Today's plant fair visit

I love a good plant fair, I love a mediocre plant fair in all honesty, I am not sure there is such a thing as a bad plant fair; I'm certainly yet to find one.  A plant fair is always makes a good day out for me.  Today's plan was go to plant fair and then follow it up with a pub lunch.  What is not to love! 

Despite some (much needed) rain early doors, the morning turned out mainly sunny but with a very blustery breeze.  It wasn't cold, but it was not as pleasant as it could have been.  I felt for the stall holders whose plants were getting blown around and whose signs kept making bids for freedom and blowing across the grass.  

The usual plant fair plan is to firstly do a circuit of all the stalls, then go back and buy what has caught my eye unless it is something that I don't want to risk to chance that someone else will buy it.  The Echium pininana was the the one that I bought straight away, I was not going to lose it. Regular readers will know I have a bit of thing for echiums.  Despite not having the right growing conditions for them I persist in trying - to limited but not zero success.  It was a little dry when I got it home so I gave it a good water and potted it into a nice big pot.  I need it to be in a pot to overwinter indoors.  I can then plant it out next year when it will hopefully zoom into flower.

On the same stall was this rather lovely persicaria 'Silver Chocolate'; it jumped into my hand and demanded to be purchased, well I could not refuse a request like that.  It needs to stay in a pot for a while I think, it feels quite newly potted up so I want it to develop its roots a bit more.

Then I spotted this beautifully ornate plant support:

Beautifully ornate and beautifully made.  There were different heights and types and I circled them a few times trying to make a decision.  I decided to walk on by and not buy one this time.  I was almost successful in this decision but as I thought about it more the more I knew that I would regret not getting one.

Then there was a lot of discussion about which one.  The smaller one?  the taller one?  The narrower one or this wider one?  Choices choices.  I decided if I had the narrower one I would probably want three of them (I like threes), whereas the wider one I would want one and that was cheaper than three of the other.  So that meant I would have the wider one.  Then I was back to the height question - small, medium or tall?  You guessed it, I went for medium.  Doesn't it look fab?  I have placed it over the asters for now as they will grow up nicely through it.  Next year I might use it for peonies, or possible a rose.  I am not sure.  But I love it.  I know if I see more at another show might buy another.

Pub lunch was good and the world was set to rights.  Then it was time to go home and work out what will go where.

Time will tell......

Take care and be kind.

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