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Hampton Court Flower Show next week....
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Message 1.Â
Posted by welshcol (U2301689) on Friday, 3rd July 2009
Hope the weather for the HCFS is as good as it has been at Wimbledon.
Got soaked there two years ago and similarly daughter nearly drowned there last year,
slight exaggeration
.
Fingers crossed anyway Joe and Rachel kick things off on Monday at 7-30pm Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú-2 with preview. -
Message 2
Posted by Paul N (U6451125) on Friday, 3rd July 2009
For the last couple of years the Daily Mail have special ticket offers which greatly reduced the costs. Not sure if they are doing it this year. I'm not sure I can cope again with the crowds though.
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Message 3
Posted by Petalina (U13862206) on Saturday, 4th July 2009
Or with having to buy the Daily mail
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Message 4
Posted by the cycling gardener (U2350416) on Wednesday, 8th July 2009
Well, I went yesterday. My first time to Hampton Court. Took 1-1/2 hours of M25 congestion to get to Junction 11 then a further 45 minutes along the A3035 (basically a car park) through Weybridge (all traffic lights, pedestrian crossings and roundabouts). Got to the park and ride so coughed up £3 to park. An interesting journey to Hampton Court Station on the top deck of a double decker (great for seeing over hedges and nosing into front gardens). A bit miffed on disembarkation that we were greeted by a chap with a load hailer telling us to catch a launch on the Thames to the entrance (another £1.50).
So, after 2 hours 45 minutes travelling (to do 42 miles) I made it into the show. The heavens opened immediately so hot footed it into the Tudor Rose pavilion which was hot and sweaty (swine flu breeding ground) and looked at the somewhat lacklustre roses which probably looked great prior to hundreds of people grabbing the blooms to take a sniff. Rain subsided so meandered around the show gardens (not a patch on Chelsea) then the stalls, every other seeming to sell quaint plant pots, filigree holders or twirling light catcher thingies. Another down poor so off to the loo in a prefabricated building of the type used as overflow classrooms. The smell of human waste products was overpowering - thank goodness it wasn't hot and sunny. Then on to find a bite to eat. There appeared to be more fast food outlets than garden related stalls. They were everywhere. Desperate for a sit down but the small amount of seating available was soaked. Some more organised individuals than I had brought cloths to wipe them with so were able to sit and listened to a very average group playing dire music in a sort of bandstand effort all the time breathing the wafty scent of fish and chips, burgers and all things fatty and not good for you. Meandered via the floral pavilion to The Country Living marquee which was rammed (again a swine flu breeding ground) by which time I'd had enough. Coming across James Alexander-Sinclair doing a piece to camera (over and over again) in one of the Tudor gardens delayed my exit and lifted my spirits momentarily. I was so underwhelmed I found solace in one of those naughty whippy ice creams with a flake then hot footed out of the place. I won't be going again. Over priced, over hyped and over-crowded. -
Message 5
Posted by welshcol (U2301689) on Wednesday, 8th July 2009
Your experience is one you will not be repeating in a hurry then!!. So sorry you had such a poor day. I don't know what it is, and accepting the fact that we cant do much about the weather, but when I visited the HCFS two years ago I thought the rose pavilion most disappointing and messaged that at the time with a general concurrence from several other visitors. I have seen better presented displays in my local county show. I do not know what it is, it cant be the time of year or pedigree of exhibitors but IMHO its something that needs resolving
urgently. -
Message 6
Posted by crouchee (U13371975) on Wednesday, 8th July 2009
Poor CG, sorry you had such a rotten time at HC. I've been rather spoilt this year by going on press day, also had fun yesterday while manning (womaning?) the Marshalls Seeds stand, shame I missed you, I could have sneaked you some free seeds!
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Message 7
Posted by the cycling gardener (U2350416) on Thursday, 9th July 2009
Yes, what a shame. I would have made a beeline for the Marshalls stand had I known you were there and introduced myself. So glad you had a better experience than me. I think, perhaps, I expected too much.
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Message 8
Posted by crouchee (U13371975) on Thursday, 9th July 2009
Ah well, come to Taunton Flower Show, I'll treat you to tea.
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Message 9
Posted by Trillium (U2170869) on Thursday, 9th July 2009
Streuth Crouchee,
Are there any shows you aren't going to? How are you keeping on top of the garden with all this gadding about? -
Message 10
Posted by Stormy_Pink (U13912310) on Thursday, 9th July 2009
Hi Cycling Gardener, I must have been close by as I suspect I watched James doing the same piece to camera that you did.
I too thought the rose tent was very dissapointing, as were most of the plant stands outside -I can get a more diverse range of plants for sale at my local car boot. I was also rather annoyed that several of them were selling Salvia black and blue without clearly labelling that it was tender. When I checked with the seller they looked very sheepish before stammering that it was indeed tender and would need special care, the couple infront of me who had just bought one looked most upset. I suspect they weren't the only ones who bought it without realising
I thought the floral marquee was excellent though and throughly enjoyed spending a few hours in there.
Stormy -
Message 11
Posted by Coolblueshed (U14005692) on Friday, 10th July 2009
Cycling Gardener - You sound like one of those health-fascists to me. Of course it's going to be "rammed" - it's a major event. Wimbledon is rammed. Glastonbury is rammed. I'm going on Saturday for the 4th time. Well looking forward to it. I've loved the last three years. I especially love a bag of chips and a pint by the bandstand at lunchtime.
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Message 12
Posted by JM (U2179966) on Friday, 10th July 2009
We went on Tuesday, it was our first time there, and though we enjoyed it we won't be going again in a hurry. Though the weather was iffy we didn't get too wet as there were plenty of marquees to dodge into, but the crowds were huge. We got in as it opened and almost immediately it seemed to fill up to capacity and you had to walk sideways to get anywhere which was very tiring. Chelsea has never seemed so packed to me.
I liked the fact that you could buy plants you liked from the exhibitors, but on the whole it all seemed to be more of a mega shopping experience than a flower show. I also agree that the show gardens were not as interesting as they were at Chelsea, but by the time we got round them all I was feeling rather brassed off with all the shoving and pushing, so wondered if that may have affected my judgement! -
Message 13
Posted by Nanpickle (U8967581) on Friday, 10th July 2009
We went about 5 years ago - I was going to go by coach, but OH (NOT a gardener) said he would take me by car bless him. Although the weather was good, there had been a lot of rain earlier in the week and it was almost Glastonbury. We squelched around, peered through the crowds and almost got a look at some of the gardens, not so many food stalls then, and queues were horrendous at those there were, could not find anywhere to sit, so after buying some plants we gave up and headed homeward. Every year I grin and ask "Fancy Hampton Court ?" His reply is unrepeatable and I must confess I think I would rather stick pins in my eyes than go again. I now enjoy watching it on TV - I get to see far more than if I were actually there. Nan x
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Message 14
Posted by Paul N (U6451125) on Friday, 10th July 2009
Quite, I agree with what has been said. I went in 2007 and 2008 but shalln't be hurrying back. It's far too crowded for me, so much so that it's impossible to see the show gardens. We squelched around in the mud last year even though the organisers did their best with duck boards.
No, I prefer our local show and even then by 1pm, it's time to get away to sanity. -
Message 15
Posted by welshcol (U2301689) on Wednesday, 15th July 2009
Just watched Episode 1 of HCFS from Thursday 9th July and except for 10 minutes of garden sanity discussing medals etc appeared to be a mix of Blue Peter and Monty Python. If this is a true reflection of show content I am glad I did not go. However belief is it was a Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú production jolly jape of gardening dumbing down in extreme!!!.
Weather looked good.
Just wondering if it worth watching Episode 2 or to free up some hardrive space? -
Message 16
Posted by the cycling gardener (U2350416) on Sunday, 19th July 2009
Cycling Gardener - You sound like one of those health-fascists to me. Of course it's going to be "rammed" - it's a major event. Wimbledon is rammed. Glastonbury is rammed. I'm going on Saturday for the 4th time. Well looking forward to it. I've loved the last three years. I especially love a bag of chips and a pint by the bandstand at lunchtime.Â
Hi Coolblueshed. Not sure what a health-fascist is. I enjoy being healthy - not too keen on illness. If that makes me medically right wing then hey, I hold my hands up, guilty as charged but I wouldn't want to be associated with fascism in any other respect. As to being rammed - I don't mind if I'm getting value for money. When I visit Chelsea I feel its been worth the ROI in time AND money. Sadly it wasn't the case at Hampton. I'm glad the experience is different for you and hope you had a good time as usual - the chips are very popular. (Personally I'd have preferred one of Matthew Wilson's pizzas.)
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