Scottish Gardening Show

This morning at 10am the gates open at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh for Gardening Scotland 2008. This garden show runs for three days ending at 5pm on Sunday with the sell-off of plants at 4pm on Sunday – a fun time to be there!


This is the main gardening show for Scotland and this year will have 14 Show Gardens. Each year it grows a little bit more but all the favourites are still there too including the television programme team of the Beechgrove Garden which record live question and answer sessions for radio as well as covering other topics in the special marquee.

However, it is the plants and planting combinations that I go to see and the meconopsis above was bought during part of a sell-off on a display a few years ago. Sometimes you can reserve plants and are given a raffle ticket for collecting it – this is what I did with mine.

The RSPB and other organisations will be there too – it is a good day out. I love to see everyone laden with carrier bags or crate baskets of plants. There will be a wide range of visitors at the show from people like me looking for something a bit different and the new gardeners that are in search of inspiration and advice.

Have fun if you are going. I wish you a great time and hope that the weather is kind to you! I am hoping to fit in a visit this weekend myself but clothes shopping for a ball gown for my daughter’s Leaver’s Ball needs to be successful first! The boys have it easy hiring kilts! I cannot believe she is about to leave school – where does the time go?

The photo above was taken in my garden on May 30th 2008.

Chelsea goes green

I have been speculating the ‘in colour’ for Chelsea 2008 and after watching tonight’s television coverage on the BBC it appears that this year it is green. I didn't see that coming although it is not a huge surprise.

If you are a regular visitor you will know that green dominates my garden too. Although I wouldn’t say I was a trend setter having gardened with green for many years. I love green in the garden.


Okay, so tonight you really don’t want to hear about my garden! You will notice a new picture at the top of my side bar. This links directly to the website for The Chelsea Flower Show.

As I type this the judges will be on the final stages of deliberation over who gets medals and what type they should be. Three weeks is all the time the gardens and displays have had with the deadline for completion 7.30am this morning. I am certain there are a lot of exhausted and anxious people tonight!

Early tomorrow morning the medals are handed out and the BBC usually covers this too. There will be tears, smiles and I suspect some jumping for joy!

So do I have any favourites from the small snapshot I have seen tonight? Will I stick my neck out and say who I fancy for best in show? I’d like too but I haven’t seen enough of the gardens yet. Excuses, excuses – I know!

Did you know there are a staggering 600 exhibitors this year? Of that number there are 22 show gardens. Did you also know that gnomes are on the banned list at Chelsea? That did make my smile as they are on the banned list in my garden too!

Okay, you’ve twisted my arm… I am going to say The Laurent-Perrier Garden by designer Tom Stuart-Smith will get best in show.

I also liked The QVC Garden by designers Patrick Clarke & Sarah Price (Wynniatt-Husey Clarke) and the oak pathway suspended above the planting in The Lloyd's TSB Garden by designer Trevor Tooth. I have to say when we see more coverage tomorrow I may well find others I like as much. However on first impression The Laurent-Perrier Garden gets my vote.

Update Tuesday 20th May (Medals Day): I am delighted to announce that The Laurent-Perrier Garden by designer Tom Stuart-Smith was awarded both a gold medal and Best in Show in the category of show gardens. I am thrilled. I do believe, as said in the television coverage, that it was a very brave garden using so much green and I am so glad it was chosen. I hope to show links later so you can see it and the others in some more detail. The website is still being updated. Congratulations go to Tom and his team!

Finally, I'd like to wish everyone visiting this show a great time!

Spring brings...

…daisies, dandelion seeds and clover. It also heralds the start of the flower shows. Chelsea Flower Show is world renowned however it is not the first of the RHS Flower Shows here in the UK. Last weekend the very popular Malvern Spring Gardening Show was enjoyed by many. I saw this show via a BBC television programme for Gardeners' World and thought you might like to see it too.

This broadcast can be seen on BBC iplayer and is available for another 4 days. The file size is 600MB to download if you are interested in watching this programme. I thought this may be of particular interest to visitors outside the UK. This is also how I intend sharing the coverage of the Chelsea Flower Show. You will be able to see it as I see it this year – unless of course you plan on visiting it and if so have a great time! However, coming back to Malvern I do know a man who did visit this show!

Border Reiver has recently started a garden blog, Dancing Jack in the Green, but he probably known more for his wildlife blog Quicksilverbirds blog. I am looking forward to sharing in other garden visits he makes throughout the year. For all those interested in hedgehogs they visit his garden too. I have added his Garden Blog to my links on the sidebar so you can keep up with his garden and visits too. You can see his visit to Malvern here and can enlarge his photos as I did. My favourite was photo number 12 – just my sort of planting. Thanks, Border for sharing your visit with us all. I am certain I won’t be the only one interested in future postings on your new garden blog – good luck with it and happy gardening!

The photo above was taken on a riverside walk along the River Tay yesterday.