Monday 7 July 2008

HAMPTON COURT SHOW GARDENS













I really liked the small gardens over by the Country Living Pavilion. It would easily be possible not to have bothered to walk over there, so let me persuade you a bit. This is the Samaritans garden, D8. I thought it was gorgeous: really peaceful for a show garden, and I really liked the planting. The first of many white birches of the day. 














This is the Freemasons' Garden, D4. I was really impressed they managed to do a garden for Hampton Court at the same time as having such a huge dance anthem in the clubs. For truly they are Renaissance men. 














This one really struck me when I came round the corner and saw it, with those soft green turf ripples. I was totally rapt until I noticed the slogan on the ball: No more genista? No more genetic modification? No, a rather heavy-handed "No more Genocide". I don't know. It made it all a bit school art show, and that's being cheeky to school art. Sigh.














Très très handsome Guerilla Gardener Richard Reynolds (B34) has an apple juice whilst contemplating the garden he and friends made with plants that other exhibitors at the show had thrown away. Don't choke on your dinner, but even Peter Seabrook liked it.















I normally don't fall in love with this kind of quasi-UK-Barraganism, but in the case of the Thai typhoon that fell on East Molesey today, I'm prepared to make an exception, because this pink really cheered me up.

















The Traveller's Garden, with Bradstone, GW2. I really loved the structural quality of this one. There were many "nice" show gardens, but this one had a bit of toughness and integrity. Maybe just those massive wooden fence panels to the right.














Be wary buying one of these cool woodpiles if you live anywhere near Wilson; he'll have his stag beetle collection moved in there sharpish. (D14 English Heritage Gardens.)
















Don't get me started.


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

did you see that the Traveller's garden didn't win anything at all? I think it's perplexing to say the least.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/hamptoncourt/2008/pdfs/ShowGardensAwards.pdf

Zoë said...

Travellers got a Silver-Gilt from memory, should have been a Gold. Porche got a gold (spit hiss boo) I have already ranted about this over at J A-S's .

The Samiritans Garden is being auctioned, highest bid this avo was £1500, planting, ponds, arch etc.

emmat said...

that's weird, it's not on that list of awards that critical perspective posted. Unless the name is on there in some weird fashion

Zoë said...

I think its a clerical omission - usually they state no award when there hasn't been one, there are a couple noted like that in the other sections who didn't win anything.