On the weekend of 13 / 14 July,Ian's parents came to stay and Sheila and I went to Hampton Court Flower show. It was extremely hot so it was appropriate that there were several show garden featuring fire, the best in my opinion "Desolation to Regeneration which won a well deserved Gold in the Conceptual Gardens. I particularly liked how the transitions were managed and repetition of planting was used to good effect.
Also in the same category I like the clean lines of 'Clints and Grykes' referencing limestone pavement (thinking of the wild strawberries I've scoffed from Yorkshire examples)
Among the sculptural elements in gardens, the ones I coveted most were these metal artichokes and large colourful fibreglass leaves.
The colour of the moment seems to be black foliage, used in several gardens and I bought a black elder which I've long admired and hope to get some of the black angelica (above) which had spectacular flower heads.
This I bought (along with a 'hot lips' sage in the 'taste' marquee where besides lots of food items for sale they had cookery demonstations. Perhaps buttercream iceing wasn't the best thing to show on a hot day !! Lots of herbs and edible plants like this'raised bed' .
On the Sunday we went with Sue and Peter to see 'Bellowhead' at 'Kew the Music' , taking food and wine for a shared picnic. It was a lovely atmosphere and we had a very pleasant evening, Bellowhead were very lively and the support in Billy Bragg and a Scottish folk singer who's name escapes me were also excellent
Sue took one of the nicest photos of Ian and I. Happy Days!
Nice indeed!
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