The big 100th Year of RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Much was made of the fact that this was the 100th Year for the world famous flower show so expectations were very high. But was all as fabulous as it was billed?

M& G Centenary Garden 'Windows Through Time by Roger Platts

For me and a number of others that I spoke to on Press Day the overwhelming feeling was rather depressing overall - hardly the fabulous celebration that was hoped for.

OK I accept that there were some critical factors here - namely the weather - how anyone managed to get any plants to be at their best after the spring we have endured is, in itself, incredible. 

The weather on the day was also pretty gloomy which perhaps did nothing to lift that rather depressing feeling that the show overall left you with. Some seasoned visitors that I spoke to barley lasted a couple of hours before leaving. So what really went so wrong?

I understand also that some exhibitors pulled out at the last minute, which must have been a nightmare for the organisers to cope with, preferring to not exhibit as they were maybe laying off staff or making other cutbacks - a sure sign that the country is not really on the road to a recovery just yet.

Chris Beardshaw on his garden for Arthrits Research UK

That said there were a few gems to be found! I spoke to Chris Beardshaw about his revelation that he had suffered from Arthritis from an early age and how it had affected him and his aspirations for the future. HE had clearly come to terms with it and had expressed the sentiments well in a garden showing the progression of his freedom from living with the disease with the use of the latest drugs.

Arthritis Research Garden

A favourite garden of mine was Professor Nigel Dunnett's garden - again the message is powerful here regarding urban greening.

RBC Blue Water Roof Garden by Nigel Dunnett

This garden attracted the attention of botanist and broadcaster David Bellamy

David Bellamy talking to Nigel Dunnett 

 

Jo Thompson's garden Stop the Spread also relayed a powerful message in the rather stark image of a small oak sappling on a small island surrounded by dark still water - a reminder of our own insular vulnerability against the onslaught of incoming plant diseases

Stop the Spread by Jo Thompson

There were also some more uplifting and altogether brighter themes even if the lighting didn't perhaps do the justice!

East Village Garden

Having enjoyed the Olympic Park last year its good to see that the area that was the athletes vilage is also up for some great landscaping ideas.

Another regeneration project for Stoke also caught my eye.

Stoke-on-Trent's story of Transformation

Quite a lot going on here but the overall impact was good.

Another garden with hope for the future was the Homebase Garden in Association with Alzheimer's Society - Sowing the Seeds of Change - taking the edible garden idea a stage further in helping children understand where food comes from.

 

Sowing the Seeds of Change

Whlst the gardens all demand a hige amount of effort to create the overall impression was that everyone had played pretty safe when it came to the design - perhaps a bit formulaic in their presentation as though they were afraid of innovation and cutting edge ideas.

The gardens of the Daily Telegraph, Lauranet-Perrier & Brewin Dolphin perhaps epitomised this - pleasing to look at and no doubt well designed but have we seen the before?

The Daily Telegraph Garden - perhaps the gloomiest of the all?

Laurent-Perrier - frothy as ever!

Brewin Dolphin Garden

Some of the more quirky show gardens included The Wasteland and The SeeAbility Garden

The Wasteland - loving the Bath Chair!

 

The SeeAbility Garden - as I was at this garden someone quipped that whilst it was cold wasn't it a bit early for Christmas Decorations! Oh well they tried to brighten things up!

Did you go to Chelsea this year or watch coverage on TV? What were your impressions? Did you feel that it was a fantastic celebration of 100 years of the show or did you feel somewaht let down - do share your views...

There will be more articles to follow on some of the other aspects of Chelsea.

 

 

 Fittleworth based Claudia de Yong Designs has been named a winner at the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) Awards 2013, sponsored by Bradstone for a recent outstanding landscaping project.

With the prospect of sunny days; gardens bursting into bloom; new ideas for the home; outdoor activities and summer picnics, the Country Living Magazine Spring Fair is perfect for planning ahead.  From the 20th – 24th March at the Business Design Centre, Islington, London N1, the Fair is a brilliant day out. 

 

 

Reveal your inner artist at the craft and art workshops. Sip and savour delicious English wines in the guided tasting sessions – alongside lots of other tasty treats from regional producers.

 

There are 400 artisan enterprises presenting a wealth of ideas for the home and country lifestyle vying for your attention. 

 

Come and meet Philippa Forrester in the Outdoor and Nature theatre and find out how to attract wildlife into your garden. Catherine Gee helps you find your perfect country location.  This year there’s so much more to discover at the Country Living Magazine Spring Fair so book your tickets now and take advantage of the special advance price.

 

Special readers’ ticket offer – special price of £11.50 by quoting CLS 3

 

(As opposed to the ticket price on the door which is £16.00) Tickets must be booked no later than 1pm on the day before the due visit.  TELEPHONE: 0844 848 0160; or book online at Country Living Fair

 

 Garden Mentor has a lot of great new features to make sure that it is an easy app to use. Here are some of the reasons to buy our plant reference guide.

My First Fiskars™

Children love to get involved in the garden and helping them enjoy the outdoors is the inspiration behind an exciting new range of children's garden tools from Fiskars.

With the emphasis on safety, imaginative design solutions and top quality products, the 2013 My First Fiskars™ box set contains four colourful tools for young minds to play all year around.

Through observing children play and working with them to make sure every imagnative idea is covered, the perfectly scaled set of My First Fiskars™ contains a hand spade, a saw for creating seed rows or cutting neat designs in snow and soil, a hand held brush and a scoop with many versatile applications, whether in the garden or at the beach.

The box itself, as well as offering handy portable storage for tools makes the perfect bucket. The black cover doubles as a seat and transforms into a pretty nifty toboggan in the winter.

For little ones keen to get really involved in garden tasks, the My First Fiskars™ range of stick tools are just the right height and weight for little hands. Featuring quality aluminium shafts, signature orange handles and sturdy working heads made from polypropylene plastic.

Digging tools are reinforced with glass fibre and rake heads made with acetal thermoplastic (POM) for greater flexibility. Fiskars want children to be enthusiastic about gardening and so the My First Fiskars™ tools are designed for energetic use.

 

Last week saw some fantastic developments in the campaign to save the bees. First was the great news that Homebase, B&Q and Wickes are removing two popular bug killers containing neonicotinoids from their shelves.

Then, following vigorous campaigning by the Soil Association and other organisations, the EU announced the proposed suspension of three neonicotinoid pesticides, widely considered to be one of the main causes for the near catastrophic decline of bees and other pollinators in recent years.

These exciting steps forward in the fight to save the bee have only been made possible by you, our members and supporters, both through your direct actions and your generous support of our work. We want to say a huge thank you and we hope you will continue to support our campaign to save the bees as the battle has not been won yet.

Email your MP to ask Owen Paterson to do the right thing in Europe 
The EU proposals will only be passed if a majority of EU member states vote in favour on 25 February. France, Holland and many other states are supportive but the UK and Germany are reported to be reluctant.

We need your support. Please help us to persuade Owen Paterson, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to vote in favour of the EU suspension by emailing your MP now.

1. Find your MP's contact details here
2. Ask them to tell Owen Paterson to vote in favour of the suspension. MPs receive many messages, ensure yours stands out by making it unique. Alternatively you can use our statement:
   
   Please help to save the bees. On 25 February 2013 the EU will decide whether to suspend the neonicotinoid pesticides clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiametoxam. These pesticides are damaging bee populations across Britain and Europe, as evidenced by the EFSA report and evidence given by the Soil Association to the Environmental Audit Committee. Please ask Owen Paterson, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to stand with the majority of other EU member states and to vote in favour of a suspension.
3. Tell everyone on Facebook and Twitter to do the same:
   
   Vote to save the bees please Owen! I've emailed my MP to ask Owen Paterson, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to vote in favour of suspending neonicotinoid pesticides in Europe on 25 February 2013. Join me and the Soil Association to keep Britain buzzzing! http://bit.ly/VjACQK
   
   Help #KeepBritainBuzzing! I've asked Owen Paterson to #savethebees and suspend #neonicotinoids in Europe on 25 Feb. Join me! http://bit.ly/VjACQK 

These exciting developments come in the wake of our Keep Britain Buzzing campaign, so generously supported by many of you reading this email.
Want to know what else you can do to keep Britain buzzing? Take a look at our checklist below to find out:

• Forward this email to your family and friends and ask them to take action too
• Get up-to-the-minute bee news by following @SoilAssociation on Twitter
• Donate to Keep Britain Buzzing and get a free packet of bee-friendly seeds and a campaign badge
• Take practical action: take up beekeeping, use organic techniques in your garden and choose bee-friendly, organic produce when you shop, check out our website for more details.

Thanks again for all your support, together we are making real progress to keep Britain buzzing!

 

 

 

With Valentines Day fast approaching I was curious to find out where all the flowers that would be bought were coming from. What I discovered surprised and alarmed me. The surprising element was that only 10% of the UK market for cut flowers was satisfied by a dwindling army of British growers. 

 

 

The rest is shipped in from places like Columbia - the largest producer of cut flowers for the global market. Britain takes a total of 17% of the global market for cut flowers.

 

What this means is that there is a huge opportunity for British growers in some respects, as clearly we have an appetite in this country for cut flowers but with flowers that have travelled nearly 4,500 miles to reach their final destination beating them to the checkouts there is something of a crisis in Britain.

 

Take a look at this video from The Guardian

 

 

There are a growing clan of growers using social media to spread the word about British Flowers - and you can support them - on Monday evenings between 8pm & 9pm using the tag #britishflowers on Twitter.

 

So when you buy your flowers for your Valentine this year what can you do to help?

 

Here are a few ideas:-

• Ask where the flowers you are buying were grown - pressure on supermarkets and florists will start to have an impact!
• If possible make a point of buying British grown flowers!
• Businesses - join the FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) this is a lobbying group with particular focus on small business - and voice your support
• Join the party on Twitter and follow #britishflowers - you can also follow The Garden Network on Twitter - @garden_network

We would welcome your comments and support!

 I frequently get comments like - There can't be much to do in the garden at this time of year - How do you keep busy? Must be very quiet? Strangely I find that this time of year provides a great opportunity to get ahead of the game.For the most part you are not playing catch up - like the sunny summer months. Actions taken now stay done - at least for a little while and you actually get a sense of taming nature - albeit briefly! So don't shy away from the garden now, get out there and get ahead, let's take a look at 10 things that you can do now in the garden to make a difference.

1. Shred your Christmas Tree - Best to do this yourself if you can, then the resultant chippings can go straight on to the garden as mulch - waste not want not! If not take it down to your local garden centre or recycling centre - they may also give the result back if they are doing it on-site.
2. While we are on the topic of mulching - now is a great time to be doing this! If the ground is hard you can barrow the organic material straight on. If the ground is wet you will want to keep off the borders and fork the mulch on more gently to prevent compaction.
3. Wisterias that were pruned in July/August need a second pruning to take them back to a couple of buds. This will ensure a fabulous display later in the year. It is easier to do now as well as the plants are not in leaf and you can see how the plant is growing.
4. Great time for planting deciduous hedging and bare root trees. The roots will have a chance to develop for bud break, which is the time that most plants like this will fail.
5. Talking of root activity - weeds will often take a hold during milder spells so keep an eye    for weeds that can be easily removed in the damp conditions
6. If you have clumps of perennials that you weren’t able to divide in Spring now is a great time - providing the earth is dry enough and not frozen! Make sure the crowns are kept free of rotting leaves as this can be detrimental to the new growth.
7. On wet days take a look through the catalogues and website for exciting new perennials and summer flowering bulbs to order. Did you see something at one of the shows that caught your eye?
8. When the weather allows add drainage to your lawns. This can be done with a fork. Plunge it in and work it back and forth to create a good sized hole. Brush a mix of horticultural sand and soil improver in to the hole to stop it clogging. The worms will do the rest! There are machines available for hire to treat larger lawns.
9. Feed garden birds - particularly after the wet conditions seeds etc may be scarce so encourage wildlife in by providing a variety of feeds.
10. If you are prone to losing plants in your garden now can be a good time to check your soil. What pH is it. Is it heavy clay or free draining grit? There are test kits available that will tell you if you have alkaline soil which will not then be suitable for growing Rhododendrons etc. Most other soil problems can be resolved by the addition of organic material - a fabulous way to enliven your garden ready for spring!

Do you have any Winter Gardening Tips to share?

 We are already getting reports that this winter is going to be very harsh. As the first frosts grace our winter mornings and we reach for the credit cards to clear our car windscreens before sliding down the drive our attentions also go to our more tender plants in the garden. In recent years the RHS has announced a planned re-categorisation of 'hardy' plants - as some that were previously regarded as being hardy succumbed to recent cold blasts, that were colder than we have experienced for many years. With temperatures set to plummet again this winter what can we do to protect the plants that we would like to enjoy again next year?

Here are some tips that will help you to keep more of your plants this winter.

• A generous layer of mulch over the roots will act like a thermal blanket and help protect the ground beneath from freezing. Frozen ground makes it difficult for evergreen shrubs to take up moisture. Mulch will be a big help.
• Keep nitrogen levels low - too much in your fertilisers will encourage too much tender growth which will be much more susceptible to damage by the cold.
• Don't cut backmore tender plants. even a twiggy canopy will provide much needed protection from plants like Hydrangeas and Fuchsias
• Some more exotic plants like Cordyline which cannot be bought inside can be tied up and wrapped in a breathable material like scaking, straw or hessian. There are also commercial horticultural fleeces available. Whilst bubble wrap may seem like a good idea it won't allow the plant to breath and is likely to rot the plant as a result!
• Smaller plants can be dug up and bought into a greenhouse or conservatory to protect them from the worst of the weather
• If you value your lawn, avoid walking on it if snow covered. It opens the door for fungal disease and unsightly marks in the coming year.
• Try and create a place for cold air to escape the garden. You will recall from school science lessons that hot air rises but cold air will naturally go to the lowest point in the garden. A vent will reduce the impact of the cold allowing it to escape! Victorian walled gardens were predominantly built on a slight slope with a wire or open gate on the lowest of the four wall - allowing cold air to flow out and keep the produce in the garden undamaged.

Do you have any tips that you can share for keeping cold damage to a minimum in the garden?

One of my clients annually looks up in to the trees in his size-able and declares - "that's a lot of leaves to clear up!" He's not wrong! Of course they don't all come down together either! Making the challenge of clearing them a drawn out process. We look at the different clearing methods and evaluate the benefit of the leaves. 

 

I love this time of year, as the seasons change, it heralds the end of a summer of colour and joy and the start of a clearing process in readiness for the new dawn in spring. A chance to clear away the old and embrace the coming snowdrops that will soon adorn the borders and woodlands.

 

Traditionally leaves are raked up. It's great fun to start as you kick your way through the fallen leaves, dressed in hat coat and wellies but the fun soon wears off as the back breaking business of raking up begins. Breaking backs is not the only problem with raking leaves - it often requires repeated walking over frequently waterlogged grass which does nothing for the turf as it reaches the end of the season. You may also end up raking out leaves that the worms have started to take down. Worms will clear a considerable quantity of leaves and it always fascinates me how they can pull down the larger leaves. More of this later.

 

 

More recently powered blowers are used to either suck up or blow the leaves in to a pile which tends to be less destructive to ground structure but more damaging to the environment as a whole. This will leave the leaves being pulled down by the worms.

 

So why is it important that leaves are pulled down by the worms? It is a prime way to introduce organic material and feed the ground through the activity of the worms. It creates airways which will help drainage and stronger growth next season. I was talking with Tony Kirkham of Kew Gardens who had come up with an ingenious plan to help with the huge volume of leaves at Kew. 

 

They simply mow over the leaves, mulching them in to small pieces, making it much easier for the worms to take down. He reckoned that they could clear the ground overnight, saving many hours of hard labour and creating a significantly improved soil structure.

 

Collecting leaves is only part of the story. They should be kept separate from other organic materials and compost and allowed to decay on their own. Unlike normal compost they break down anaerobically using fungus rather than bacterial composition. Because of their high carbon content they can take up to two years to break down. Keeping them damp will help accelerate the process.

 

The resultant leaf mold is not high in nutrients but does make an excellent humus rich soil conditioner suitable for all soils. 

As we watch and wait while the autumnal colours start to creep in to the leaves there is much speculation that the wet weather we have endured have spawned the perfect conditions for one of the best autumnal displays ever seen. Already Virginia Creepers have turned a vivid hue, rouging the houses they adorn. But it's the trees I am looking forward to! A few years ago I visted the National Arboretum at Westonbirt - the Acers there were quite resplendent

and I think a return this year is definitely on the cards. A regular foray up to Scotland and the shores of Loch Lomond will also, I suspect be rewarded with truly breathtaking landscapes - I daresay we'll stop in the Lakes too to gorge our appetite for stunning views. Are there any particular favourites of yours? Places of unspoilt beauty that really shine at this time of year - we would love to hear about them!

In recent years we have learnt of new pests and diseases affecting the trees of the UK. Many of will remember the dramatic change to our landscape as we lost the entire Elm tree population and although attempts are being made to re-introduce Elm to this country it is a long and arduous process. More recently there have been other problems highlighted with Sudden Oak Death and leaf miner in Horse Chestnut. We now have reports of Chalara dieback of Ash

- so far only reported in nurseries and recent plantings - and all imported from Europe. With so many plants being imported in to this country it is clearly a huge problem for DEFRA not to mention the loss of valuable trees in our beautiful countryside.

If you notice this while clearing leaves this autumn it should be reported to try and help eradicate the disease. There is more information on the Forestry Commission website http://www.forestry.gov.uk/chalara and details of consultations on the DEFRA website about this and many other P&D affecting our plants

Some of the diseases and pests are more of a problem than others but with so many plants being imported every year it is hard to know what the best course of action is to protect our treasured species.

Do you have any thoughts on this? Let us know - thanks

RHS launches autumn planting campaign

Two generations have forgotten that autumn planting gets gardens in shape for the following year, saves money and helps many plants better establish, according to a survey commissioned by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

Forty years ago gardeners knew that autumn was a prime time for planting, but today just 12% of people think it is the best time to get plants in the ground, and only 6% of people purchase their plants during the season*.

The RHS is launching a campaign ‘Autumn Planting for Year Round Colour', to promote planting in autumn when the soil is still warm. This gives plants the head start they need to get established in time for spring when growth is at its peak. Once established, their root systems can cope with summer's dry, warm conditions and plants are less likely to fail.

It is also the ideal time to plant for gardeners to save money. Bare-root plants are available for planting in October and often cost much less than those sold in containers. Any smaller, less-expensive plants that are put into the soil in autumn will establish quickly and perform as bigger and better plants next year.

RHS Director General Sue Biggs says, "While spring is also a great time for gardening, it has totally eclipsed autumn and we've forgotten that this is a prime gardening season as well.

"Many plants are in flower in spring and look especially wonderful after winter, so no wonder we're enticed to purchase - I think it's also a reflection of today's culture wanting immediate results. But smart gardeners can save money and have more success if they get certain trees, shrubs, climbers and herbaceous plants, like peonies, planted now and roses, soft fruit and fruit trees planted in November.

"When gardeners are choosing bulbs in September, hopefully this campaign will encourage them to stop by the tree and shrub areas as well. With the drought this spring and then a washout summer, more than ever we need to embrace autumn gardening to get our outside spaces looking beautiful next year."

The survey of 1,000 people across the UK* also revealed that 80% were not aware that the focus on spring planting is fairly recent and that 40 years ago most gardeners put plants in the ground in autumn and winter.

‘Autumn Planting for Year Round Colour' takes place during September, October and November. At the four RHS Gardens - Wisley, Rosemoor, Hyde Hall and Harlow Carr - there will be talks by gardeners and experts for ideas and advice, free autumn planting cards to take home and basic soil testing advice. There will also be a series of garden events including the Wisley Flower Show (5 - 9 September) and autumn-harvest events at all RHS Gardens over the weekend of 20 - 21 October. Gardeners can also pick up autumn planting advice and inspiration from specialist nurseries at the Malvern Autumn Show (29 - 30 September), and the RHS London Shades of Autumn Show (23 - 24 October).

On 2 October, RHS Garden Wisley is joining forces with the Horticultural Trades Association to plant hundreds of violas and pansies, demonstrating how to get colour in your garden now and benefit from an even better display next spring.

Nigel Eaton, Head of The Wisley Plant Centre, shares some his favourite plants to put into the ground this autumn:

Plants for colour this autumn

·                     Caryopteris × clandonensis ‘Worcester Gold' AGM

·                     Anemone × hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert' AGM

·                     Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamii AGM

·                     Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle' AGM

Plants for colour next spring

·                     Itea ilicifolia AGM

·                     Clematis cirrhosa ‘Wisley Cream' AGM

Plants for colour next summer

·                     shrub rose GERTRUDE JEKYLL (‘Ausbord') AGM

·                     Raspberry ‘Autumn Bliss' AGM

·                     climbing rose ‘Madame Alfred Carrière' AGM

·                     Acanthus spinosus AGM

The Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is the highest plant accolade the RHS can give and helps gardeners to make informed choices about plants. This award indicates that the plant is recommended by the RHS.

To find out more about autumn planting visit www.rhs.org.uk/autumnplanting

 

There can be little doubting the magnificent success of the Olympics and Paralympics this summer. I was lucky enough to get up to the Paralympics and can honestly say that the experience was electrifying.

Amongst other things I witnessed Ellie Simmonds break the World record 400m and win Gold in the pool - quite sensational!

But what of the Olympic Park itself? Well I was blown away again! The effortless ease with which the space coped with many hundreds of thousands of people was amazing. Even though there were large numbers of people it never really felt crowded.

The layout of the various arenas with the river snaking through swathes of carefully constructed landscape balanced the natural with the supernatural. 'Natural' amphitheatres created picnic areas and viewing opportunities on big screens and other entertainment and the planting - although past its best by the time we got there struck me as being contemporary and sustainable. But what will happen after the big event passes on?

Much of the planting is perennial herbaceous which is fabulous but will need a certain amount of maintenance to keep looking at it's very best. My hope is that there are sufficient resources to do this and to help the landscape to mature to provide a wonderful 'green' experience in a formerly rather run down part of the capital.

You can find out more about the gardens created by Sarah Price in conjunction with Professor Nigel Dunnett & James Hitchmough at the London 2012 Gardens site

Cutting hedges is not anyone's favourite passtime - and again because of the weather it is proving difficult to choose your moment to cut. A neighbour of one of the gardens that I take care of cut their hedge meticulously about 3 weeks ago - however they are still growing so fast that they need cutting again already - what should you be looking for when cutting your hedges?

Hedges are a great way to creat a boundary for the garden or as a form of divider between areas.

When clipped they look smart and add a clean definition to the garden.

Most hedging plants respond really well to cutting. Classics like Box and Yew - frequently used in formal gardens

Beech, hornbeam and Laurel also respond well do being cut back hard - laurel particularly this year seems to have gone wild - cutting it back in to the wood will help to bring back density - and whilst it looks a bit unsightly when first cut will quickly green up again.

One of the most difficuly hedges to maintain and keep looking good is the dreaded Leylandii hedge. Cut back too far and you will simply kill off the plant - it doesn't respond to this at all. This means that to keep it looking good you need to spend more on maintenance. It requires more frequent - but smaller, trims to keep looking pristine.

Kept under control they can make smart looking hedges - but beware - let them go at your peril! They also sap all the goodness from the base so don't expect to grow anything else too close!

More natural country hedgrows also respond well to trimming hard and again this year have grown with astonishing gusto.

This hazel has put on nearly 3 feet of new growth this year!

Once tamed though they provide a great source of cover and food for wildlife. The variety of hedges encouraging different species of birds animals and insects in to the garden.

All these hedges require hard work to keep looking at their best but do a great job in providing shelter, privacy and respite in the garden - so keep those hedging shears and trimmers sharp and get out there to keep them looking good.

 

This year has seen particularly challenging conditoons for gardening. One minute we are threatened with drought, followed by incessant rain. The rain swells the lushness in the plants, bringing on verdant greens and rapid growth in plants held back by earlier dry conditions. Just wehn the plants are swelled to bursting the sun beats down relentlessly for a week and scorches the leaves, rendering them useless to cope. Plants that should be displaying colour all summer season are left wilted and barren. Professional gardeners are having a tough time and so to are amateurs and those that have just ventured in to gardening must be wishing they hadn't bothered!

So what is the answer - are there plants that can withstand these dramatic changes in conditions?

Perhaps surprisingly the answer probably lies in drought tolerant planting!

Despite the conditions that have been prevalent recently - earlier in the year we were facing drought conditions - plants that can withstand those conditions and also flourish when it starts getting wet. Typically we look towards Mediterranean style planting for our drought tolerant ideas. Bear in mind that many drought tolerant plants need to be well established before they become drought tolerant.

The key word here is 'tolerant' - whilst they will tolerate dry conditions many will spring to life when the right conditions allow.

One such plant that seems to be excelling right now is the Hemerocallis (Day lillies) - clump forming perennials that are OK in dryish conditions thanks to their tuberous root systems but that adopt a super vibrance when the rain soaks them.

Seen here against a backdrop of Cotinus coggygria Royal Purple shortly after a cloudburst. The colours combine well and both plants seem to be enjoying the conditions. The leaves of the Cotinus gather the water droplets into sparkling gems which adds greatly to the display.

These plants look stunning in any garden and produce flowers for a long period during the summer months providing bold vibrant, colour and excellent value in the garden.

So whilst some of the classic favourites have not fared so well there are plants enjoying the conditions.

Are there any plants in your garden that have performed particularly well this year?

Alongside all the jamboree are some garden features which add a fun element to the show

This was one of my favourites

The Edible Bus Stop

An interesting discussion with the design team - but probably not the image of London that Seb Coe would want to portray to the world this year! Strangely though the message contained within was one of hope and determination

Fun plant sculptures

This category was introduced in to Hampton Court some years ago and invariably courts some controversy - are these really gardens?

Chaos

Do Not Adjust Your Set

Las Mariposas

Free Fall

The Coral Desert

Light at the End of the Tunnel

Uprising

Garden for DA (Dyslexia Action)

As ever the judges will have had a hard time deciding - but there were some strong though sometimes dark messages conveyed in these gardens

This formed the largest category with an open theme that encouraged some good creative thinking.

Here are some of my favourites this year

Exsquisite planting and took me on to buy some Trifolium ochroleucron

great for attracting bees and butterflies.

The Poets' Retreat - a formal garden with a nod to the Islamic gardens of old - and a great looking Peony!

Butterfly Jungles Transitions garden highlighting the plight of butterfly species in the UK

Falling Leaves

I loved this and laughed when I saw the attire of the lady gardening!

Great attention to detail!

Corner of the World - designed for Autistic children - fabulously light and airy - you could really imagine fairies in here!

Not normally a huge fan of Japanese gardens but this one representing solidarity after the tsunami of 2011 is very powerful

Coastal Drift - it is the simplicity of the wall construction depicting a wave that works for me!

The Wheels of Time - I always applaud gardens that have helped people with any form of therapy or learning - assisted by Youth Offenders

Preserving the Community by Pretty Nostalgic - I am sure this will appeal to many.

Celebration & Jubilation - one for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee

James Callicot - This is me - one of two gardens at the show portraying dyslexia

the other by the Dyslexia Association in the Conceptual Gardens category

There were more gardens but this gives a flavour overall - some great gardens - would have been good to enjoyed them in a little sunshine - but this is July in the UK and I was just glad not to get a  soaking!

 

 

The results of a new competition launched by the APL to show that quality gardens needn't break the bank.

Three budget categories - Under £7,000, under £10,000 and under £13,000

The best judged gardens were built at the show. As a garden designer I love the idea behind this.

It achieves two simple goals. Firstly it manages expectations of potential customers - many of whom have absolutely no idea what it costs to transform an outdoor space. Secondly it shows that you can build a great looking creative garden to a tight budget.

In the £7,000 category we have Our First Home, Our First Garden

In the £10,000 category - A Compromising Situation

And two gardens in the £13,000 which displayed remarkable similarities although the overall effects was somewhat different

'live outdoors'

Summer in the Garden

I'd like to think, as I am sure the organsiers do, that these will encourage would be customers to taking the plunge and sek the services of a garden designer. All of the gardens were readily accessible and easy to see how they might work in a domestic environment. Well done to all those involved.

What do you think about these creations and the idea?