I think this beauty is a Scilla peruviana – on the Harts Nursery stand at Cardiff Show – they specialise in all sorts of lily bulbs (www.hartsnursery.co.uk)
We usually go to the annual Cardiff RHS Flower Show and this year it was from April 13 to April 15 in the grounds of Cardiff Castle. I thoroughly enjoyed it – especially as I had felt so low last year after being made redundant that I couldn’t even be bothered to take pictures.
This time I took my camera again and here are some of my favourite things…
First there were the arts and crafts…
Bronze wild boar from Tanya Russell – tanyarussell.com
Bronze labradors, also from Tanya Russell – tanyarussell.com
Wire-work silver tree from Cardiff-born Amanda (www.wireartandjewellerydelights.com)
Wire tree pictures for the wall, made of silvery aluminium wire (I think she said aluminium)
The trees are also available in copper wire
Phoenix from Glastonbury Stained Glass – the website is still under construction but the makers have a Facebook page
Green man from Glastonbury Stained Glass
I really loved the framed prints by Fiona Willis, who grew up in Devon and now lives in Bristol – but her stand’s red awning made it difficult to take pictures of her work…
…so I take these images from her website (www.fionawillis.com) – this is a detail from A Year in the Garden…
…and this is a detail from Seas and Oceans – so beautifully drawn!
Then there were the show gardens…
Show garden – The Reimagined Past…
…I particularly liked the seasonal combination of primroses, hellebores and euphorbias
This rather minimalist Urban Regeneration Garden won a gold medal from the judges, although I prefer something with a few more plants
Disequilibrium show garden…
…I quite liked the bonsai and miniature rockery plantings…
…and the use of this rusty old container
There were big crocheted flowers around the ground
Then there were the trade stands…
There was a tremendous selection on the Culinary Herb Company stand and we bought three types of mint, including Morrocan mint, pictured on the left (www.culinaryherbco.co.uk)
This was a pretty display from Petrichor Bulb Specialists (www.bulbspecialists.co.uk)…
…I particularly liked this combination of gladioli and alliums
Then it was inside the floral marquees…
I have never seen an Aeoniumin flower before – I think this was the stand of Surreal Succulents (surrealsucculents.co.uk)
Podophyllum ‘Spotty Dotty’ from Tale Valley Nursery
Primula veris ‘Lime with Orange’ from Penny’s Primulas (www.pennysprimulas.co.uk)
These fritillaries were also on the Staddon Farm Nurseries (Penny’s Primulas) stand…
…as part of a naturalistic water feature
I have a pale pink popcorn Hydrangea so I was interested to see these…
…and a blue version
Air plants from Andrew Gavin at andysairplants.co.uk…
…and another one
Hippeastrum ‘Terracotta Star’ from Pheasant Acre Plants (www.pheasantacreplants.co.uk)
Tulip ‘Purissima’ from Pheasant Acre
Hyacinths ‘Pink Pearl’, ‘Blue Pearl’ and interestingly golden ‘Gypsy Princess’ – again from Pheasant Acre
And finally one of my favourite plants for shade…
Dainty Hostas from Farmyard Nurseries (farmyardnurseries.co.uk)
As usual we took home artisan foods from various stalls and a great day was had by all!
We visited the first Cardiff RHS show, I think those wire trees, especially the bonsai one are beautiful.
Yes, they must take a lot of work!
The artist does do jewellery as well, but sadly not featuring the wire trees, so far. I would love a miniature version of one of those trees as a brooch. No room left in our house for a wall plaque or 3D one!
All the best 🙂
I’m glad you took photos this year! It was wonderful to find all the flower color– still early spring here
Well of course the show exhibits did very much force the plants into showing their colours!
Outside the showground spring has still been slow to arrive.
All the best 🙂