Amelia’s Magazine | RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2011: Garden Trends

RHS Flower Show by Abi Daker
RHS Flower Show by Abigail Daker.

Some years ago a friend took me to the Chelsea Flower Show and I absolutely loved it…. all those amazing blooms, link arranged so perfectly and lovingly by people for whom gardening is their entire life. So when my parents mentioned that they would be going to the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show (bigger, treatment better, help I was assured) I jumped at the chance to join them.

RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-all photography by Amelia GregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-all photography by Amelia GregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-all photography by Amelia Gregory

We were very lucky, for the weather held out for the afternoon we went around the show – not so for my poor aunt, who attended during a deluge the following day. There are slat walkways between the stalls and gardens but I wouldn’t have enjoyed it so much in the pissing rain.

RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-all photography by Amelia GregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-all photography by Amelia GregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-all photography by Amelia GregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-all photography by Amelia Gregory

We passed along an avenue of small gardens at the front of the show, and there were some bigger show gardens towards the back. So here you have my summary of current trends in gardening: the British love of allotment gardening is massive: there was an urban edible garden from Deptford and a garden called The Home Front, complete with fake air raid shelter and a grass roofed shed. Humour was also much in evidence. Cultivating a Palaeontologist by Findwillow was fun, with a half open satchel on a table, a dinosaur toy just peeking out from inside. For the most part forget formal arrangements: mixing bright blowsy blooms amongst casual grasses is still a big trend that shows no sign of going away.

RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-all photography by Amelia GregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-all photography by Amelia GregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-all photography by Amelia Gregory

There was a very amusing and successful garden from the folks behind A Matter of Urgency campaign, for those who constantly need to pee. Whomever designed this unapologetically bright and brash garden definitely had a sense of humour: there were giant floating pink taps tinkling away and a rotating stone ball to represent how sufferers can Control the Uncontrollable.

RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-all photography by Amelia Gregory
The Stockman’s Retreat showcased the skills of young bricklayers, complete with a very convincing fake cottage that certainly had me fooled. It was a rural idyl to which I am sure many aspire.

RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-all photography by Amelia GregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-all photography by Amelia GregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-all photography by Amelia GregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-all photography by Amelia Gregory

There were also puffing stacks of hot steam from Diamonds and Rust, made to represent human perceptions of time, half submerged turf balls in the World Vision Garden and an upside down hanging garden, Excuse me while I kiss the sky. For this last one visitors were given mirrors to fully appreciated the effect.

RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-all photography by Amelia GregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-all photography by Amelia Gregory

Ahhhhh, so happy I went to a flower show. And there weren’t even that many crowds as we came towards the end of the day. More to come: best flowers and scarecrows.

Categories ,A Matter of Urgency, ,Abigail Daker, ,Allotment, ,Chelsea Flower Show, ,Control the Uncontrollable, ,Cultivating a Palaeontologist, ,Deptford, ,Diamonds and Rust, ,Excuse me while I kiss the sky, ,Findwillow, ,Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, ,Illustrated Maps, ,RHS, ,The Home Front, ,The World Vision Garden, ,Vestra Wealth’s Gray’s Garden

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