RHS Wisley Plant Fair 2018

Must have been a fantastic day, how did you contain yourself from buying more? I'm not sure about the sculptures either, probably look good in the right place, but not sure that was it!
That purple orchid is stunning.

Wow, those Dahlias are so perfect, add a few insect bites and would look more like mine lol. Looks a lovely day out and love the plants you bought. Happy belated birthday as well 🎂

Thank for taking so many pictures Shirley, it looks like you had a super day. I'm not sure about the sculptures either...I tend to like natural things in the garden. I'm not fond of these rusty ornaments either.

Lol, Waddy and Shirley, I will come out of the closet so to speak and admit that I quite like them. 😀

An enjoyable visual tour, ShirleyT.

I don't mind the sculptures either, though not all together, scattered individually.

Honeysuckle, I really don't have a big garden and was after a Salvia, not really three! There were so many lovely things on offer, somebody called it 'Gardenalia', but I have enough in the garden now.

Thanks Jen, some of the Dahlias were enormous, a bit overpowering ...

I'm with you there Waddy, rusty ornaments were everywhere!

Eirlys, we thought they would have looked better singly too.

What a lovely day you had. I enjoy seeing dahlias. Haven't got room for them in my garden :(
Great photos and wonderful displays, thanks for showing them. I hope you'll be able to get the Crocosmias you want from somewhere.

They certainly know how to do colour.

Hywel, I have just two Dahlias in pots and am pleased to say they almost always have a Bee or two on them. Just need to water the pots and deadhead the spent flowers, easy-peasy!

Certainly do Linda ...

That's good Shirley, I may try one or two next year. I love them !

Give them a go Hywel ... :o)

Where I grew up there was a neighbour who had most of the garden devoted to Dahlias, all sorts, all colours. To see them all flowering together and filling about 3/4 of the garden was a sight to behold.
They kept them in boxes under the bed in the winter lol

What a wonderful time you must have had there! The Dahlias are ABSOLUTELY lovely!

I used to try & grow Dahlias on the balcony but the earwigs destroyed them - no matter how many I trapped & killed daily! They seemed to be a "magnet" for all the earwigs in town!

Hywel, when we had our allotment there was one plot given over to just growing Dahlias ... I think they were grown to showbench standard for competitions.

Balcony, I rarely see Earwigs in my garden but do know how they love Dahlias. I think you sometimes have to forego growing plants you love, just give in to the beasts!

Must have looked wonderful !

You are quite right, Shirley, you do sometimes have to give in & grow only what is possible in your situation.

The ones that were decimated by the earwigs were the ones that grow a metre & a half high (approx 5ft) but a few years later I grew some dwarf Dahlias in the troughs on the balcony floor & they were left alone! In fact I left them in the toughs over winter & they grew & flowered a 2nd year!

Balcony, you can never tell with some plants!

Enjoyed your blog Shirleyt. I also went to the Wisley Flower Show. I arrived at 9 55am & all 3 car parks were full. I had to go to a CP right down Wisley Lane, & walk back( & pay for parking there) & I thought I was in good time, it didn't open till 10am. I too loved the Dahlias & l'm glad you put your pics on as I'm sure they are much better than mine, which are still in the camera. I have one red dahlia for the first time this year as I have avoided them as I didn't want to attract any earwigs which I hadn't got.So we'll see!
The floral exhibits were great too, I took a lot of pics, it's a bit of a fag transferring pics from my camera onto this IPad, haven't done so yet.
I live 20mins drive from Wisley so I didn't look around the garden that day as I can go any time. I'm glad that you had such a good day out.

Thanks Ff, as it's about fifty miles away from us we don't visit too often. Lucky you, living nearby!