The RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show is the world’s largest annual flower show.
In 2015, the show celebrates its 25th year; a silver anniversary celebration of plants, flowers, gardens and gardeners. RHS Hampton Court celebrated its silver anniversary, with a maze, bedding scheme display and cakes made of flowers.
2015 seems to be a year full of celebrations; and some of the gardens were designed with these in mind.
It is 800 years since Runnymede was the scene of King John and his Barons signing an historic document. Magna Carta may not have been the great document of freedoms that many people seem to think it is, but we have seen a few gardens using 1215 for inspiration; including two at RHS Hampton Court.
One small traditional bedding scheme using semperivrens, or house leeks.
Perhaps on a smaller scale, this would make a lovely centre piece for a family celebration; a silver wedding anniversary perhaps.
And another with purple bubbling water and a copy of the document as a backdrop.
However, we didn’t spot any Agincourt gardens to celebrate 600 years since Henry V’s victory in France – a lost chance there, Plews Nathan wishes we’d thought of that one earlier!
Neither did we see any Waterloo gardens at RHS Hampton Court although we saw a couple at RHS Chelsea in May with Wellington and Napoleon as inspiration.
Away from war and kings, two much loved and famous literary anniversaries were celebrated with gardens.
Winnie the Pooh first appeared in public in 1925, 80 years ago. We found him playing Pooh sticks amid wild flowers.
Whilst 150 years ago, Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland was published. As well as a tea party garden, we saw a topiary Alice and friends.
What else did we find inspiring in the gardens at RHS Hampton Court on their silver anniversary?
We thought the use of coal spoil to create a water feature in the green seam garden was a fascinating example of recycling; loved the contrast of industry and nature.
The use of mirrors was a feature in many gardens; the trick is to make people unsure as to whether there is a mirror as in the foundations for growth garden;
or to trick the eye as in the world vision garden’s sunken mirrored planters.
Although the most impressive use of mirrors had to be in the endless field of maize as you peered through a steel cube in the Malawi garden
All in all a successful show; weather wise looking to be one of the hottest shows at RHS Hampton Court in its 25 year history.
Not that the British weather – hot, wet or windy (was it really as far back as 2004 that the show was closed early due to storms!) stops the public from visiting and enjoying the flower show – RHS Hampton Court Flower Show has been awarded the title of Garden Event of the Year by the International Garden Tourism Network. So congratulations twice over!
As for gardens and the great pavilion in previous years, you could download our eBook,”RHS Hampton Court Flower Show – Plews View 2012-16” Available directly from our website. And if you would like to talk with us about designing your own ‘Hampton Court garden’, please get in touch!
