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  • The Small Gardens at the Hampton Court Flower Show

    9th July 2010Hampton Court Flower ShowStephanie Donaldson
    ivy

    Urban Serenity – Ivy wall panel

    The scale of these gardens means that they are an excellent source of inspiration for our own gardens. Among the details that caught my eye was the ivy panel in a timber wall [1] in the ‘Urban Serenity’ garden.

    It's only natural - log bench

    It’s only natural – log bench

    In the ‘It’s Only Natural’ wildlife garden  a curved wooden bench doubled up as a log habitat for insects.

    It's only natural - wildlife pond and willow sculpture

    It’s only natural – wildlife pond and willow sculpture

    This garden was alive with bees and hover flies so the designer clearly knew what he was doing.

    Edible plants in stylish planting

    Edible plants in stylish planting

    Food 4 thought - strawberry table

    Food 4 thought – strawberry table

    Hadlow College’s  ‘Food 4 Thought’ deservedly won the Best Small Garden medal.  Beautifully designed and planted with a mix of ornamental and edible plants I was particularly taken by the table with a central trough in which strawberries were growing.

    A Love Lost Garden - clever detailing

    A Love Lost Garden – clever detailing

    ‘A Lost Loved Garden’ was a garden gone wild with abandoned  metal bedheads artfully arranged and an attractively dilapidated shed.  It was well done and I did like the detailing.

    The Garden Lounge - complete with working lamps

    The Garden Lounge – complete with working lamps

    The ‘Garden Lounge’  stopped me in my tracks. I’m not sure that I liked it (too elaborate for my taste) but the craftsmanship was extraordinary.  The slate lamps were a tour de force and the quality of the hard landscaping was stunning.

    Food for Thought - log wall

    Food for Thought – log wall

    ‘Food For Thought’ (different spelling and a different garden) had created an attractive log wall.  Maybe I’m drawn to these because I do admire nicely stacked logs and do my best to create something similar in our own log store.

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