RHS Tatton Park favourites

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Visitors to the 2016 RHS Tatton Park Flower Show will certainly be taking away a lot of ideas this year after their visit. Sandy Felton offers a snapshot of what we liked, writes Sandy Felton.

side-allium-_o-copyThe Floral Marquee is always the place to find unusual gems as well as new introductions. An unusual and fantastic allium ‘Red Mohican’ caught our eye (pictured left) and the cooling lime green of Heuchera ‘Lime Marmalade’. (below).

I always love displays of alpines and loved the large display bowls on the D’Arcy & Everest stand (Silver-Gilt). The display of the South African orchid ‘Disa’ by Dave Parkinson Plants (Gold) was outstanding. These are difficult orchids to grow in this country and Dave grows them at his nursery in Yorkshire. (all pictured below)

Around the show site there are stunning examples of sculptures by James Doran Webb. James has amassed an extensive collection of driftwood from which he creates large natural sculptures (see banner above) and visitors will find several across the showground.

Disa

Fryer’s Roses brought two new roses to the Show, launched recently at RHS Hampton Court Flower Show and exclusive to the Blue Diamond Group of garden centres, of which Fryer’s is a part.

side-90th-celebrationA Hybrid Tea with an unusual intense purple red bloom – ‘90th celebration’ – named in the year when Queen Elizabeth II and Sir David Attenborough are 90 years old (pictured right) and ‘Bollywood’, also a Hybrid Tea, with double flowers coloured orange with orange blends. As part of Fryer’s membership with Cheshire Gardens of Distinction, they also created a garden entitled ‘Roses through Thyme’ designed by Peter Shirley.

We liked the distinctive garden furniture of Jane Peterson, Garden and Landscape Design from Middlewich. This is a new range of statement pieces which would sit equally well in a modern classical or contemporary setting and they really do make a statement.

middle-chairs-Nurseries put a lot of effort into their displays at flower shows and I particularly liked the acer display on the Norfield Nurseries stand. Acers are displayed beside specially designed ‘acer leaf sculpture’ perfectly setting off these most delightful trees.

side-maplesFinally, if you are looking for a use for some old luggage take a look at the Cathay Pacific photograph below for some inspiration.

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middle-Darcy-EverestD’Arcy & Everest

lime-marmalade‘Heuchera ‘Lime Marmalade’

Photo credits: All photographs ©Reckless Gardener, credit: Emma J Campbell, Photography with the exception of ’90th celebration’ ©Fryer’s Roses.