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Last week I was invited to Hampton Court Flower Show to speak at the RHS Peat Free garden about getting the best results from peat-free compost. I was delighted to get this opportunity to talk about Planet Positive gardening and to visit the show at the same time. Here are my five favourite things from my day out at Hampton.
The RHS Peat-Free garden
Obviously I have to say that this is one of my favourite parts of the show as I was speaking at the garden about peat-free growing – but for me this really was a highlight with it’s lovely, naturalistic planting. Designed by Arit Anderson the garden mimics an untouched peatland before transforming into a recognisable domestic garden and is built using recycled materials. It’s centrepiece - a large greenhouse is made from upcycled windows, paving, recycled railway sleepers and an old beehive. Water butts collect rainwater from the greenhouse roof and channel it into a wildlife-friendly water feature, and rain garden, where it is stored to use during dry spells.
You can read more about this Planet Positive garden in my tips for peat-free growing here.
Magical Mushrooms
Caley Bros exhibited at The Chelsea Flower Show earlier this year with 'Project Mushroom', a curious display of edible and medicinal mushrooms sitting upon home-grown plinths. I loved their stand at Hampton Court – just look at the incredible shapes and colours of these fungi magically growing out of ceramic pots, books and Doctor Marten boots!
Veg in the frame
There were some wonderful displays of flowers, but I really loved this exhibit of framed vegetables by Chelsea Gold Medal winner, She Grows Veg. Inspired by Reniassance paintings the massive gold frames are a wonderful way to show off their home grown produce!
Striking colour combinations
I'm sucker for colour schemes and I loved the way the planting in the RHS Britain in Bloom 60th Anniversary garden complimented the glass petals in it’s architectural arch. The arch had previously been used in a garden at Chelsea, and had come to Hampton Court especially to feature in this garden designed by father and son Jon and James Wheatley. Celebrating gardening for people and planet their colourful display was packed with native and British grown plants.
Dazzling Dahlias
I'm amazed by the huge range of Dahlias that are now available, so many amazing colours and shapes. I loved this ball Dahlia ‘Jomanda’ with the colour fading from red at the top to orange. If you haven’t got a Dahlia in your garden I would recommend adding them for late summer colour.
