Normally by the end of May I’ve already done a few flower shows so it was strange to be almost into summer before the first big event. Judging by the fact it sold out, many other gardeners were also keen to go to the BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair.
This is a new event and not a replacement for BBC Gardeners’ World Live, which will be at Birmingham’s NEC in August, postponed from the usual June dates.
The spring fair, held at Beaulieu in Hampshire, was smaller scale although with some of the same features. Instead of the floral marquee, a selected group of 25 nursery and garden-related organisations had stands and there was a similar arrangement for the BBC Good Food element, along with exhibits from firms selling everything from gloves to garden ironwork.
There were no show gardens but a Beautiful Borders contest was part of the fair and there were some Small Spaces exhibits. Talks on how to grow were given by GW experts throughout the three days.
I was given a press pass for this event.
Among the six Beautiful Borders, there were a couple that stood out. I liked this vegetable garden from Beaulieu garden centre Fairweather’s. ‘Patrick’s Patch’ was designed to encourage children to garden, showing them where food comes from and how to grow while encouraging wildlife.
It had a sense of fun as well as some great ideas for container vegetable growing. It was deservedly the top choice for the judges, winning Platinum and the Best Border award.
‘Hope Springs Eternal’ was an apt theme for an event in the midst of a pandemic and this border by Lucy Miller won gold. I liked the way the Green Man was part of a living wall that provided habitat for insects.
Green was definitely the theme with planting that gave a good contrast of different shades and textures.
‘Maggie’s Border’ was a partnership between Sparsholt College and the Maggie’s Centre in Southampton and used a woodland edge as its inspiration. The detail was really good and gave a sense of something more permanent than a show exhibit.
The best Small Space was from Longstock Park Landscapes and showed how it’s possible to design with sustainability and biodiversity in mind. It used recycled materials and wild flowers to good effect.
The stand-out exhibit, unsurprisingly, came from Hillier’s, long known for producing award-winning displays. The ‘Hillier Experience’ was a four-part, themed exhibit showcasing their wide range of plants and demonstrating how to put them together. From the Night Garden round the clock to the Evening Garden it was packed with plants and inspiration.
Blue and yellow is a classic colour combination but it was done particularly well in the morning section.
This was just one of the plants that caught my eye – there was also a pink version. I resisted the temptation to buy it though.
The BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair may not be on the scale of the NEC event but tickets also gave you entry to the gardens at Beaulieu so after the fair, I went to explore.
Like many gardens, it was behind the norm with many things, such as roses, not open but the lupins were magnificent.
This was a plant I’d never seen before and I had to ask one of the gardeners what it was. Definitely something a bit different.
It was also a change from my usual Cotswold gardens with acid-lovers everywhere – plants I don’t see very often on my garden travels.
Even the mill pond walk had unexpected flashes of colour – unlabelled but beautiful.
The garden had a great wild flower meadow – possibly part of No Mow May.
And just a touch of humour – the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party in topiary.
The BBC Gardeners’s World Spring Fair is planned as an annual event at Beaulieu with dates already booked for the next two years.
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