On Wednesday my friend and I took the train from Rugby and visited Gardeners World Live in Birmingham. This was my first visit to the show and my first train trip in I don't know how many years. I was more excited about catching the train than I was about the show to be honest. You're not going to believe this but my last train journey was on a steam train to go to my grandma's funeral. How long is it since steams trains were functioning as part of British Rail? Anyway I missed the hissing of the engine, the guard blowing his whistle and the clickety-clack, clickety-clack as the train chugged along. The train we caught was so fast and so silent it was as though we weren't moving at all. The only seats we could get faced the wrong way and looking out of the window made me feel a little queasy to start with. The NEC provided a shuttle bus at the station - so the whole journey only took fifteen minutes from Rugby station to Birmingham NEC - fantastic.
Rain was forecast so we were loaded with raincoats and umbrellas, I also took a picnic which was pretty heavy, but the rain held off - the sun came out - and we sighed with relief.
As it was the first day it wasn't overcrowded and there was plenty of space around the gardens and stalls to be able to see everything. The ubiquitous little pink trolleys for transporting your plants were everywhere, getting in everybody's way, running over your toes and cracking against your ankles. TUT.
There were only a handful of show gardens - mostly very contemporary showing off the hard landscaping
The favourite flowers seemed to be white foxgloves and astrantias in most of the gardens, but this next one was the one I preferred
I loved the shed-cum-greenhouse with a green roof, pond, beehive, small veg plot and cottage garden flowers surrounded with a beech hedge. Lovely.
The plant that I saw most people buying was this white one ORLAYA, an annual in the cow parsley family. So delicate and pretty. Just to let you know - I resisted buying any plants at all, I just don't have any room for anything else. My friend came home with three plants and a tin cockerel ornament.
There was also the Good Food Show on, but by the middle of the afternoon we were getting tired of wandering about, so we didn't bother too much with it. We did sit and listen to Cleve West give a talk about his book Our Plot - about his allotment garden - and after a final cup of tea we made our weary way back to the shuttle to take the train ride home.
It was an enjoyable day and plant collectors and enthusiasts would have been in their element. I am so glad I took a picnic with us as everything was so expensive, but we did lash out and buy some fish and chips for tea when we got back.
Rain was forecast so we were loaded with raincoats and umbrellas, I also took a picnic which was pretty heavy, but the rain held off - the sun came out - and we sighed with relief.
As it was the first day it wasn't overcrowded and there was plenty of space around the gardens and stalls to be able to see everything. The ubiquitous little pink trolleys for transporting your plants were everywhere, getting in everybody's way, running over your toes and cracking against your ankles. TUT.
There was also the Good Food Show on, but by the middle of the afternoon we were getting tired of wandering about, so we didn't bother too much with it. We did sit and listen to Cleve West give a talk about his book Our Plot - about his allotment garden - and after a final cup of tea we made our weary way back to the shuttle to take the train ride home.
It was an enjoyable day and plant collectors and enthusiasts would have been in their element. I am so glad I took a picnic with us as everything was so expensive, but we did lash out and buy some fish and chips for tea when we got back.
You were very restrained Elaine.. I have no willpower when it comes to plants. Glad you had a good day!
ReplyDeleteYes I can't believe it myself - but there was nothing that leapt out at me and said 'buy me buy me'.
DeleteLooks a nice day out. I went a couple of times must be about 8 years ago now and I liked how you could buy plants (which you can't do at Chelsea). Glad you enjoyed the train journey too, maybe it won't be as long until your next one?
ReplyDeleteThis show was all about buying plants but it seemed to me that all the stalls had more or less the same plants on offer.
DeleteThat shed/greenhouse is beautiful. I love the green roof.
ReplyDeleteI loved it too - wouldn't mind one myself.
DeleteIt was a gardeners World live where I first encountered black elder - sambucus nigra - all the gardens were using it in their bedding schemes so we bought one and it grew and grew and grew - certainly no bedding plant. We preferred the show when it was just GWL once the food and homes bit joined in the whole thing got too big really.
ReplyDeleteAs for steam trains we have been on several recently - my husbands passion at the moment!
The plants in the show gardens are all small so it doesn't really give you an idea of how big they will grow and how quickly they will outgrow their space - it's all a bit false really. There just wasn't enough time to go round everything but I guess some people just go to see one element of the show. We are hoping to go on a steam train on the Poppyland tour when we go to N.Norfolk at the end of the month - can't wait.
DeleteI think the gardeners who do show gardens should stick within the limits of what a good 'real-life' gardener could do otherwise it gives a false expectation when people see plants that naturally belong in different seasons all out together and everything flowering at once to give a chocolate box type image.
DeleteThis sounds like a lovely day. My Goodness - that is a long time since you travelled by train. The old steam trains sound so romantic! I would be drawn to the cottage gardens, too - so I think that would also be my favourite.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember the last time I went on a double decker bus either - I know cars are convenient but they aren't as much fun.
DeleteThat will have been a lovely day out withbyour friend and I can imagine the train was most interesting. These flower shows are often so artificial and commercial and those pink trolleys, haha.....
ReplyDeleteI agree about the shows but they do give you a chance to see plants that you wouldn't otherwise come across and also plenty of inspiration to take home with you.
DeleteOh how wonderful. I need one of those pink trolleys. LOL! I love the white foxtails and cottage gardens. I am not to enthused about too much hard landscaping but there is more of it here at the shows too. Where the money is these days I assume. :) I do really like the greenhouse and green roof though. I have never been on a train so I would have been more excited about that right along with you. LOL!
ReplyDeleteIt is a pleasant way to spend a day for a change and the train trip was certainly exciting for me (it doesn't take much to make me happy) - lol.
DeleteI usually see the show on TV, with people dragging these trollies around stuffed with plants, I can’t understand how you managed to resist buying anything! But it must be a great inspiration going to something like that, I remember when I used to go to Chelsea Flower Show, many years ago, I always came home with lots of ideas (and a few plants!)
ReplyDeleteHave a great week-end, take care, Helene.
I have been two or three times and really enjoyed it but havent been for a few years. I prefer gardens to be gardens and the show gardens that are mostly about landscaping for me arent proper gardens.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I would necessarily go again Anne but I am glad I went just to see what it was like.
DeleteOh wow I wuold love to go to this. And taking the train there sounds like it would even make it more awesome :)
ReplyDeleteYes, I really enjoyed it Keith
DeleteI wish we had trains where I live. I've always wanted to ride one!
DeleteSounds like you had a lovely day out. I would have preferred the garden you liked with the pond and beehive, too:)
ReplyDeleteHi Rosie - I agree, I don't like gardens that are too over-designed but something that you can translate in your own garden when you get back home.
DeleteIt sounds, and looks, like you had a really good day.
ReplyDeleteI like the look of that shed/greenhouse and the garden that it's in.
I've got the Cleve West book which I think is excellent so guess that his talk was well worth listening to.
Flighty xx
He actually seemed very shy Flighty - I don't think he was comfortable with public speaking - I am sure he prefers being at his allotment rather than standing talking about it.
DeleteGood grief!!! You SERIOUSLY haven't been on a train since the steam trains????? Amazing! I think train journey on a steam train to go to my grandma's funeral deserves a post in itself!
ReplyDeleteHahahahaha....I laughed out loud about those pink trolleys causing carnage, reminds me of my luggage in airports, lethal I am!!!
I watch that programme love to go, it looks wonderful, some fantastic plants and lots of ideas. I especially love the living shed roof....mmmmmm....may try that.
Food always costs a bomb at these events doesn't it? I'm glad you took a picnic and that the rain held off, and what a wonderful way to round the day off with the fish and chips! Smashin!!! xxxx
I think you've gone one better than a greef roof - you have a green trampoline - now that's much more original.
ReplyDeleteYou managed to get some fantastic photos. I think I would have bought a cow parsley plant. I have the weed all over my garden and really like it in the unmanaged areas.
ReplyDeleteIt would look great in a wild meadow situation - maybe I'll try it from seed if I can find any.
DeleteI do like that white Foxglove and Astrantia combination. Sounds like a great day out.
ReplyDeleteI agree it was a good combination of plants.
DeleteYou really need to use trains more... I always use the train if I want to go to London, and recently have discovered the joys of the Pendolino, London to Liverpool in under 2 hours! And you can knit on the way, now that's better than driving up the motorway!
ReplyDeleteAnd Eurostar opens up a whole new world without having to queue in the airport, marvellous!
Glad you had a good day, I'm growing Ammi this year - I think it's another on trend cow parsley cousoin.
I bet you enjoyed the fish and chips! x
I don't get out and about as much as you Celia, but it certainly opened my eyes as to just how many people used the train - it certainly did take the stress out of travelling.
DeleteWow...that sounds wonderful. I love going to these shows. What a wonderful day1
ReplyDeleteThere were lots of plants to buy but some were really expensive - for example a Pot Marigold was £4.00 - which is ludicrous - it means that all those I have planted out this year add up to about £100 - but I expect some people would be daft enought to pay that price - I am sure a 'real' gardener wouldn't entertain paying that much for something that is so easy to grow from seed.
DeleteSounds like you had a lovely day out and so glad you enjoyed it and your train trip. I've been a couple of times there but not for a while. It was big enough then so if it now has a food show too sounds exhausting! I liked the fact that you can go and listen to talks by some gardeners, I'd have enjoyed hearing Cleve West. I liked the garden you highlighted, I'm like you like the more traditional garden with the hard landscaping taking a back seat. The plants are the stars.
ReplyDeleteIt was very tiring Annie but we kept having a bit of a sit and a cuppa to help revive us and we chatted to other visitors - everyone was very friendly, but gardeners generally are on the whole.
DeleteA train journey and fish and chips for tea, delightful. I have yet to see those ugly pink things on our pacific shores. They look like ankle busters.
ReplyDeleteI have given up going to the large shows-the gardens look out of place in some huge exhibition hall and I start feeling sorry them.