Attending the Tatton Park Flower Show has become somewhat of an annual tradition. Usually my Mother and I head to the show to look at the floral displays, get some gardening inspiration, enjoy a picnic and bag a few goodies before heading home. This year we were joined by Theresa and the sun was shining, what a treat. Here are a few pictures and highlights from Tatton Park Flower Show 2017…

Upon arrival we were offered a complimentary ride from our car to the show entrance, a lovely touch provided by the show helping visitors to make their way to the gate quicker and with less effort. With the sun overhead we were so excited to see this years displays.With a great variety of food trucks, a Pimms bus and plenty of deck chairs, conditions were perfect for sitting outside enjoying the sunshine. I wore a vintage dress complete with suitably bold floral print (when in Rome, ey?)

I’m always so inspired by the floral displays and this year was no exception. The layers of planting, texture and accomplished colour palettes are a testament to the gardeners and florists responsible.

We stopped for a picnic at midday, the sun was so hot we sought refuge in the shade and used our ice packs to cool us down, a bit of a contrast to previous years when the rain has pored all day long!

Following lunch we continued to explore the gardens. Designed by Planit-IE more than 1000 baskets were hooked up to a circular frame that you could walk inside and be surrounded by the baskets swaying gently in the breeze, containing some familiar plants; including birches, buddlejas, foxgloves and hart’s tongue fern. Planit-IE designed the garden to challenge how we use plants and greenery with urban areas.

New for 2017, was the tropically planted dome, filled with exotic butterflies from South America and Indonesia. Outside, around the dome, meadows full of wild flowers were designed to attract British butterflies, which worked as I spotted this beauty perched on a flower.

Another one of the gardens that caught my eye was the Relaxation and Meditation garden by Paul Morris and Mike Ball. Symbols were used to inspire peacefulness and relaxation. Wooden posts were painted and used to depict the chakras, a deck was incorporated for meditation practice and the planting combined herbs to create a calming effect on the body.

Amongst the displays was the Bus Stop Boulevard, where five local communities and designers in the Greater Manchester area had decorated and greened-up their very own bus shelters. My personal favourite was the ‘Pride in Manchester’ rainbow floral bus stop by Frazer Letman representing Manchester’s pride in its LGBT community. If only regular bus stops could be this colourful.

As we attended the show on the Sunday the displays are all sold off at 4pm (top tip, go on Sunday to bag a bargain). We headed to the tent where the vegetables were displayed and picked up some goodies. Theresa managed to secure herself a giant leek, score!

As we said goodbye to Tatton Park Flower Show 2017 we were elated to have experienced such a riot of colour, inspired by such fabulous flowers and incredible experimental gardens. On such a wonderfully sunny day this is British summertime at its best!

“Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light” -Theodore Roethke

Stay fabulous

Christine