Hampton Court Flower Show 2 - Show gardens, gardens and stuff

RHS Hampton Court Flower Show is big, I have to say this because be in no doubt, it is big.  It is the largest of the RHS shows and whenever I visit I still get amazed at the bigness of it all.  I am starting to think I need more than one day there as I am fairly sure that I do not get around to see it all.

I shall start with my favourite show garden: the Dogs Trust A Dog's Life garden designed by Paul Hervey-Brookes to celebrate 125 years of the Dogs Trust.
The planting is superb and I loved the yellow origami sculptures set inside the the yellow and blue planting.  Why yellow and blue?  because apparently they are colours that dogs can see.
At one side of the garden is this pool which again some impressive dog sculptures.
Into the garden itself there is a windy path of discovery.
It all works brilliantly from every angle.  I really liked this garden, it set out to do something and I think it did it.  It received a gold medal and rightly so.
I rather liked these two dogs, they are not part of the garden but waiting by the Dogs Trust stall next door.

This is the Zoflora Outstanding Natural Beauty Garden designed by Helen Elks-Smith.

This garden also won a gold medal.
The planting is excellent,
as is the use of materials.  It was colourful and soothing, it worked well.

Just across from this garden was the World Visual Garden designed by John Warland.
I loved how different views of this garden changed it completely.
It was precise, well planted and I thought a superb example of what a show garden should be.  Yes of course it won a gold medal.
I love this view in particular.

This is one of the Water Gardens: the Viking Cruises Scandinavian Garden designed by Stephen Hall.
Superbly put together and a very nice boat.

There are displays all over the show ground.  I loved this cheerful garden in front of one of the nurseries (sorry did not pick up the name).
Here are some of my favourite views from the show:










and I will finish with this bench,
The Sitting Spiritually Simon Thomas Pirie Floating Bench.  It is a thing of beauty.  I love their furniture generally, but this bench specifically.  It is used in the Summer Retreat Garden designed by Amanda Waring and Laura Arison.
They look fantastic and work well with the planting.  This garden won a gold medal.

I think I have finally fallen in love with  Hampton Court Flower Show, I have been a bit undecided in the past, but now I think I get it.  I shall return.

Other RHS Hampton posts:

Part 1 - the Conceptual Gardens

Comments

  1. I also loved the Dogs Trust garden. The planting was fabulous and I particularly liked the yellow cosmos.

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    1. Yes the yellow flowers shone out really well, a real lesson in how to use yellow in the garden.

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  2. So interesting to see the Hampton Court Flower Show, I have been there once but that is already about 20 years ago. That Dogs Trust Garden definitely should be one of my favorites too.

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  3. Love all the dogs and the planting too, also liked the World Visual Garden. Have been to Hampton Court twice and loved it both times!

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    1. I am definitely getting to love this show.

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  4. What an interesting set of show gardens: the elevated ripples of lawn especially, although I wouldn't want it in my own garden.

    The surface to the water feature in the Zoflora garden, on the other hand.... I think something similar was in Cleve West's Chelsea garden this year too. All those stacked stones, it must take a lot of effort (and depth of liner etc.) to make it hold water, though.

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  5. Awesome! Very creative! I like the World Visual Garden, it inspired me to turn my garden into one, which is very different from ordinary gardens. Thank you!

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