Shows and Gardens

I visited Shrewsbury Garden Show last weekend, I enjoyed three counties best but the show had plenty to offer and to look at. The show is more country fair than any show I visited before but it offered a good selection of plants to buy and it was easier to get planting advice than at three counties.

I was this weekend a visitor to Chatsworth House, home to the duke and duchess of dybershire with several hundred years of growing new and exciting plants. It showcases an amazing boulder filled rock garden, a giant step based water fall (both of these were built in the 17,00's)and amazing 100 foot water fountain. In more recent times its added a sensory garden and kitchen garden. The sensory garden I enjoyed for its wide range of planting, textures and smells. Herbs planted at hand height allow you to rub the leaves as you walked past enjoying the amazing smells of fennal, mint, sage and lemon balm amongst others. The kitchen garden show cased the estates one prior need for a large kitchen with an amazing range of fruit and veg. I would have liked to have seen a few gardeners from the estate around the garden so folks could ask questions about how they grow and cycle the crops (I noticed an array of rubarb pots I wanted to ask questions about). A plant sale is planned next month so I'll be returning to chatsworth for that.