My day stomping around RHS Hampton Court Flower Show press day has kindled new horticulture goals.
Starting with the Great Gardens of the USA: The Oregon Garden (appropriate given it’s the 4th of July!)
The natural beauty of the landscape of Oregon with its mountains and scenic wine country inspired this garden.
Which sits next to the sweet, more ordered Charleston Garden:
This is The Red Thread garden:
It took its origins from an ancient Chinese myth which states that when we are born the gods tie our ankles with a red thread and attach it to all the people whose lives we are destined to meet.
The red rope in the garden is tied to oak posts, representing people, in a complex pattern to show the many connections destiny takes to connect us from friends, loved ones and colleagues.
On to the smaller, retreat gardens, perfect for a young professional couple living in a terraced house.
The Japanese Summer Garden: modern, minimal, beautiful:
The Drought Garden marks 40 years since the drought of 1976.
The garden was positioned in a very shady spot in the show with tall towering trees surrounding it.
The Dogs Trust had a garden celebrating its 125th year of the charity’s commitment to finding homes for thousands of abandoned and unwanted dogs every year.
These two pooches approved!
The World Vision garden was architecturally striking:
I went into the Festival of Roses marquee…
A palace of perfume!
One of my favourites is this one:
David Austin’s A Shropshire Lad!
^ A nice floral nod to the Beatles!
Back outside to explore more gardens:
There was a butterfly dome and an area to highlight the importance of pollination and bees in the garden:
‘Normandy – 1066 Country Medieval Garden’ celebrates the links between Normandy and England and echoes patterns found in the Bayeux Tapestry:
The Rolawn ‘Why’ garden concerns the complexity of the universe and the human brain: the ‘nest’ formation on top forms a perfect dome when viewed from afar.
This is the ‘Peacemaker’ garden:
The interpretation, in hard landscaping, of a giant heartbeat scan provides the structure of the design and represents life. The garden aims to focus attention on communities suffering from violent outbursts across the world.
Of course, Press Day attracts celebrities:
Gardening names like Joe Swift…
The smiley Carol Klein…
Ronnie Wood (seen here tying his shoes!)
And now back to another Floral Marquee:
Huge Dahlias:
Some of the most exotic lilies I’ve ever seen:
Have you ever seen a lily like this one, Paris Heart? (below)
I loved this one. A five layer pink lily!
As you can see, I had a wonderful day!
For those interested, my dress is from Whistles (50% off!) perfect for Summer as it can be dressed up with heels and a cream blazer (for example) or dressed down.
