A trio of metal bees for £17.50 from Patio and Terrace… http://www.patioandterrace.co.uk
On Sunday we went to the Cardiff RHS Flower Show in Bute Park. It was a glorious Spring day and it felt great to be out and about. In previous years (click here for 2012 and 2013) I took a lot of flower pictures, but this time I seem to have taken far more of the outside trade stalls.
First there were the insects…
Copper dragonfly from Quist, who also sell copper tree water sculptures… http://www.quist.co.uk
Butterflies from Jardins Animes… http://www.jardins-animes.co.uk
Then there were the birds of prey from the Festival Park Owl Sanctuary at Ebbw Vale, which we sometimes visit…
Snowy owl from the Festival Park Owl Sanctuary… http://www.theowlsanctuary.co.uk
I think this is a red-tailed hawk…
As it is Wales, there were sheep. I really loved this colourful display of Ewemoo woolly foot rests from Beth Morgan-Jones!
Foot rests from Ewemoo! http://www.ewemoo.co.uk
Ewemoo also do bulls…
Here’s a much more bullish bull made of motorbike scrap in Thailand… http://www.africancreations.co.uk
And of course here be dragons…
Dragon made of motorbike scrap in Thailand from http://www.africancreations.co.uk
Dragon on the Andy Stevenson Garden Sculpture stand – apparently he is from Dorset… http://www.andystevensongardensculpture.co.uk
This dragon was again on the African Creations stand…
Then there were less fantastical animals…
Scrap-metal zebras from African Creations…
Giraffes from African Creations…
Hippo in green opal stone by Timothy Rukodzi for Mara Sculpture from Zimbabwe… http://www.marasculpture.com
Bronze rabbits from Patio and Terrace… http://www.patioandterrace.co.uk
Bronze cockerel from Patio and Terrace…
I didn’t realise at the time, but these metal flowers on the Andy Stevenson stand are made from spoons…
Map of Wales made from badges and buttons from Ceri Lambert Designs… https://beta.folksy.com/shops/CeriLambertDesigns
I thought I should buy some fudge after taking this picture on the Johnson’s Toffee stall – but I’m not sure how you eat these “cables” or what they are made of?
Colourful cables from Johnson’s Toffees… http://www.johnsonstoffees.com
I did take some general garden shots but I was using my proper Nikon d5000 camera instead of my trusty Olympus compact and I am not altogether happy with the results. The pictures seem a bit flat to me. I was using my 18mm-55mm lens and auto settings, so just using it as a “point and shoot” really.
These are the “twin city” gardens from Cardiff’s twins of Lugansk, Xiamen and Hordaland, but I didn’t make enough effort to get interesting views…
Ukraine garden by Heronsbridge and Ysgol Bryn Castell with Anthea Guthrie…
China garden by Sue Thomas…
Norwegian garden by Victoria Wade Landscapes…
Bergenia, ferns and Hostas in A Woodland Garden…
Crown Imperial fritillary on one of the outside displays…
General view of the show – with some of the many magnificent trees of Bute Park around the showground…
I was hoping to buy some new Heuchera plants at the show – and I did – but I was disappointed that by the Sunday everyone had sold out of my favourite dark purple colour…
My favourite sort of Heuchera – in a display but not on sale…
As usual I took some snaps of the flowers in the big floral marquees, but there seemed to be fewer nurseries than in previous years. One marquee was jam-packed but the other seemed half empty.
Alstroemeria “Lemon”, I think from Philip Tivey and Son… http://www.alstroemeriaselect.co.uk
Chrysanthemum Green Mist from Chrysanthemums Direct… http://www.chrysanthemumsdirect.co.uk
I love Solomon’s seal, but most of mine have been eaten by Solomon’s seal sawfly over the years…
King Solomon’s seal – Polygonatum odoratum Red Stem on the Tale Valley Nursery display… http://www.talevalleynursery.co.uk
This Hosta Thomas Hogg has a fascinating shape…
Sempervivums (and some moss) on the Rotherview Nursery display… http://www.rotherview.com
Bromeliads from Every Picture Tells a Story… http://www.every-picture.com
Colourful alpines from D’Arcy & Everest – with Iris pumila Nicola… http://www.darcyeverest.co.uk
Aeonium arboreum magnificum and others from Richard & Sheena Drane… http://www.cactiandsucculents.co.uk
And finally…
My gardener friend Jim Goodwin designed the plot for Wales in Bloom, following the 2014 Britain in Bloom theme of Growing for Gold, as it is a Commonwealth Games year. It’s the 50th year of the national campaign. See the website Wales in Bloom.
Part of the Growing for Gold garden for Wales in Bloom…
Apparently a few people said they were offended by the lady’s legs – but who says they are female?
The Squirrelbasket 
Fantastic creatures, starting with the metal bees. And, oh, the dragon!
Which dragon? I’m guessing you mean the one made from old motorbike parts?
All the best, have a great Easter 🙂
umm, how can those legs offend? Nowt so queer as folk.
Yes, to the pure all things are pure…
Happy Easter 🙂
The bees made me smile and I loved the work from Andy. I enjoyed seeing your images of the gardens and flowers. That Heuchera looks a lovely colour what a shame it was so popular! Sarah x
Thanks for your kind words.
I do still have one or two of those Heucheras, from previous years, but they get a bit sparse over the winter. I’ll just have to nurture them a bit more.
Happy Easter 🙂