I was lucky to go to the Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival on Press Day.
Ahead of the crowds and chaos, where only a few gardeners were doing last-minute touch-ups to their gardens…
The first garden I saw was The Viking Cruises Lagom Garden, inspired by the Scandinavian idea of ‘Lagos’ meaning ‘not too much, not too little, perfectly balanced.’
An effect they achieved perfectly.
Definitely the kind of garden we would happily visit every day.
The APL A Place To Meet garden was aptly named, as while I was there, it was hosting a mini meeting of the festival organisers!
The combination of hard lines of modern construction and soft, natural planting was very effective. Plus, a very tempting slimline pool of water…
Much needed for hot days like today.
The Thames Water Flourishing Future Garden carried an important message.
The need to care for water, our most precious resource, is greater than ever.
Thanks to climate change, our weather is so unpredictable. Seasons seem to merge into one another: our summers are drier, our winters are wetter. Balance is lost.
The garden shows how small changes, such as drought-friendly planting and permeable paving, can make a real difference.
Not to mention the beautiful planting!
And a city of houses for nature.
The next garden is called Through Your Eyes.
It has an enormous sculpture which you can go into and peer out through its eyes.
It narrows the viewpoint which forces the mind to think about one thing: what is in front of you right now.
Stealing moments of quiet and peace for a little reflection.
I was particularly interested in the Growing Ideas in Tolworth garden.
SHEDx is designed to celebrate the history of growing and allotments in Tolworth, Kingston.
It encourages residents, schools and businesses to help ‘green the grey’ suburban environment.
The project has introduced new pollinators and plants to improve poor air quality.
Combined with some interesting insight from Raymond Blanc!
Gardens and allotments are so important to communities.
If only our garden shed was this tidy!
Another beautiful garden is the BBC Springwatch garden.
Stunning planting and rich colour throughout…
And the petals sparkle like confetti.
^ Time to start my concert!
I needed to cool down in the room of roses.
^ This one is lovely: it’s called James Galway (by David Austin).
Inside the other pavilion, a sea of lavender will greet you.
I had a fantastic time!
For more info and to buy tickets, head to the RHS website.
