflects the experiences of a synaesthete.

RHS Hampton court flower show

Hampton court flower show

An eerie yet strangely tranquil space.

RHS Hampton Court flower show

The ‘Just Retirement: A Garden for Every Retiree’ is a really fantastic garden.

Hampton court flower show

Designed specifically for retirees in the UK today, with raised beds to help make gardening easier.

Hampton court flower show

Vibrant planting…

RHS hampton court

Hampton court flower show

Comfy seating…

RHS Hampton Court flower show

Compact raised vegetable garden…

Hampton court flower show

RHs Hampton court

Beekeeping facilities… (Bee housing!)

Beekeeping

And the tidiest garden shed I’ve ever seen!

RHS Hampton court

I went into the Festival of Roses Pavilion seeking shade.

Peter Beales RHS Hampton

RHS Hampton roses

I was able to see a few of the new roses of the year, including roses named after W B Yeats and Lynda Bellingham.

RHS Hampton new roses

Completely hypnotised by the sight and powerful perfume of roses…

RHS Hampton Court

roses RHS

Roses

I was deep in a pleasing rosy foggy-headedness and the realms of my own imagination wondering how long it would take me to grow a rose garden this sublime…

Roses

roses

roses

I’d have a distinct walled rose garden, filled with rose arches for rambling roses like these to take over.

rambling roses

And as I was capturing the perfect Peter Beales Roses display…

The Surrey Edit blog

I realised that I was the one being photographed!

The Surrey Edit RHS Hampton

RHS Hampton Court flower show

Photographers appeared from every direction asking to take my picture.

The Surrey Edit blog

Roses

Hampton Court flower show 2015

It was so exciting!

The Surrey Edit

Fittingly, the next garden I visited had an Alice in Wonderland theme.

Alice in Wonderland garden

Alice in wonderland garden 150 years

It’s the 150th Anniversary of Alice in Wonderland and to celebrate, Alice, the Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts and the Mad Hatter were fashioned from topiary.

Alice in wonderland theme garden

Alice in wonderland topiary

A striking feature at Hampton Court today was the ‘Rolawn Freestyle Turf Sculpture’.

Lawn turf

And opposite, a rather enchanting garden for the ‘Unique: The Rare Chromosome Disorder Garden’.

Unique RHS Hampton Court flower show

The charity ‘Unique’ raises awareness of rare chromosome disorders and the lifelong disabilities and medical conditions these disorders can cause.

RHS Hampton Court

The garden reflects the shape of a DNA strand.

RHS Hampton Court

The ‘African Vision Malawi Garden’ is an installation garden.

RHS Hampton Court

You can walk through a tunnel and peer through the gaps in the walls to see sweetcorn growing.

RHS Hampton Court

It represents industrialised agricultural practices and Mono-cropping: the sowing and consequent reliance on a single crop.

Hampton Court

This practice is apparently volatile in Malawi because if the crop fails, it could force the community into a food crisis. The charity is trying to combat this by working to promote Permaculture and sustainability through the use of varied inter-cropping.

Macmillan legacy garden RHS

‘The Macmillan Legacy Garden’ offers a contemporary space for contemplation.

RHS Hampton Court

Visitors can reflect in the shelter of trees and listen to the soft rustle of surrounding plants.

RHS Hampton Court flower show

An elysian woodland meadow.

Architecturally striking is the ‘SABO: The Circle of Life’ garden:

SABO garden RHS Hampton Court

Using height to wind down in a circular motion to represent the journey of the age of man.

Hampton court flower show gardens

RHS Hampton Court flower show

I saw ‘The World Vision Garden’ from across the show and had to have a closer look.

Hampton Court flower show

It is inspired by the beauty of Cambodia.

RHS Hampton Court

Hope blooms among poverty.

RHS Hampton Court

There was so much to see! Exhibitors…

RHS Hampton court

RHS Hampton Court flower show

Things to buy…

RHS Hampton Court flower show

RHs Hampton court flower show 2015

^ Firmly on the wishlist!

RHS Hampton Court flower show

Celebrities, like Maureen Lipman…

Maureen Lipman Hampton Court Flower Show

Gardening names like Monty Don…

Monty Don

Nicki Chapman and Nick Knowles…

Nicki Chapman

I explored the pavilion.

RHS Hampton court pavilion

RHS Hampton court pavilion

RHS Hampton court pavilion

Absolutely bursting with blooms!

RHS Hampton court pavilion

RHS Hampton court pavilion

RHS Hampton court pavilion

RHS Hampton court pavilion

Orchids RHS Hampton court pavilion

RHS Hampton court pavilion

RHS Hampton court pavilion

RHS Hampton court pavilion

RHS Hampton court pavilion

RHS Hampton court pavilion

RHS Hampton court pavilion

RHS Hampton court pavilion

I absolutely loved my visit.

The Surrey Edit blog

For fashion-inclined readers, my jacket is from Cath Kidston (in the sale!)
Polka Dot jeans: old reliable Hobbs sale buy (I’ve lived in them since purchase!)
Hat: M&S. 

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In the Press!

The Surrey Edit - Richmond and Twickenham Times

The Richmond and Twickenham Times featured my photographs from the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show – a full page spread! It looks great – I’m absolutely thrilled.

And ITV London News website published a photo of me surrounded by the rose arches…

The Surrey Edit press

Click here to see the full story in context.

May 2016 Update:

RHS Photographs

Another photograph of me was also used by the RHS as part of their Media campaign for the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show 2016!

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