I'm sure you will understand that I can't post all 200+ pictures here so I will give you a taster shot of each of the areas I grouped the pictures into and which will be followed by a link to my Photobucket. The pictures are slightly bigger there. Get the kettle on or open a bottle of something nice and come with Mark and I to Chelsea but without the aching feet! LOL OK,the gardens which appealed most to both Mark and I were the Artisan gardens.7 small gardens with incredible detail.The best bit was having a chat with a couple of the designers. The Topiarist Garden took our personal "Best in Show" prize. Artisan Garden:The Topiarist garden. ( photo / image / picture from Kiasmum's Garden ) http://s12.photobucket.com/user/karinpo ... t=2&page=1 The next category is the Fresh Gardens. Bigger than the Artisan but only about 1/3 or less of the size of the Show gardens. A lot of them are created with Charities to promote their causes. In this category the Mind's Eye garden for the Royal National Institute for the Blind was our Favourite(On photo bucket it has the glass cube in the centre) Fresh Gardens:The WellChild Garden ( photo / image / picture from Kiasmum's Garden ) http://s12.photobucket.com/user/karinpo ... t=2&page=1 The largest and most heavily scrutinised gardens are the Show Gardens which I believe are about 75feet by 25feet(approx). We had a look at 13 of the 15.Sadly,a lot of the detail is hard to see from the sidelines but most of the exhibitors hand out plant lists. Some are incredibly densely planted and others in a simpler style. In this category the Help for Heroes Hope on the Horizon Garden was by far and away our favourite.Helped by listening to it being explained to someone else as we looked at it.it all made perfect sense then. This is the garden in my preview picture Help for Heroes,Hope on the Horizon Show Garden ( photo / image / picture from Kiasmum's Garden ) http://s12.photobucket.com/user/karinpo ... t=2&page=1 and finally the breathtaking stands and exhibits inside the Great Pavilion.If and when we go again we would spend even longer in here.As it was there were several of the larger stands that we managed to miss completely...BUT those that we did look at were stunning. Not a leaf or flower bud out of place.No slugs or snails and only some helpful nematodes under a microscope on a research stand!!! My preview shot combines two of my favourite things: The Great Pavilion: Florist of the Year exhibits ( photo / image / picture from Kiasmum's Garden ) I would have liked to have seen more of these but the BBC were filming close by and had cordoned off the area http://s12.photobucket.com/user/karinpo ... t=2&page=1 If you want any details about any of the pavilion pictures I have the names of each of the stands and contact details-just tell me the flowers you are interested in. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit but wouldn't want to go every year.Next time we will make more of a plan so we do see everything we want to and not waste time with what doesn't interest us. Hope you enjoy my pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them Karin
Great pictures! Dresses of flowers is popular this year ... There were some formal gowns of flowers at Canada Blooms 2014.
Well, I went and spent a long time looking at all of your piccies. I began directly with the Pavillion series, as it was my fav. I liked your foto of the spanish moss and bromeliads. That display had such a good feeling to it for me. The one that folowed with the rainbow of lupin colours was stunning, I thought. The Hosta presentation is something that I would have liked to have seen for myself and look at closely. I only have one hosta, but I do like looking at them very much. You know Karin, that big red slug said the same thing to me yesterday when I was checking the ground at the base of my hosta. The purple rose was an botanical accomplishment, but ach--I am too traditional to actually want one of my own. heh heh heh. The Clematis display was one that I liked very much, as I have a thing for Clems. I have the new (for here) 'Kate', and while it IS growing, it has only one stem so far. As for the gardens--well the only one that I liked enough to comment on was the one done by Cleve West. While I do not have or want a garden that looks like that, I found it the best-looking one, personally. I found it open and yet filled with plants that allowed one to see other parts of the garden in-between the tall stems. I liked the fountain too, although it could have been a bit more 'romantic'. At any rate, I have seen all your pics now and will have to go back and look again. Thanks so much for taking the trouble to select and making them viewable.
@Kiasmum only just came across your thread I shall be heading there next year with hubby...never been to a garden show so it will be a delight for me
