Hi Vicky :) Sadly iv never been 2 a Flower Show but im sure their Brill & Worth every penny :)

Do you mean flowers arranged, or shows with plants, Vicky?

If the second, it's nice to see well-arranged stands which I find inspiring, with the colour combinations so well thought out. Then I want to be able to buy the plants that the Nurseries have used in their displays!

It's good to see such a wide variety of Nurseries, too, so that I can choose unusual plants that I've SEEN. Ordering mail-order is great, but it's a bit hit and miss sometimes, from a catalogue.

Some of the Nurseries e.g. at the Bath and West last year were soooo expensive - 2 stems of Crocosmia for £5??? No chance! That to me was way over the top.

lovley splash of colour but im a shrub man myself and my faverite flower is from the globe artichoke.partly because of it`s outstanding beautiful blue above what looks like a preostauric plant and for the beeze and other insects that come and get drunk on its necter . all life is stunning and beautiful in its own right realy and i dont think things have to be colourfull to be stunning.i hope that answerd your question lol take care bye for now .
ps if you love flowers they must be brilliant.even the ditches round linconshire look stunning about this time of year.

Hi Vicky...
Please could you give a bit more detail about your question... thanks...
This would help members give you the answers you need.
Do you mean all types of show ?
Are you asking about cut flowers at shows...
...or flowers in show gardens at shows.....
...or trade stands with flowers at shows...
... or all of these ? Lol.

I am a regular attender and exhibitor at SRGC plant shows. Entrance for non members is typically £2. The nurseries sell specialist plants so these are likely to be slightly more expensive than the general stock in trade of as garden center, but not by much and might evenm be cheaper. Then the is the 'members' plant stall with an eclectic range of plants at very reasonable prices. Certainly, well worth the money.
The only large show that I go to is Gardening Scotland in June. When I first went I was under the illusion thjat everything would be overpriced. How wrong can that be. Prices at this show are very reasonable as can be judged by the mass of plants that visitors can be seen carrying away with them.
I have never been to a show and thought that the sales plants were expensive - the occaisional item, maybe, but otherwise no.

I love to examine all the unusual plants in the marquee at Chelsea. But the crowds!!...And so many people who look as if they would die if they got soil under their nails!!. Local village shows are good for a bit of horticultural therapy too!

I went to Chelsea once, many moons ago. Yes, I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't want to go every year. You're right, Volunteer. Some of the designers, not all admittedly, are NOT gardeners.

Yes and some don't have many actual plants!! Also, the TV coverage is rubbish!! They concentrate on items other than the gardens!! And have 'celebs' who aren't gardeners!! Oh well, maybe I'm just fussy!

No - just a gardener who want to be inspired. NO plasticine gardens will 'do it' for me, or lettuces as a carpet under a piece of stone, either. :-((( I wonder what they'll come up with this year? The mind boggles!

Thank you for your comments so far
I wanted to know about flowers shows such as Rhs gardening scotaland harrogate etc.
These shows have all things at them such as the floral marque and flower arranging but it was I surpose plants I was refering to.
I just wanted to know what people would like to see in the floral marques etc.?

As for the price of the plants its difficult to say whats expensive and whats not sometimes a plant that is rare and difficult to grow or propagate is always going to command more money due to costs rarity etc.
If you take 100 cuttings and only manage to grow 5 then it will be more expensive than the ones that you get 100% from.

I didnt think the plasticine garden was a good idea but I surpose it did its job in getting people talking about the show and the press were interested to see him fail! I surpose.(I think it was a jokey thing really)
There is a saying Any publicity is better than non even bad if thats what it takes!
Value for money I was wondering if you thought the entrance price was worth it.
Remembering that we all would like to go in for nothing but they do have to pay a lot for putting on the show. just wondered what you all thought.

Do you enjoy the large cut flower stands in the marquees or do you likedisplays of pots of plants or is it garden settings you like in the marquee?

What do you think about the plant plots outside do you think they have good quality plants and unusal varieties?
If you were running a show what would you think is a good idea that hasnt been done before?
This year many of the floral marquees are having Themes such as 'Music'ect.
Do you think that will be more or less interesting???

I went to Chelsea Flower Show for the first time last year and found it spectacular. I didn't buy anything there, but got lots of ideas and made useful notes. It is certainly overcrowded and there is hardly anywhere to sit unless you are prepared to pay exhorbitant prices in refreshment tents. If you go, take a plastic mac or bag, then at least you can sit on the grass here and there!

I tend to buy from small nurseries which exhibit at the Parham Garden Weekend ( where there is plenty of seating!) or from local garden centres and village shows. Sometimes I buy from catalogues but have been disappointed this year with the size of a couple of things I ordered from T&M.

I asked the question because we do many shows all year and I was doing a bit of research to see what it was made people like horticultural shows and what they enjoyed the most and were there areas that we could all improve etc.
really just likes and dislikes and what they wanted more of...
What you wanted to change or add to them
Was the cost of shows too much to get in and the price of the plants.
Whether you know why they are the price they are etc.
Hope you didnt mind me asking it was just a thought and I know you are all honest and will tell it the way you have found it.
Not promising that I can do anything about your points but if I know then that helps
Hope to hear from you all soon anything
:)

I think that the shows are a great place to find specific varieties of plants (because nurseries, like yours, can have a "platform"). For me, the nurseries, stands are always the main draw, and show prices are always excellent, in my opinion. What do I want to see this year? Yourself at "Gardening Scotland", with your delicious heucheras! :-)

Dave thank you for your comments
That is what we have used the shows for.
We originally only did the shows back in 2000 just to promote the website but now it is more than that.
we find we have lots of the same people come back year on year and also meet lots of new lovely people too, alot who become friends really.
Pleased that you think the prices are excellent long may that continue.:)
As for us at Gardening Scotland we have gone every year for about I think 5 years and we love it:)
So you get you wish Dave cant wait to meet you ....will you be dressed as a pirate and if so do you have to pay for the parrot to get in lol.
Bulbaholic says he has been too so hopefully he will come and say hi too
we could have a GOY get together lol
We will be .....as you walk in the hall through the main door, take the right hand wall and go half way down that aisle and we are on the left hand side of that aisle as you may expect we will have lots of Heucheras on display and for sale lol
We also will have match sticks holding open our eyes and bandages on our feet as we go straight from the Chelsea flower show to Gardening Scotland
its the 12 hour days that kill us at Chelsea and all the dust and the plain trees that attack our eyes (cant wait lol)
see you there Dave.

Many Thanks, Vicky.

This means that we have possibly "met before", lol!! Thank you for the directions, too. Yes, I met Bulb and Moongrower there last year. They are with the Scottish Rock Garden Club. I'm always amazed how those who have been at Chelsea always manage to pack up, dash up here, and re-set everything so well. Will look out for the matchsticks and bandages. Me? I'll be the one with the wooden leg and crutch!

Look forward to then. Will you have H. "Blood Red" by any chance?

- David :-))

Vicky, sorry but I just didn't add two and two and connect you with Gardening Scotland. Moongrower and myself have been manning the SRGC stand for the last 120 years (or so it sometimes feels) and spend the whole three days in the Floral Hall. We will remeber to look you up especially this year.

I have to admit that the cut flower arrangements do nothing for me at all. I home in on the plant displays, and enjoy the well-laid out displays before deciding which plants I'd like in my own garden. Then I have to 'hope' that the Nursery concerned has the plant I've fallen for!

Some of the entrance fees for the prestigious shows are VERY high, but it's teeth gritting time, if you want to see lots of specialist Nurseries in one place.

I agree with Sh.... don't like the cut flower arrangements...

Nursery stands are great, and I wish TV shows such as Gardeners' World would spend much more time on these, interviewing the stand-holders and letting Carol Klein enthuse about everything ! :o)

There is one great advantage from working on a stand at the 'prestigious' shows and that is the free entrance pass! The second advantage is being in the show before and after the public are around. You have quality time to look at other exhibits and talk to fellow stall holders in peace and quiet.

Thanks for all your responses it helps when we are doing shows to know what the Real public think about the shows.
It is expensive at the larger shows to enter but I think if you whey up how much costs have gone into all the marquees and all the sliver roads etc It is not bad value.
You never get the chance as you said spritz to see so many specialists under one roof at anyone time
I would myself love them to be cheaper to get into but Its not down to me.
The Rhs is a massive concern and I should think there costs are un imaginable really.
harrogate spring and Autumn is a cheaper show but still has all the wow factor.
They are cheaper I suspect as they use a dedicated show ground so all the infrastructure is in place perminatley same at Gardening Scotalnd.
They big Rhs shows tend to be at large venues like Hampton court and I know they have to take all the land and resow the grass after the show, and not a piece of bark can remain as it can kill deer I under stand !!
This must cost a fair amount of money.
look forward to see you all:)

Fancy bulbaholic we must have meet
Well we shall this time :)

Somebody after my own heart i am a show secretary.,for our own little gardening club.
But i have been to Chelsea Flower show twice but that was about 30 years ago.
It does give you a few ideas what to have in your garden.
But with reference to local horticultural shows , i know i sometimes get told o its only for professionals, but i tell them its not.I say that the professionals do things like Chelsea etc .I enter just for the fun of it.I have actually a spring show coming up at the end of march and we end up with about 60 exhibits.
BUT we are only a small club. But i have been helping out with gardening clubs since i was 16 and im 48 next month.
But to see the flowers , vegetables , fruit, pot plants and floral arrangements ,home baked food always looks fantastic when the public are allowed to go and look at the exhibits

They are lovely for us all to look at even if you grow plants all the time
There is always something new to see or do that you havent see before.
Thank you for your comments Hijuju
You have been doing it a long time
I love Harrogate show and Malvern autumn for the fruit and vegetables and all the amature daliahs and gladis etc the amatures work really hard and seem to get so much out of them
I did a talk last night to a garderning club in Halton about the shows they seemed to enjoy it.
Show are not only for professionals they are very much for the enthusiast as well.
I like to see a good mix of both.
I l;ove the flower arranging too.
I might do a blog on the shows for you all if I get time this next week or two:)
Bring a bit of spring and summer into our lives :)