Ahoy Gardening Scotland!

So yesterday I was at Gardening Scotland, which is the largest garden show north of the border. It was a chilling day (in the physical sense) with a tugging tearing wind that wouldn't leave you alone. I had learnt from last year and layered up which meant apart from when sitting down to eat the largest chocolate twist in the world, I was warm. Not so my companions (Husband, Sister in law and Outlaws) who never quite got warm.

Here is my favourite stand from the Floral Hall, for Binny's plants. This won best display and really deserved to- the planting was thick and luscious with a veiled effect in places. Last year I took most of my inspiration from the Floral Hall displays and took lots of plants for these stands home. This year they were of a lower standard with drooping and browning plants. Here are some jaunty Alliums.

Although I know it's wasteful, I did get a £2 Allium Niger which ha still to come, and will start white and progress through to dark purple. I love Alliums and m planning to include them in my autumn bulbathon.

So if I didn't get inspiration from the Floral Hall, was there any kicking about? Well the good news was that the outside show gardens had some good ideas. Many were fairly horrific with a focus on some sort of gimmick rather than a great concept and delivery. Below is a picture of one of the Pallet gardens which are usually schools - Jamie and I were really inspired by this one and have decided to try some elements of 'Allotment Chic' in ours.

Many of the gardens would not have been out of place on Bournemouth sea front or in a Britain in Bloom competition - clashing bedding plants, clashing colours, hard landscaping creating a jarring effect and not height in the beds. The one below won best show garden and it was fantastic.

One of the tendencies I have as a gardener is to over plant - not in terms of volumes but by type. I know that repeating patterns of similar plants is much softer on the eye but the plant magpie in me cannot resist. This garden below has very restrained planting and I love the water. The decking however is heinous.

Finally I also loved this one - The rills and wooden boards and lovely and the plant fiend in me loved the lushness (more height needed?)

I wouldn't want to give the impression that I have sneered at Gardening Scotland, as in fact I'm very grateful it exists. I harbour dreams of heading to Chelsea next year, but in this garden show I can take plants home which is fab (7 bought, more in another post). I think that there are some great exhibitors at the show but that many of the others lack a bit of vision and focus on gimmicks and fads rather than strong design and planting.

Finally I have to mention The Beechgrove Garden which is Scotland's answer to Gardeners' World. It lack the beauty and spirit of GW but I like to watch it because the weather and times to plant out are aligned with my garden. It is a cheaper substitute with 2 older male presenters who are very knowledgeable (jumpers with elbow patches) and to female presenters who continually defer to the supposed greater knowledge of the men. They always talk about the need for young blood in gardening but are all over 50. Anyway, on Friday the Beechgrove team visited the show and did a great series of clips. One memorable one had one of the female presenters telling a disabled athlete that the accident that paralysed her was meant to be and a hilarious moment where a guest emerged from the side of the shot and the other female presenter clearly expected him from the other side. Summed it up for me.