Gardeners World Live

[Deeds]

I have just been bought a ticket as a present and been promised to be spoilt for two days, by a lovely friend from Birmingham, so I am off there next week :)

I have been wanting to go for ages, but didn't fancy going on my own and it's a long slog from Cornwall (well almost everywhere is).

Has anyone ever been, is the plant swap any good, what should I make sure not to miss?

Thanks all

[Deeds]

[dibberxxx]

wish i had a friend like your deeds

[Merry Tiller]

Used to be good, but wasn't impressed with it last year, too many stalls selling cheap tat, like oil paintings or pan-pipes or car rugs or other objet d'art totally unconnected with gardening, managed to find a few unusual plants that we'd been looking for and a few useful bits and bobs. Last years winning garden was stunning but the others weren't great. Some of the presentations by the experts were quite entertaining but it's not the same without Geoff Hamilton, Peter Seabrook was good though.
Don't let me give the impression that it's a total disaster, it's actually very good, it's just got a bit too commercial I feel

[moonbells]

I have just been bought a ticket as a present and been promised to be spoilt for two days, by a lovely friend from Birmingham, so I am off there next week :)

I have been wanting to go for ages, but didn't fancy going on my own and it's a long slog from Cornwall (well almost everywhere is).

Has anyone ever been, is the plant swap any good, what should I make sure not to miss?

Thanks all

I've always gone with my Dad but he's off on holiday this year so I persuaded a fellow allotmenteer to go instead. We shall be there on the Friday.
I always make a point to try and get there at about 8.30am as then you've half a chance of getting a good view of the marquee and pick of the plants.  Plus you get a parking space closer to the halls...

Take a packed lunch - catering is *dire* and even the ice creams are a ripoff. Tea and coffee is off stalls and again pretty dire unless you like it stewed!

Do the marquee first - this is where the big nursery displays are and where you can get a lot of really nice stuff.
Lots of stalls outside nowadays - suggest doing those straight after the marquee if its not raining because if it does then you won't get another shot.

I find the knick knack stalls good - they sell useful bits like generic hose connectors, balls of string etc for much less than the garden centres - I usually get a giant ball of string for a quid.  Don't get tempted by the coily hoses though!

Last year there was a lady flogging instant hand warmers. I teamed up with another lady (as they were cheaper for 2) and though it was still about £9 I have not regretted it - it's like 45-60 minutes of hot water bottle you don't have to go and heat up, so not only good for horribly cold allotments in winter, also good for aches, pains,  strains, backache etc.  I am tempted to get another, larger one this year, for use *as* a hot water bottle!

Er.  lots of sellers of acers, cottage garden plants and tools.  Most stalls are plants in season, unlike Chelsea.

Good place to get weird gadgets and also crafty things, watering gizmos, food court, greenhouses... and walk your feet off. I don't generally go for the show gardens!

I thought last year was an improvement on the previous.

moonbells

[Multiveg]

I was thinking of going on the Wednesday, but this would mean taking my little person with me - he would miss nursery school, plus  dragging him round for 4 hours. We didn't have a pushchair last year, but I still bought a few things, plus he was tired and fell asleep there or was it on the train home.... Still not sure - also, would cost £30 to get there and another £20 to get in...

[Granny_Smith]

We'll be there early tomorrow, I like to get up the front to see the opening 'ceremony'. We have only missed one show and that was the first year it started. We always head straight off to the marquee to purchase any plants that take my eye, then wander around the rest of it until we are too tired to carry on.
I'm going to seek out Heritage - which stand was he on ? I must say hello to him.

[Lily]

I'm also going with my OH.  We're going on Sunday, travelling from Leeds, OH won't go any other day ???  Hope to buy lots of usefull things, and not get toooooooooo carried away with the spending.  Hope you all have a great day out.

[Justy]

not been to this one but if you want a great show with very little non gardening tat but loads of gardening stuff to buy it has to be Malvern Spring Garden show which is in May.

(no I am not on commission!)  ;D

[Garden Manager]

Havent been but would love to go one year. Sounds the best od the shows to me.

Like the 'plant swap' idea. Always got spare plants  ;D. Wish other shows/places would copy the idea.

[Deeds]

Thanks all for your comments on GWL.  I went yesterday, and must admit I was quite disapointed.  I thought the show gardens were very poor, the attention to detail was lacking and the planting wasn't very good.  Some of the designers also seem to have been colourblind, just bunging plants in to fill a space.

I thought a most of the plants for sale were overpriced.  £6 for a verbascum and £5-6 for a foxglove.  I only bought four plants, Kniphofia pauciflora, K. galpini, a Sisyrinchium (white and blue) and an alpine poppy. 

One bit I did like was the National Collections, some really knowledgeable people, and I did manage to save £35 on a book I had been thinking about buying for ages, so not a totally waste.

I doubt I will be going again, I'll stick to Chelsea and maybe venture to Malvern next year.

[Merry Tiller]

Yes I'd love to try the Malvern show, maybe next year

[Multiveg]

Probably will go to Tatton Park and Shrewsbury this year....

[Merry Tiller]

The plant swap idea looked quite popular

[Granny_Smith]

I'd just like to congratulate our very own Heritage for getting a Silver-gilt award at GW this year. It was nice to meet him too when we visited last Wednesday.

[Garden Manager]

I'd just like to congratulate our very own Heritage for getting a Silver-gilt award at GW this year. It was nice to meet him too when we visited last Wednesday.

A Silver Gilt for what may I asK? Veg? Flowers? Garden?

Well done anyways Heritage!  :)

[Roy Bham UK]

 ;D Well done Heritage ;) show us your piece :o Oh and now you can tell us...Does Granny Smith look as young as her Avitar? ;D

[Granny_Smith]

Heritage got the award for the garden called Ex Sight Able.
It was also shown on last Friday's GW programme - Joe Swift predicted that it would get a silver medal!

OK Heritage - be very careful how you answer:

;D Well done Heritage ;) show us your piece :o Oh and now you can tell us...Does Granny Smith look as young as her Avitar? ;D

[Garden Manager]

Heritage got the award for the garden called Ex Sight Able.
It was also shown on last Friday's GW programme - Joe Swift predicted that it would get a silver medal!

Oh Wow. One of those gardens. Yes it deserved the medal well and truly.

Er any chance of an autograph Heritage? You are an A4all celebrity now my friend!  ;D

[Deeds]

Congratulations Heritage - we met briefly at Chelsea I believe.  I must admit I didn't realise that was your garden, It was one of the few at GWL that I did like.

[supernan]

 :o ;D WOW!! Well done Heritage. That garden was a real corker. Those singy colours and lots of scented/ tactile plants.

Good point for GW ( we don't usually find many of them do we???) they made a good attempt to show what the garden  would look like to a partially sighted person. Having had to wear a sight inhibitor for a day as part of a course I did once and being short/long sighted (blind as a bat) I appreciated this garden very much. Shame I did not see it in the flower.