RHS Hampton Court Flower Show celebrates summer

The Royal Horticultural Society's (RHS) Hampton Court Palace Flower Show will unfold for the 22nd time this summer, taking over the palace grounds with a lavish feast for the senses. Spanning 34 acres, it is the UK's biggest gardening show and has grown into a British cultural institution that is sure to delight both young and old green-fingered visitors.

RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show is always a delight to visit – the superb backdrop of the Palace itself, the space to wander and enjoy the many show gardens including the inspiring conceptual gardens.

The wonderful Festival of Roses (always a favourite) is a rose lover's paradise and a chance to see the winner and runners-up in the Rose of the Year title.

RHS Hampton Court Palace is also a show where you can buy just about everything for your garden and outdoor life.  There is also plenty of inspiration particularly on the RHS Edible Garden where you will find a fantastic range of beautiful plants which promise to be a feast for the eyes and the stomach!

Copella, has joined forces once again with landscape designer Sadie May Stowell to raise the awareness of the plight of English Apple varieties. The Copella 'Plant and Protect' Garden has been created to celebrate the beauty and diversity of English apples and encourage people to plant and protect their own apple trees, following the decline of English apple orchards and the decrease in demand for traditional English varieties.

Amazingardens 'The Eye of the Internet Maze' designed by Judy Cornford will look at the problems often faced by older generations when trying to learn IT and internet skills. This garden will feature Monkey Puzzle trees surrounded by a tangled mesh of Corokia cotoneaster to illustrate hindering progress.

David Domoney can always be relied upon to come up with something unexpected and his 'The Naked Garden' for Anglian Home Improvements should prove interesting. This horticultural space will enable plants to 'get their pots off' by exposing the shrubs in a series of cleverly constructed glass containers.

A Japanese inspired garden, the 'Virtual Reality Garden' designed by Bruce Waldock is designed to show that virtual reality is not a modern concept and that Japanese garden makers have long been creating virtual worlds.

"The Stockman's Retread: Worldskills London 2011 Team UK' is built by a team of young people, under the direction of Harry Turner and Chris Beardshaw. Featuring woodland and a flowering meadow, the build team are showcasing the skills they will be demonstrating when they compete as Team UK at WorldSkills London 2011.

This year, poetry in the gardens at Hampton Court will be ably demonstrated by the Poets' Gardens. From the quirky world of the Jabberwocky to the lost love of Bryon, visitors will be able to immerse themselves into imaginative new worlds that beautifully present the poems. There are six gardens by six diverse designers so you can walk in the steps of Kipling among the poplars of France as he awaits news of his son, discover a witch below Mont Blanc or watch out for the dangerous Jabberwocky at every corner.

In celebration of their 50th anniversary, the WWF has joined forces with award winning designer, Fiona Stephenson, to reflect the unique beauty of chalk streams and tell the story of the WWF's water conservation work. 'Why We Care About Chalk Streams' supported by the HSBC Climate Partnership, will create a tranquil chalk stream with a twist; aiming to inspire visitors to protect the UK's threatened rivers and eco-systems. The garden hints at a typical country scene, however, on closer inspection hidden messages will be revealed!

One of the highlights at Hampton Court Flower Show this year is going to be a unique and exciting night garden. A whole host of lighting and planting ideas will show how enjoying your garden doesn't have to stop after dusk. Constructed within a large blacked-out marquee, The Cube Lighting garden takes you on a journey to experience how the personality of a space can be magically transformed after dark. Plants have been chosen for their performance value after dusk and designer Kari Beardsell’s message will be that all gardens can be transformed into something magical so there is no need to retreat indoors and close the curtains at the end of the day!

For those who love heathers, the British Heather Growing Association's small garden, 'Heathers in Harmony' designed by Will Quarmby (runner up in the RHS National Young Designer of the Year 2010) will be one not to miss. This is an urban garden for a family wanting low maintenance.

Greenes of Sussex Ltd have designed a garden which will be a fusion of old and new, inspired by the tight and formal structure of traditional gardens like Athelhampton, with their very contained compartments and romantic and old fashioned planting. Watch out for this garden if you love natural stone and specimen roses.

So its off to RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show for everything from naked plants to English apples and a lot of inspiration in between.

RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2011 is open from 5th to 10th July, 2011, at Hampton Court Palace, Surrey, KT8 9AT. Information and tickets available on:
www.rhs.org.uk/hamptoncourt

Picture Credit: Top photo - Hampton Court Palace - Reckless Gardener.
Bottom image - RHS Hampton Court Flower Show © Jon Enoch.