Reckless Gardener - RHS Hampton Court Flower Show 2006

After the formality and razzmatazz of Chelsea visiting the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show is like having a good day out with your mates. The space, the delightful backdrop, the masses of trade stalls with all manner of interesting gardening gadgets and gismos and of course the gardens, just make for a perfect day out.

Record temperatures dominated the beginning of this year's show and
certainly added to the carnival feel - although there was competition for any shady spot under any of the many trees on the showground. Sir Cliff Richard and Gloria Huniford (pictured below) charmed everyone and I saw my first wallaby 'Little Roo' on the Anglo Aquarium/Banrock Station garden. This was rather unnerving as at first I thought it was the heat and I was seeing things but delighted to find that it really was a wallaby!

It was great to see Sir Stirling Moss. Stirling was backing the SortED in 10 Campaign which raises awareness of erectile dysfunction. The Senses StimulatED garden, designed by Ground Force stars Tommy Walsh and Kirsty King won Silver for an intimate and sensual garden which embodies love, romance and intimacy (pictured below). It has been designed to help couples spend time together to rekindle their feelings of romance. Tommy Walsh explains: "It’s important to raise awareness of ED and bring this issue out into the open, which is why Kirsty and I are backing the SortED in 10 campaign by exhibiting the Senses StimulatED garden at this year's show. We hope that together with Sir Stirling, we can encourage couples experiencing ED to talk openly about it, seek medical help and rekindle their feelings or romance."

All the plants were chosen to stimulate the love senses so there is a selection of herbs and herbaceous plants chosen for their fragrance, flowers and foilage. Different textures are combined in the hard landscaping interspersing timber, steel and paving. Astrantia major 'Rubra', Verbascum chaixii 'Album' and Rosa 'Dusky Maiden' added to the charm of this garden. (For more information on the SortED in 10 campaign log onto www.sortEDin10.co.uk)

It's always good to see well established nursery's celebrating an anniversary and this year Squire's, a family business founded in 1936, celebrated its 70th. Colin Squire, Chairman of the Squire's group has designed the show garden for the floral marquee, which was planted by Jim Phillips. The garden is an intriguing mix of Mediterranean and English planting with a circular pergola covered in unusual and eye-catching grey/green olives. Colin always has in the back of his mind the need to create something achievable when desiging a show garden and is keen that "visitors to the show can relate to, be inspired by and take home ideas to try in their own gardens." All the varieties used at the show are available in Squire's garden centres. Today the group comprises 11 garden centres, rose nurseries and herbaceous and bedding plant nurseries. So happy birthday Squire's!

I was particularly taken with the buckets for sale at Packhouse. Its great to find individual items for the garden.

Packhouse is based outside Farnham and sells French, Italian and European antiques and interiors as well as a vast selection of garden artefacts and architectural salvage items. The buckets are hand painted and have a motif on the front and look as though they have just come out of the Royal Mews. Great hanging up outside the garage or on the patio. (www.packhouse.com)

Fruit and vegetable champion, Medwyn's of Anglesey, won an RHS Gold Medal and the Tudor Rose for Best Exhibit in the Floral Marquees. Medwyn recently suffered an ccident and has had to manage the staging of his exhibit via his hospital bed, so well done once again Medwyn. Also stunning in the Floral Marquee is Fir Trees Pelargonium Nursery (Gold) who won 'Most Creative Exhibit'.

This year two new categories were added to show exhibits - Conceptual Gardens and Inspiring Spaces. Best Conceptual Garden went to Acorn Garden Design (Gold) for the 'Danger of Need' which took the story of Adam and Eve as its theme. Best Inspiring Place went to White Row Farm for 'Farm and Garden' (Gold). Inspiring Spaces is designed to give gardeners ideas on how to brighten up small and difficult areas and White Row used rustic agricultural equipment with hops and half hardy plants to link farm produce and gardening.

You go home from Hampton Court bursting with ideas so its always a good idea to take a notepad with you and jot down what takes your fancy to jog your memory later. I find that your senses are so stimulated with everything it can suddenly become a jumble and you miss out on those really good design ideas or planting themes that might work really well for you. So if you are visiting the show take your pad and don’t forget the sun cream.