Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Tatton Park Flower Show 18th - 22nd July 2007

Lots of fun and a whole show of cracking flower beds – the RHS / Ball Colegrave National Flower Bed Competition at RHS Tatton just explodes in colour.

At Tatton the unsung heroes of our parks and gardens departments can really come into their own, and this year is no exception. The guys and girls have come up with some amazing displays which reflect the area they come from.

My all out favourite is from Preston City Council who have done a 'Cracking Flower Bed' as a tribute to Nick Park's famous Wallace and Gromit. (pictured above & below) Just raved about the sheep hanging baskets - what fun.

'Just Fyne William' from Bury Metropolitan Borough Council (pictured below) is another brilliant display commemorating Richard Crompton, born in Bury, and his famous creation 'Just William'. The use of the blackboard with phrases from the books such as "Violet Elizabeth just squeams and squeams" was a nice touch.

Blues, Silver and white dominate Wakefield Council's 'Time & Tide' celebrating one man's 40 year quest to measure longitude while Darlington Borough Council - Woodburn Nursery - use purples, orange and reds in their flower bed 'Regal Glory' depicting peacocks roaming free in Darlington's South Park.

Carlisle City Council's 'Railway City', celebrating the City's rich railway history, is also a lovely display, complete with its own train (pictured left).

Stoke-on-Trent City Council bring us a taste of Clarice Cliff with 'Made in Stoke-on-Trent'. Inspired by the vibrant art deco pottery of Clarice they use a painted bridge, curving black stemmed basket trees and brightly coloured bedding to bring the pottery to life. Clever use of Marigolds and black grass provide a distinctive border with swathes of Coleus and Lobelia to recreate the details of her classic designs.

Loved the Roman columns created with sempervivums from Mansfield District Council and the Gondola with its colourful canal of reds, pinks and yellows from Cheshire County Council who depict the 'Grand Tour' celebrating Samuel Egerton of Tatton’s trip to Venice in 1730. (pictured below)

What always amazes me about the Flower Bed Competition is the way height is gained in the gardens. We have a Gondola, a Train, hanging sheep (literally) dray horses, Roman columns and a boat, to name just a few. Clever, colourful and entertaining, this year's displays are better than ever.

Local authorities and communities have to work with a 7m x 4m bed using a wide range of plant material supplied by Ball Colegrave Limited from their commercial catalogue. The results are stunning and its good to see this category going from strength to strength each year.