Goldbrook Plants (from Suffolk) had a magnificent display of hostas and other foliage plants in cool tones of green and white. Pride of place was held by a beautiful specimen of the large-leaved hosta, Sum and Substance (right). The display was a beautiful combination of form and texture and justly deserved the gold medal it received.
The Alpine Garden Society had a corner site this year which made viewing more difficult for the thousands of people who flock to visit this very popular display, which yet again won a gold medal. The concept behind this year's display was to show how many of the larger alpines can be intergrated into the varied conditions found in cottage gardens, the idea being to encourage more people to become interested in alpine plants. At the back of the stand was a mock cottage, and the area to the left of the cottage contained a tiny stream amongst a planting of small perennial plants, including rare Arisaemas, Dispororpsis, Paris, Smilacina and Podophyllum, as well as more well-known plants such as Phlox carolina 'Bill Baker', Allium chrisophii, Aguilegia vulgaris, Eryngium bourgatii, Gentiana trichotoma and Lehmannia elata. The phoro left shows Smilacena fusca, Persicaria bistorta 'Superba' and Verbascum 'Letitia' The other side of the cottage garden contained a more conventional rock garden, created from tufa and planted with smaller alpines, such as Rhodohypoxis and Saxifraga. In the photo right, can be seen Saxifraga 'Tumbling Waters', Tanacetum 'Niveum' and Pinus mugo 'Humpty'. The display also included the new introduction, Phygelius aequalis 'Sensation', which has pink flowers with a cream mouth.
Blooms of Bressingham received a Silver-Gilt for their stand, which contained many interesting foliage plants. A graceful combination was the wispy grass, Stipa tenuifolia with the elegant filigree of Artemisia (left).
Broadleigh Gardens, bulb specialists from Somerset, dispalyed a fine species tulip, T. batalinii 'Bronze Charm' (right). Not so much bronze in my eyes, more an apricot colour, but a beautiful plant nevertheless. Many other wonderful bulbs completed their display which gained them a Silver-Gilt medal.
Hopleys gained a Silver for their imaginative display which included a glass carboy water feature (left), surrounded by an impressive selection of perennials.
Hardy's Cottage Garden Plants had a beautifully planted stand, which included a humorous wooden snail who looked set to feast upon their wonderful hostas (left)! On the other side of their stand the focal point was a slate seat set between two beehives, surrounded by inspirational planting including the subtle combination of the giant oat-grass, Stipa gigantea and the crimson thistle, Cirsium rivulare. No wonder it received a Gold medal.
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