A Mini adventure....

..... to Hampton Court Flower show...

Such an amazing gathering of flowers in one place - came home with lots of bulbs - not flowering until next year - you have to be patient to be a gardener don't you!

I took 'a few' photos - hard not to as there was so much to see!  I think every type of flower must have been represented somewhere in the many marquees.

I may have to blog the photos over a few days.....

First off - how does nature create flowers like these!!! amazing - they don't look real!  How are these perfect 'honeycomb' petals created!?!?:

 .. and the colour on these dahlias?!!?

And, do not not adjust your sets - these Dahlia were this bright! they look digitally enhanced but they're not! Amazing, beautiful.

..  and at the other end of the scale these flowers are so dainty and so detailed:

 ... Love the wierd combination of this flower - the gerbera-like base petails and spiky centre trumpets...

So inspiring to see all these flowers- both for the garden and for art - the colour combinations are mind boggling!

... and now for some random photos:

I loved this Joules advertising car at the show.... we recently bought a Mini Countryman - its white - but I might get busy with the Fresco Finish paints and doodle something like this on it...  JOFY flowers down each side???  lol

(I'm joking - but if I give it a make-over I'd never lose it in a car park would I lol)

The show wasn't just about flowers and garden design - there were stands about the environment and sustainability - this sculpture was cleverly constructed out of empty plastic bottles, hubcaps (yes hubcaps) and other items that are usually discarded into landfill.

I'm glad the lady is stood by it - illustrating the size of the piece.

And last but by no means least today - I was drawn to this exhibit in the beautiful Rose Pavillion - I do love a vintage sewing machine!

I would definitely recommend the show... we were lucky with the weather - sunny & hot- unlike the previous couple of years which were very wet (gotta love the British summer! lol)

I'd love to visit Hampton Court Palace itself too - fascinating amount of history - but thats for another day out....