Welcome to this year’s RHS Wisley Flower Show 2015. The Chelsea and Hampton Court Flower Shows are well known national events. You know you will see original gardens, pick up great ideas and have the opportunity to indulge in some fantastic horticultural-related retail therapy. The more recently established RHS Wisley Flower Show is a slightly different and rather unique sort of affair. It isn’t quite a local village fete or horticultural society flower show, with prize parsnips and children’s vegetable people. What it does provide is the chance for some of the communities associated with the RHS to put on a stunning display of early autumn colour.
The Flower Show, which ran from 8 – 13 September, was opened by May Berry, cookery writer and TV presenter. This wonderful cake made of flower petals was concocted in her honour.
The National Dahlia Society
No one could fail to be impressed by the beautiful and extensive collection of dahlias shown by the National Dahlia Society. If you visit the Show on the right day, you will even have the opportunity to buy some cut blooms.
The Show was attended by about 50 exhibitors, so it was a good opportunity to stock up on plants for the forthcoming seasons. There were also talks by horticulturists in the expert zone.
The Glasshouse hosted stunning floral art based on the theme ‘Roll up! Roll up! A Visit to the Circus’. However it was this perfect sunflower seed head on one of the arrangements just outside the glasshouse that caught my eye.
The Show is only located in part of the garden, so you also get to wander through Wisley’s late summer borders and orchards full of ripening apples. It also coincides with the Surrey Sculpture Society Trail, with over 30 works of art to view and admire. The Cheshire Cat and stained glass for the garden were two of my favourites.
All in all the Show is a bit of a gem. Less commercial than its more established siblings, free entry with RHS membership and a very relaxed affair. A fantastic way to spend the day. Note it in your diary for 2016. I certainly have.
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