What we loved at BBC Gardeners’ World Live
Gardens
The Show Gardens are there to impress and inspire and this year certainly did not disappoint. Situated outside, we loved meandering along the paths and taking in this year’s beautiful offerings.
Our favourite was ‘A Garden Fit for King’, we had heard about this garden in previews and sketches, but it absolutely wowed us in real life. Designed by Paul Stone, this beautiful garden was a celebration of HM King Charles III’s passion for horticulture and his concern for pollinating insects. And what a sight it was, swathes of wildflowers with bees buzzing between different coloured cornflowers, poppies, calendula and mallow took our breath away. It really is must-see.
We also loved the Perennial Garden ‘Escaping Seasons of The Mind” which was a journey through the seasons illustrating the passing of time through plants with eleven architectural posts not only representing the cityscape but the points of the clock – such a great representation to reflect on.
There were smaller gardens at APL Avenue which are designed for typical back gardens and promoted the theme of ‘Take Me Home’ with easy ideas that can be implemented for everyday gardeners. ‘The Chic Garden Getaway’ caught our eye with its beauty and versatility as an area for the family – for relaxing, growing, playing and entertaining.
The Beautiful Borders feature offers accessible advice that can help you recreate planting in your own backyard space. Claire Morrell’s ‘ ...and breathe’ border offered a tranquil and calm setting where you can wind down from the busyness of everyday life. Plants were chosen for their tranquil and subtle colours, scents and sounds to create a calming area. After a hectic show, we loved this space as it was calling us so much.
Plants
We promised that the British Garden Centres’ stand wouldn’t disappoint, and it certainly didn’t. From shrubs to houseplants, the stand had it all and these were our Plant Buyer’s Top 5 picks.
- Agapanthus ‘Black Jack’: 2023’s New Plant winner at RHS Chelsea, with dark purple, almost black that will provide striking contrast against lighter agapanthus plants and summer blooms.
- Camellia ‘Femme Fatale’: A new red-leaved camellia variety with wine-coloured shoots and contrasting bright red flowers that appear in spring.
- Phalaenopsis 'Bellissimo’: An outstanding showy orchid variety which produces over 100 tiny flowers per plant on just four stems. With an impressive three months of flowering per year, this was a crowd-pleaser at the show.
- Trachelospermum jasminoides: You could smell this before you could see it on the British Garden Centres stand. One of the best climbing plants you can own, the star-shaped flowers are a winner for their sweet scent.
- Eryngium ‘Big Blue’: Known as sea holly, this plant is loved by pollinators the metallic blue flowers and matching thistle-like stems make this great for border contrast.
Expert Advice
Top gardening gurus took to the stage to the delight of the visitors, including Chris Collins, Mr Plant Geek, Alan Titchmarsh, Monty Don, Carol Klein and Frances Tophill.
We loved the talk with Nicki Chapman and Alan Titchmarsh where Alan highlighted how in the sea of bad news, we are bombarded with daily, gardening and plants provide both enjoyment and calm, taking us away into another world away from our hectic daily lives.
We also enjoyed Monty’s informative chat on herbs, the best soil to grow them in as well as how to use them for both cooking and medicinal purposes. We are off to our local store now to check out what’s available for our own kitchen garden!
We were also joined on the British Garden Centres' stand by Chris Collins offering plant advice on Thursday and Friday and by My Plant Geek on Saturday and Sunday who was offering people the chance to try edible flowers.
