The rain couldn’t dampen the spirits of the keen gardeners who did attend the eagerly-awaited spring horticultural show. We always arrive early on the first day – Thursday – and recover from the drive by stopping off at Cripple Valley Golf Club, adjacent to the show ground, for breakfast before launching ourselves into the main flower hall.
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| Tulips en masse |
The variety and splendour of the exhibits takes one's breathe away!
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| Clematis alpina |
Despite the difficulties this spring in ensuring plants were in peak
condition, the displays were as magnificent as ever.
Exactly how the exhibitors manage to ensure that the plants are in perfect condition always amazes me. There were varieties of clematis alpina with their fairy-bonnet flowers cheek-by-jowl with the magnificent crown fritillarias together with tulips in a madcap variety of shape and colour.
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| Crown fritillarias |
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| Varieties of tomatoes |
The vegetable displays both put my allotment to shame yet at the same time inspire me to do better. My tomato seedlings are only just visible in the greenhouse whereas those at Harrogate were ripe enough to eat there and then.
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| A cornucopia of vegetables |
Despite not needing to buy any plants, I did manage
to discover a few
that I thought would enhance Pablo’s
garden – mainly plants for dry shade – together with a pygmy water lily for my
tiny pond which was an early birthday present to me from my friend Terry.
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| You've heard of 'roses grow on you'... |
If only the rain would cease I could get planting, inspired by this chap who may, however, be taking his carbon footprint a step too far!
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