Tempting purchases
Post categories: Louise Danks
| 11:55 UK time, Sunday, 13 July 2008
My wallet really didn't take too much of a battering this year, my head was turned by a very sexy indoor/outdoor beanbag but after much deliberation I managed to tear myself away.
I'm not a naturally nosey person but watching hundreds of people tugging little trolleys around the showground - each with a different selection of plants peeking over the sides, it's difficult not to look! There'll be a warm nod of appreciation when someone has a selection of beautiful perennials (my personal weakness) nestled together 'ah yes, a lovely combination you've got there', there's a cheeky little bi-coloured salvia I've seen time and again, Salvia 'Hot Lips' seems to have been a best seller. A madly floriferous red and white flowered perennial, that'll bring a bit of fun to any garden.
Sometimes I'll have a peek in a trolley and wonder how on earth a particular mix of plants will ever work together in a garden but hey-ho, each to their own! Then there's the trolleys themselves, when I've not quick enough to side-step, I've be rewarded with a swift knock to the ankle, word of warning there!
Echinacea 'Art's Pride is Hampton stalwart, a warm rusty orange flowering perennial from the daisy family, looks fab at this time of year, very tempting. Penstemons in every shade of red, pink and purple are not normally one of my favourites but they look almost edible at the show and are everywhere, I know I've got true Hampton fever when I start finding plants irresistible that I'd usually not give a second thought. Take heucheras for example, I found myself admiring an entire display of them in the floral marquee, the range of foliage colours is astounding and every year there seem to be more to drool over. You see what's happening? I've never admired heucheras before, just not to my taste, but maybe that's the point of shows like these, to make you think outside of your own horticultural box...it's working for me!
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