Tatton Park diary

With the arrival of the bedding plants, the team are hard at work potting up in one of the college’s glasshouses.

It’s extremely hot in there today and some shade has been provided for the plants, but not the poor team, and everyone is exhausted by the end of the day.

It’s lovely to see the beginnings of the Glyndŵr colours appearing as the plants begin to flower, but initial delight turns to a common anxiety for the creators of show gardens: the plants must be at their optimum flowering point as the judges arrive, and we still have two weeks to judging. The team will have to be vigilant and take steps to hold the flowering back.

The BBC is already showing an interest in the garden, and Peter has had an interview with a producer who is considering including the garden in the BBC’s filming of the Tatton Show.

The RHS’s new Visionary Garden category is creating a lot of interest and excitement amongst garden designers, but conceptual gardens always create controversy. How will the traditionalists react? The horticulturists may think there’s too much art, artists may dismiss it as simply horticulture.

What do you think?  Come and see us at Tatton and join the debate.