Amelia’s Magazine | RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2011: Alice’s Adventures Scarecrows

Hampton Court Flower Show by Jane Young
Hampton Court Flower Show by Jane Young.

There was one part of the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show that truly tickled my fancy… the amazing scarecrows put together on the theme of Alice’s Adventures by primary school kids from the South East of England.

RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia GregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia GregoryHampton Court Flowers by Jane Young
Hampton Court Flowers by Jane Young.

Even though there was a plea for scarecrows to be robustly made to withstand all weather conditions I did feel a bit for them…. some had blown over in the high winds, ailment and they would have to contend with some truly torrential rain.

RHS-Hampton-Court-Flower-show-review-2011
Bloody British summers.

RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia GregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia GregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia GregoryHampton Court Garden Show Alice in Wonderland Scarecrows by Sam Parr
Hampton Court Garden Show, Alice in Wonderland Scarecrows by Sam Parr.

That said they were an absolutely charming bunch, and a joy for illustrators to recreate. Here’s just a few of what was on display.

RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia Gregory
RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia Gregory
RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia Gregory
RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia Gregory
Mad cat in RHSHampton Court by Bern O'Donoghue
Mad Cat in RHS Hampton Court by Bern O’Donoghue.

Flower show guests were encouraged to vote on their favourite scarecrow via a ballot box. I don’t know who won, but I reckon there were many potential winners amongst this bunch.

RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia Gregory
RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia Gregory
RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia Gregory
RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia Gregory
RHS Scarecrow by Gareth A Hopkins
RHS Scarecrow by Gareth A Hopkins.

RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia Gregory
RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia Gregory
RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia Gregory
RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia Gregory
RHS scarecrow by Illustrating Rain
RHS scarecrow by Illustrating Rain.

Don’t forget to check in with my RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show blogs on garden trends and flower trends too!

Categories ,Alice’s Adventures, ,Bern O’Donoghue, ,Gareth A Hopkins, ,Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, ,Illustrating Rain, ,Jane Young, ,RHS, ,Sam Parr, ,Scarecrows

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

RHS Flowers by Laura Parker
Roses at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show by Laura Parker.

So, recipe you’ve already met the hot new trends in garden design, now time for my interpretations of flower trends. Mainly in roses as it turns out, because my dad was very keen on loitering in the rose tent. As a result of his in depth investigations he’s just bought a whole load of climbers and ramblers to plant up the walls of his house… I’m thinking of doing the same. I quite fancy a little garden cottage in Brick Lane! And the ivy is taking over somewhat…

RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011 allium photography by Amelia GregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011 allium sphaerocephalon photography by Amelia GregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-Gloriosa Rothschildiana Gloriosa Rothschildiana Hampton Court Flower Show by Toni Bowater
Gloriosa Rothschildiana at the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show by Toni Bowater.

But first, a stop at the Dutch Allium stand, where my mother bought 50 bulbs of bee attracting Allium sphaerocephalon. Glorious purple globes in every shape and shade! I was also taken by the spikey orange Gloriosa Rothschildiana flowers.

RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo amelia gregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo amelia gregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo amelia gregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo amelia gregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo amelia gregory
Now for the main trends in rose, plus a peek at the stuff I just well, you know, liked. Orange is so now you would not believe: hot, peachy, tropical and all types of orange in between. Every stand had them… Wildfire, Rotary Sunrise, Brilliant Sweet Dream, Super Trouper, Top Marks and Easy Does It (HarPageant Orange) – the gorgeous curly petaled rose.

Rose by Gareth A Hopkins
Rose by Gareth A Hopkins.

RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo amelia gregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo amelia gregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo amelia gregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo amelia gregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo amelia gregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo amelia gregory
Blowsy and peachy is also big, with the likes of Belle Epoque appearing on lots of stands, especially blowsy with faded and differentiated edges, like you might see on an antique book, epitomised in a rose called Nostalgia. I also liked SchoolGirl, a deep pink edged modern climber and Blue For You, which is an astonishing lilac colour.

Flower-Show-Love-by-Hollie-McManus
Flower Show Love by Hollie McManus.

RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo amelia gregory
I don’t know what the technical name is for this, but tight double furls inside the outer petals were also a new look to me and featured heavily.

RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show by Illustrating RainRHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show by Illustrating RainRHS by Illustraing Rain
RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show by Illustrating Rain.

RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo amelia gregory
Hot Chocolate may seem like an odd name for a rose but this was also everywhere – a curious shade, somewhere between orange, brick and brown. It had a nice scent too.

RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo amelia gregory
I loved the stripy dog rose hybrid for patios, Wonderful News had amazing stripes.

RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo amelia gregory
I also liked the curious star shaped rose that I found lurking at the bottom of the display on one stand. Super Flower Carpet Procumbent – what an odd one!

RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia GregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia Gregory
On a more general note there’s something about the way that stands are arranged to show off flowers that tickles me greatly…. here are just a few of my favourites!

Hampton Court Flower Show Floral Marquee by Sam Parr
Hampton Court Flower Show Floral Marquee by Sam Parr.

RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia GregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo by Amelia GregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo amelia gregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo amelia gregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo amelia gregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo amelia gregory
Hampton Court Flower Show by Toni Bowater
Hampton Court Palace Flower Show by Toni Bowater.

hampton court by lou taylor
Flowers by Lou Taylor.

RHS by Illustraing Rain
RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show by Illustrating Rain.

Garden, flower at Hampton Court by Bern O'Donoghue
Garden, flower at Hampton Court by Bern O’Donoghue.

And finally (I think I should stop) here’s some wonderful Beatles swinging 60s style arrangements from the Horticultural colleges. Don’t forget to check in with my blog about Garden Design too.

RHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo amelia gregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo amelia gregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo amelia gregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo amelia gregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo amelia gregoryRHS Hampton Court Flower show review 2011-photo amelia gregory
All photography by Amelia Gregory. Please do not take without asking!

Categories ,2011, ,Allium, ,Allium sphaerocephalon, ,Bees, ,Belle Epoque, ,Bern O’Donoghue, ,Blowsy, ,Blue For You, ,Brilliant Sweet Dream, ,Climber, ,Dog Rose, ,Easy Does It (HarPageant Orange), ,Floribunda, ,Flowers, ,Garden Design, ,Gareth A Hopkins, ,Gloriosa Rothschildiana, ,Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, ,Hollie McManus, ,Horticultural, ,Hot Chocolate, ,Illustrating Rain, ,Laura Parker, ,Lou Taylor, ,Modern Climber, ,Nostalgia, ,Orange, ,Patio Rose, ,RHS, ,Roses, ,Rotary Sunrise, ,Sam Parr, ,SchoolGirl, ,Star Shaped, ,Super Flower Carpet Procumbent, ,Super Trouper, ,Toni Bowater, ,Top Marks, ,trend, ,Wildfire, ,Wonderful News

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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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