I went to the Hampton Court Flower Show on Monday and bought a greenhouse… I didn’t actually take it home with me, just ordered it ready for delivery in September, when our garden renovation should be complete.
I’m pretty excited about our little greenhouse, it’s only 2 x 2metres and it’s got a smart dark-green frame. There are usually show-offers on this sort of thing, so it had 20% off the price. No more over-wintering plants in the shed or trying to start plants off inside, light-filled window-sills are distinctly lacking here.
Just before the excitement of the greenhouse, I made a bee-line for the small show gardens. This is partly out of nostalgia for the 2 gardens that I designed a few years ago at The Show, but mainly because they’re such inspiring little spaces.
I think you’ll like these fabulous small, front gardens designed by winners of a competition organised by The R.H.S. and B.B.C. local radio.
This is a Cornish garden Tre Wostiwedh [Home At Last], by Jenny Booty, Lizz Dobinson, Nicky Shellis and TimWalker, I know, that’s what I thought, 4 designers … but they obviously made it work.
Fabulous tree ferns in this front garden
All these plants are designed for a Cornish garden, so they may be too tender to use further North, but you can usually find hardier plants with similar shapes.
Lush plants and tree ferns
Tender plants like these purple Aeonium could be housed in a greenhouse over winter…. if you’re lucky enough to have one!
A pretty Agapanthus flower
Sizzling Hemerocallis aka Daylily
This is ‘Fancy a brew? Take a Pew by Lee Burkhill, who won the Manchester local radio competition. I like how the edging to the cobbled path leading up to the front door gives such a strong lay-out, and the raised bed-seating arrangement is a neat idea.
Another lovely water feature
Front gardens really matter, A LOT … they’re so often paved over and I understand how much parking spaces matter, but you can see here how much value they can add. They’re great habitats for birds and beneficial insects, they soak up rainwater and help to prevent flooding, and we’ve had enough of that recently. It’s probably the only part of your garden that you walk through every day, so why not make it wonderful.
If your front garden is also your parking space, then why not add a little planting round the edge. Maybe a bit of hedging or a Clematis climbing round the door, a bit of greenery does us the world of good.
Did you get to the Show this year? Please leave a comment and let me know what you think.
Jill
all photos: Jill Anderson.
What a good point- it’s the only part that
You walk through everyday, so make it wonderful.
Hm. Yes, I probably should be planning the front a lot more than I am! Thankyou for pointing this out! Love your blog. P
Thank you so much for your kind comment about the blog! I think we ignore front gardens because they’re small, but it’s amazing what you can fit into a small space. : )
You’re a far better photographer than I am Jill. Great piece there. Funny the things you saw I now wish I’d spent longer admiring, in better detail.
X peter
Thank you Peter! The thing is, it’s such a big show that you can’t take it all in. I take hundreds of photos and ‘see’ things that I hadn’t really noticed at the time. What a great day though!
Thank you for all the lovely photos you have sent out. I went to the Show yesterday and found it excellent. I, too, liked the front gardens display – very inspiring.
Hello Nicola, There is always so much to see at the Show, something for everyone, and nice to be able to buy plants, although I didn’t get any this year. I’m glad you liked the photos, I do like sharing them!