I do not suppose that many gardeners will miss the fact that May is the start of the Garden Show season. The Malvern Spring Show kicks off, with a more relaxed feel at the wonderfully scenic Three Counties Show Ground at the foot of the Malvern Hills.  Fair to say though that it is the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, this year from 21^st to 25^th May, that is the big attraction with large and small demonstration gardens as well as displays from plant nurseries that are almost gardens in their own right.  The show does get very crowded and the weather often adds its own challenges, whether too hot or pouring with rain.   It is a wonderful experience to see the gardens ‘in the flesh’ but I think that you often get a better overall impression by watching the (extensive) television coverage.  The advantage is that the cameras get right into the gardens and show details that you may miss from standing on the outside, and you see aerial shots of the entire layout, also difficult to see from ground level.  I do encourage you to watch or visit garden shows, national or more local because there is plenty to learn – as well as new plants to covet – that is useful in our own domestic gardens.

Clearly there are some major differences between a show garden and a real garden, and not just the budget. in a temporary show garden none of the plants are actually planted; they remain in their pots which are then covered with a layer of compost or cocoa shells, making a sort of raised bed.  This is entirely practical and not really cheating for a show but it does mean that plants are packed in much tighter then you would plant at home giving the impression of instant maturity.  Designers use plants that are at their best in May and growers work very hard to bring into flower a bit earlier or held back later than natural so that everything is performing in show week. The effect is superb but not one you can repeat at home, not least because we need to spread flowering and interest around the whole year not just a week in late May.

One of the greatest lessons to learn from show gardens is nothing to do with practicality.  It is simply that the key to a coherent and successful garden is to know from the outset what you are aiming at and this means thinking about the Style.  Which can be a nebulous concept and seem not really relevant when we simply want “a nice garden that is not too much hard work to look after”.  So why does Style matter?  Well without it your decision making is paralysed.

What shapes for patios and lawns? Straight borders or sweeping curves? What material will we use – paving, gravel, reclaimed bricks or chipped bark? What colour foliage and flowers? Do I want evergreen shrubs or a wildflower meadow? But if you know you want a Contemporary garden for example then the answers flow: straight lines and rectangles predominate, materials are sleek. If you want Cottagey then reclaimed brick paths will divide colourful herbaceous borders. And it is by identifying the Style of each show garden and seeing how this drives each element of the design and planting that is the greatest gift to the home gardener.

Show gardens are there to inspire you, to reveal what beauty can be achieved with paving and plants, to surprise and to expand your garden horizons. Do you have to like them all? No. Will you always come home with a few ideas to enhance your own garden? I do hope so.

Happy Gardening from Alison