It has been a couple of years since I have been back to Hampton Court for the Flower Show and it was lovely to go as a visitor and not as an exhibitor. Having a chance to look round the showground at leisure puts a whole different perspective on the show.

The showground has moved on a lot since the Daily Mail tent  which often featured a lovely little cottage took centre stage. A new Floral marquee which is extremely long and full of independent nurseries , sits where the Country Living Tent used to preside and has moved from the long water.

In its place is an RHS edible garden , the largest in the show at 1,850sq metres. With a focus on artisan as opposed to commercial production, there were demonstrations featuring beer making, bee keeping, a lavender field and tropical area.

Hampton Court is much better at the ‘real gardens’ look and so many ideas can be gained from not only the large display gardens but also the small show gardens and many of the plant nurseries.

Walking round the show  gardens it was clear that much of the planting was herbaceous and there was quite a lot of stone but not so much hard landscaping. Colours were quite muted in most apart from the bright maze of plants in The Matter of Urgency garden designed by Jill Foxley.

If you think of heathers as boring old fashioned plants then think again as they were very cleverly used by the Heather Society in the small garden section. A modular vertical wall system planted with different varieties of heathers lies at the back of the garden. A bumblebee lodge attracts the bees to the planted areas and dining table for entertaining nestles in a sunken area.

In the Palace area of the showground are the  English Poet’s Gardens based on poems by Keats, Shelley , Byron, Kipling and Lewis Caroll. Near these is the scarecrows competition which have been made by school children in various schools in the South of England.

Walking down one side of the Palace gates a long queue was forming outside A Garden by Night. Completely enclosed under cover, visitors are invited into a garden with illuminated planters, chandeliers, Led lit stepping stones across a pool and plants which have been selected for as they call ‘ after dusk performance value’. I did keep thinking someone was going to come out of the shadows and jump on me but we all walked slowly through and it was actually quite exciting!

With all the trade stands at the show it is easy to get distracted but in The Plant Heritage Marquee which adjoins the Rose Marquee, it is fascinating to see many of our National Collections , part of 640  Collections held in this country. These are true living libraries and the collection holders are Internationally recognised as experts in their field.

Conceptual gardens always create a bit of a stir and this year’s didn’t disappoint with lots of ums and ahs from onlookers. A Swinging Sixties Floral and Fashion show as well as a catwalk in Bloom tempted many into the shade of the marquee out of the heat of the sun.

Then as always , huge grey clouds appeared over the palace and the heavens opened! This was the queue to run and try and get into the car before the grass parking areas became a pond.