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Tatton Flower Show
Went to Tatton yesterday with my partner,( big mistake going with him as he has no interest in gardening.) I was a little dissapointed as there didn't seem to be that many show gardens. They were dotted about the show ground among loads of stalls selling everything you can think of to go in the garden, many far too expensive for the average gardener ! I enjoyed the floral tent and bought some seeds, there was a nice primula i liked but it was £6, for 1 plant ! Who else has been and what did you think?
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The varieties of plants you get at a flower show like Tatton are not the cheap, mass produced, common or garden ones you find in garden centres and supermarkets and DIY stores. They are more unusual and usually raised by hand by the nursermen and women selling them and sometimes from seed they have gathered themselves on expéditions to their place of origin or specially bred and selected. That explains the price difference.
Primulas increase quite easily so you could have bought one, grown it on and multiplied it by division when it was big enough and then you'd have free plants. Most plants can be increased by division or cuttings so, as long as you have patience, you can get lots of free plants.
The size, style and budgets of the show gardens at Tatton, Hampton Court, Malvern and so on are very different from the ones at Chelsea and they tend to have themes. The great thing about all the shows is being able to see plants at the peak of their condition and talk to the growers about their cultivation needs so you can determine whether they will be right for your garden or skills level.
Next time, go with propagation in mind and a friend who likes plants and it will be a much more rewarding day out.
we went yesterday . i thought the gardens were to far spaced out as well . i never buy anything . as i grow from seed . or cuttings that i beg or get given. and the the price of the shabby chic . dolly tubs sinks etc .makes me
and we took our own champers as well
bump . anyone go today
I thought the same aliesh. I loved the floral marque, that's what I went for, but the show gardens being all over the place I couldn't figure it all out! and the programmes were £4, the cost of the tickets and coach for us was enough,without more expense, and yes,the amount of retail was way too much.
and the ice creams!! only posh magnums. we took our own sanwhiches and drinks. bought a few bits,and yes,it was great the different plants you could buy,fantastic variety .
did you see it on bbc2 tho? there were show gardens I didn't see!! then realised I had, they look better on tv!
I went on Thursday, it was the first flower I'd been to. It was unbelievably hot but the organisers, me thought, had planned for it and there were lots of places to buy drinks and ice cream. There was also lots of shade to eat a prepared picnic.
It was busy but I didn't feel hasselled as the walkways were wide. I bought a catalogue but didn't really read it until on the coach back home so missed the allotments and we didn't get to the outdoor flower section until late afternoon which I'd liked to have spent more time looking before buying.
I liked the childrens gardens. We had a very interesting talk given about a school in Manchester who had made a garden. Could have spent the day in the floral tent and country living one but were advised at the information desk to go to these first as they would become too hot in the afternoon.
Good day out...
yay that schools down the road from me
I watched it on bbc2 and enjoyed the relaxed presenting by Monty Don and the team. It didn't look too crowded and the long shots gave the feeling of space.
All looked well planned.
Will go next year, not least to speak to the nurserymen and women
Would lije to see more photos if anyone has them, thanks
ps. can anyone compare it with Chelsea and Hampton Court?
I'm thinking the Harrogate show in September...
I went to Chelsea 2 years ago, it was amazing very different from Tatton
At Chelsea all the gardens are together, the main show gardens are on one avenue and the artisan gardens are also together, then the stalls are seperate but there are not realy any plants to buy there,
I realy enjoyed Chelsea the gardens were fab and they all had leaflets were you could send for the plants they used.
If you are wanting to buy plants Tatton have plenty but like i said earlier some are a little over priced. I took photos of the plants i liked ( they are all labeled ) i have ordered some alliums i saw there that were covered in bees i have got 40 for £3.95 from Sarah Raven, i think they were 15 for £5.00 from the stall at Tatton.
I have not been to any other shows.but would love to go to Harrogate.