RHS Tatton Park 'out of this world' gardening

Press day for the 2010 RHS Tatton Park Flower Show started calmly enough, with darkened skies and threatening rain, not  conditions to please the photographers though. We managed to get most of our shots done in a short period of brightness before the storm clouds threatened. So sad when the exhibitors put so much into their gardens and I can only hope that the weather for the rest of the show remains reasonable.

That said, there were some very unusual and challenging gardens this year and I have to admit that I enjoyed all of it despite the overcast skies. The three gardens in the RHS Young Designer of the Year Competition were outstanding, so much so that two - William Quarmby's 'Moor Work' and Olivia Stewart's 'Clear Waters Rising' both won silver gilt and Hugo Bugg's 'The Albert Dock Garden' won Gold and best in show (below). That says a lot for our talented young designers and augers well for the future of garden design.

The 'out of this world' experience of Space Ritual: Tony Heywood's Chamber Gardens (Gold) was quite something and will be a big talking point at the show but if I loved anything it was Tony and Derek Smith and John Humphreys 'A Matter of Time' (Gold) which just took my fancy. Here we have thousands and thousands of lettuces in a big crater and right in the middle (you have to look in for him) lays an alien! Loved it, loved it. So glad it got Gold.

Also in the Visionary category was 'Wave Dance' (Gold) designed by John Everiss, which won best in class. Capturing the moment when a wave breaks onto the shore, using a combination of modern materials in a contemporary style.  The galvanised steel wave is very eye catching and then you go to a beach of cobbles which leads to the shoreline planting of grasses. Sensational and again worthy of that coveted Gold.

Clive Scott, a regular at Tatton Park Show, brought us 'Dressed in Black' a sensuous garden with moody planting and a very relaxing feel. Clive was awarded Silver Gilt and I am sorry he didn't just tip 'Gold' it was such a nice garden.

The Best back-to-back went to 'Shower Time' (Gold) with its self-circulating shower and plunge pool designed for guests at a boutique hotel and day spa but in the back-to-backs one of my favourites was 'A Plant Hunter's Retreat' (Gold) which featured a neat, compact and movement filled garden. They had also made a 'Wardian' case to show how the original plant hunters used to bring back the plants they found on their travels. A lovely garden dedicated to Harry Delaney, RHS tutor at Reaseheath College.

On the Home Sweet Home garden (NACRO, Gtr Manchester) they had a nifty little wildlife home which I reproduce here because it really could be very useful in the garden.

This year the Visionary Gardens and the Flower Bed Competition Gardens were the best I have ever seen at Tatton. The winner of the Flower Bed Category was Stoke-on-Trent Council who had a fantastic design celebrating the first meeting of the new council in 1910 of the six pottery towns. The sedum seat covers on the chair were just perfect so I was pleased they got Gold and Best in Category.

As I write this blog there still a few days of the show left so if you haven't got along there yet I suggest you do so at the weekend. Tatton is always a lively and happy show, no matter what the weather, but they say the weekend is set fair so it is an opportunity not to be missed.

Finally, we returned home up the M6 in an absolute wall of water. The motorway was flooded, we couldn't see and it reminded me of my boat ride at Niagra falls, such was the force of the water. My maker was obviously alongside me because we made it back to Cumbria but it is not a journey I would want to repeat again in a hurry. But you know something? It was worth it, because Tatton 2011 has some special gardens and I wouldn't have missed them for the world.