Hampton Court Flower Show
28 June 2012
Next week is Hampton Court Flower Show. This year’s focus is on community gardening, something that has definitely been trending.
Four of the gardens at Hampton Court will be built with budget in mind. One incorporates a lot of recycled materials and perennial plants, rather than lots of trees and shrubs.
Whilst the water wise garden concentrates on drought loving plants, which everyone considered a must for future gardens until June produced more rain than expected!
- At the Urban Oasis there is much innovation and this is where you’ll find much of the ‘community’ emphasis
- First there’s a shipping container turned into a community pavilion complete with a green roof and wildlife friendly planting
- A community allotment full of growing food, a greenhouse, herb gardens and fruit trees – for everyone to share
- A community orchard that could be planted among high rise flats in the City. Fruit trees soften concrete and meadows attract bees
- In the Environment Garden nature comes to the City with bird boxes, log piles, insect hotels and wildlife pool
- The Woodland Garden creates a community space in a woodland clearing after a stroll through reed beds and a past a dipping pool – magical
- A new safe play area is created in a gated back alleyway complete with flowers
Don’t forget to visit the floristry marquee to see the creative work with flowers and the rose.
And the Growing for Taste Marquee where you can find lots of innovative gardens like the ‘Grow your own curry’ garden where the necessary exotic herbs and spices are growing; or a forest garden growing some unusual and exotic edible plants. There are lots of other inspiring ideas here too.
