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Carol Klein, Chelsea Flower Show, Joe Swift, Malvern Spring Show, RHS Flower Shows, Terry Walton
The flower show season is now in full swing, with Cardiff, the first, in mid-April and the prestigious Chelsea only a week away. This weekend was the turn of Malvern. Not too far from my home, the showground is set below the stunning Malvern Hills, which run like a spine through the Worcestershire countryside. It had been a while since our first visit, long before we had a garden of our own, so we thought it was about time we returned and on Saturday morning, under cloudless skies we set off. After a detour to buy some sun-cream. I know, would you believe it?
‘Best in Show’ winners Cacti-growing Specialists Southfields Nursery
Flower shows are big events on a grand scale, with huge marquees where plant nurseries display their wares, creating stands to show off their plants to their best and competing for a RHS medal and the ultimate ‘Best in Show’ award. Outside the marquees you’ll find row upon row of trade stands selling everything horticultural and more besides. At Malvern there was a botanical art exhibition; talks from allotment guru Terry Walton and TV presenters Carol Klein and Joe Swift and a multitude of independent food producers with tasty treats to sample and buy. You could see stunning floral art designs and artisan craft producers from jewellers to furniture makers. For the uninitiated shows like this can seem a little daunting with so much to see and buy, it can all be a bit overwhelming, so here are a few tips on how survive a flower show.
A gorgeous display of Sweet peas
Firstly, get there early to beat the crowds. Shows seem to get very busy by lunchtime. If you can get there as the gates open you won’t have to queue to get into the car park and queue to get your ticket and if you want to take photos it’s your chance to get some images without people walking into shot.
If you’ve followed my first tip then make the most popular attractions your first port of call. The show gardens and floral marquees can be hard to see once the crowds have built up. Don’t worry about the plant stands running out of stock. The nurseries come well prepared.
There are plenty of places to get some food and drink but if you want to save your money for shopping and a few extra plants it might be worth bringing some of your own sustenance. Don’t however eat your lunch whilst wandering around the plant exhibits. It’s rather off-putting to discover someone chomping on their potent smelling sandwich right near your ear, whilst you’re deciding whether or not purchase a delicate little Saxifrage. I apologise to the nursery owner for the lost purchase but I couldn’t linger. It was the equivalent of being trapped on a bus next to a Big Mac eater!!
Alchemy Gardens and Villagio Verde Silver-Gilt Medal Winners and their show garden Un Poco de Hogar (A Little bit of Home)
Bring some cash and a cheque book (yes they still have a use) as not all the exhibitors have access to card machines. Don’t worry if you run out of ready money though and you just can’t say no to the 8ft tall wooden giraffe, there are on site cash machines.
Beautifully displayed carnivorous plants exhibit
You can rack up quite a bit of mileage wandering around the showground so wear comfy shoes. This is not the place to worry about fashion. The celebs who will attend Chelsea next week may turn up in the latest wedges or towering heels but I bet they won’t walk much further than the Pimms tent. Wellies maybe necessary if it has been wet as thousands of feet on muddy ground can very quickly turn it into a quagmire. Heeled cowboy boots are not recommended if the limping lady walking past us, as we were leaving, was anything to go by.
And finally, remember to enjoy the experience. Use it as a day to be inspired and to acquire some goodies. The sites are large and it takes some stamina and leg work to see everything. Pace yourself and sit and watch the world go by, and a surprising amount of extendable mops (it really is amazing what you can buy at these places). Treating it as a military campaign may not make for the most satisfying day out, certainly not for the partner of the lady who marched past me shouting to her trailing companion that the plants she wanted were over there, pulling her already laden trolley behind her. He dutifully followed with a weary look on his face and the show had only been open an hour. If you have got an extensive list of must-buys make use of the on-site porter and plant creche services.
With Chelsea, Gardeners’ World Live, Hampton Court and Tatton all still to come there are plenty of opportunities to visit a flower show this year. For more information on the RHS show programme.
wellywoman 
Thank you for your very useful observations, I’ll take all this on board when I visit Gardeners’ World live for the first time next month.
Sounds like you had a great day and were lucky with the weather!
Mrs Simplicity, We had a lovely day and the weather was incredible considering. I’m sure you’ll have a great time at Gardeners’ World Live.
Beautiful pictures, descriptions and tips. We have flower shows but not FLOWER SHOWS like you describe. Sounds like a delightful experience.
Hi Judy, We are lucky we have such events here in the UK. They are great days out and definitely worth a visit.
Ha! Excellent guide – this brings back fond memories of Malvern, particularly the mops! It’s the first thing you see when you go into the show ground, which I’ve always thought is a bit bizarre.
I’ve never had a smelly sandwich experience, I’m happy to say, but people’s footwear beggars belief! I’ve seen so many people wearing open-toed sandals at flower shows, when it’s freezing cold or pouring with rain. Or suede boots. They must be bonkers. It’s a flower show, not a fashion parade.
I wear Birkenstocks (hot weather), trainers (cool weather) or wellies that I KNOW ARE COMFORTABLE (wet weather). I have to remember that not only will I go round the whole show, but because I’m such a ditherer, I will probably want to go back to things several times, which means I’ll walk something like five times the distance I think I’m going to walk.
Victoria, There were plenty of Ugg boots on display too. I’m exactly like you, preferring to see everything first before committing to buying but I’ve learnt that I don’t have the stamina or the memory to go back to the stands after several hours. I now practice the ‘if I want it buy it’ rule. It works with clothes shopping too, which I detest. I have had too many days where I have returned empty handed simply through exhaustion even though I had seen something I liked . I can spend hours in the garden or on the allotment but shopping, even for plants, loses its appeal fairly quickly.
Great post. Bring cash and cheque book good advice. It’s all so tempting!!!
I’ve got Friday’s Gardeners World to watch yet, which I believe was filmed at Malvern, I’m looking forward to watching it. My biggest tip would be to wear shinguards, you definitely need some protection against all those trollies which people insist on ramming in to your legs.
Hi Jo, Yes it was filmed at Malvern. They always film on the first day, the Thursday and the weather wasn’t very nice, so we were lucky to get such glorious weather. Those trollies were everywhere. I didn’t get rammed fortunately.
Ah, it was another lovely show, wasn’t it? We had a good day’s visit too. Although there are always far too many people who should not be let loose with those pull-along-plastic trolleys that they ram into everybody’s ankles without a care in the world… 🙂
Hillwards, Ah those trollies. My husband did suggest he was going to give up the day job and just sell those at events all year. They must be one of the best selling items. I just wonder what people use them for afterwards?
The bane of every similar show… but a good money spinner indeed! Yes what do they do with afterwards? Perhaps they plant them up on the patio!
We have nothing like that in Denmark, I’m afraid, but there is a smaller plant market at one of the local art museums next Monday, so I might go there and maybe even book a spot in one of the workshops or a ticket for one of the talks.
Flaneur, We are really spoilt for plant show here in the UK. I would certainly recommend a visit to one if you were in the UK at the same time. However sometimes the smaller events are better, not exhausting or overwhelming. You’ll have to post about the plant market, sounds like a great idea and in a great setting.
The setting is wonderful; it’s one of my favourite museums in Copenhagen, located on the “palace island” – which is not, in fact, where the queen lives but the site of the parliament – and it is dedicated to perhaps the only internationally renouned sculptor from Denmark, Thorvaldsen. He’s big enough to have his own gallery at the Louvre…
I really look forward to it!
it seems that the real money to be made was not the plants, or any garden paraphernalia but in selling those fold out trollies. Those people must have made a mint, everyone seemed to have them.
Brings back memories from 5 yrs ago, went with a friend and had a super time even though we came home exhausted! I would say leave the cheque book at home – too tempting -limit yourself!
Pauline, you’re right. If you have problems with willpower you really need to set a budget. It would be all too easy to come away with way too much.
Jo and Hillwards: I once bought a trolley at Hampton Court to carry home a huge canna that I’d bought. James Alexander-Sinclair saw me with it and said he would not speak to me until I’d got rid of it.
I’ve made a note re high heels and I like the sound of the Pimms tent. I’m generally not good with crowds in any situation so I can absolutely sympathise re someone stuffing their face right next to you – eugh. Glad you had good weather. How restrained was your shopping? Tell me you didn’t buy a mop. Dave
Dave, I didn’t buy a mop. Not sure why you would go to one of those events and buy one, isn’t that what B&Q is for? My shopping was fairly restrained. A couple of herbs and some veg plug plants to replace ones of my own own that never germinated. Some verbena bonariensis and silene and some plant supports. My feet were so tired by mid afternoon there could have been a stall giving plants away for free and I wouldn’t have been interested. I don’t like these events when they’ve become really busy too much like the New Years sales for my liking. Oh there was an enamel bucket as well to put my cut flowers in this summer. Still fairly restrained considering how much temptation was in front of me.
Although enjoyable, and always tiring, I find such days out too much of an effort now so make so with smaller, local events. xx
Hi Flighty, small is often best, sometimes the choice is too overwhelming at these big events.
Some excellent showgoing advice WW especially the suggestion of visiting the flower marquee and show gardens early in the day. I would also recommend buying a porgramme although they are becoming rather expensive. They can be ordered in advance so you can do some forward planning. Also many nurseries will bring plants to the show if you place an order beforehand. Malvern remains my favourite show – think that is a combination of the beautiful setting and the time of year. Sorry that you did not come across any shrub nurseries but what did you come home with?
My Malvern goodies were – some herbs and veg plug plants, verbena bonariensis and silene, an enamel bucket for my cut flowers and some plant supports. Pretty restrained I think and all useful, no plants that I’m left wondering where I’m going to put them. The programme idea probably is really useful but they were £4 for Malvern. A woman in front of us thought they were free but when told they were £4 recoiled in so much horror she nearly knocked my husband over!!
Ok, now I’m beginning to think I might do Malvern next year… only might (I’m allergic to shows, so your tips are very useful. And I’m especially allergic to trollies)…