Our columnist Jacqui Brocklehurst from Sale will be cooking up a feast for garden devotees inside RHS Tatton this month
It’s show time! Over the next few weeks the tranquil grounds of Tatton Park will become a bustling hive of all things horticultural as once again, the Royal Horticultural Society flower show comes to town.
For garden designers, florists, floral exhibitors, schools, enterprises and show organisers this buzz of activity is a culmination of a year’s worth of planning. And what a year this will be.
Regular visitors to the show may be surprised, and perhaps a little disorientated, as the flower show has had a makeover. Divided into four categories, or zones, the showground has something for everyone.
The Feast zone is where you’ll find me. This area will be focusing on everything connected to ‘grow your own’. I’ll be in the fruit and veg competition pavilion, displaying a vintage style tea party made up of a riot of herbs, salads and edible flowers, with lots of plants for you to buy too. Of course, I am biased but I think this zone will be amazing: edible gardens, allotments, cookery demonstrations, artisan food producers, celebrity chefs, prize vegetables and rural crafts. Fantastic!
To find out more about using fresh herbs and veg in the kitchen come to the talks theatre where I’ll be chatting with Gardeners’ Question Time Matthew Biggs or make your way to the cookery demonstrations where I’ll be cooking up a feast using home grown produce under the guise of ‘The Hungry Gardener’.
The Grow zone: Here the plants are the stars of the show. Visitors will have the opportunity to buy unusual plants from growers in the stunning floral marquee. Expert advice can be sought from the plant society members, who are always happy to share their passion for plants.
Inspire: Conceptual and modern design which may just tip your idea of gardening on its head. Five ‘out of this world’ galaxy gardens and a show feature by Jodrell bank. The florists will also be reaching for the stars creating stunning displays before your very eyes.
Escape: Here the emphasis is on the garden as an outdoor room, with a beach theme. A helter-skelter, peep boards and beach huts offering pamper services will raise much needed funds for the RHS campaign for schools gardening. n
