Gardeners World Live, NEC, Birmingham

Ohhh! Lovely! That's a cracking blog Sticki! I wish I'd been able to go to that, I could almost imagine walking round the show with you! The gardens were lovely, the planting in the beehive garden was really sweet, and the hydrangea 'Firecracker' is a total stunner! I've never seen anything like that, did it have wee blue bits in it or was that my imagination?! Going to have a look at the Flora website too, it's planting was nice, and that Gladdie 'The Bride'...yum! Did you get a new camera Stickie? Those pics are so sharp and beautifully exposed, just a lovely blog! Putting it on my faves, there's a lot of inspirational pics, thank you for putting this on Sticki, it's really good!

Brilliant blog Sticki. going on my favs too..need to look at a few of these pics again, some really nice combos.
Sounds like you had a really good time.

It looks interesting. I'm glad you were able to go and take some photos. Did you meet any of the Garden celebs like Monty etc ?
The one with green posts was a bit strange but all the others were lovely, and those lilies - well they're beautiful :o)

lovely - we wanted to go but couldn't afford it - love pictures Stickitoffee

Thank you everyone, look out for the offers in the garden magazines, they take quite a bit of money off PG.
Monty was meant to be there hywel but he wasn't at the book signing at the right time, I wasn't so bothered about seeing him. Carol Klein, Joe swift, Matthew ? And Linda barker the designer Were all wandering about. Also saw Drew Baker who won master chef last year and Andy Peters with him.
Thank you Tet, I enjoyed myself - perhaps the tastings helped?? Especially the alcoholic sort!
Many thanks Libet, I have my own camera back from the menders, it's not as good as OH camera but I'm more used to it. The hydrangea does indeed have tiny blue flowers on, I really loved it.

Wonderful,Sticki..I will get there one day..The displays are superb,as is your photography..I love the flora garden,and will have a look at their website..Those Lupins..! what colour..thanks for showing us...I love it all ! :o)

Great blog Sticki. The pink obelisks were different ! Quite effective in that setting. I quite liked that garden, and the bodgers garden was novel. Loved the Heuchera of course, was that the Plantagogo stand ? Its all lovely, and the lillies, bet they smell lovely. Thanks for sharing those pics

Thanks for posting these pics Sticki. I went to the show but forgot my camera and was desperately trying to remember the flowers in one of the show gardens.

We went on the Friday and was thinking that if we had gone on sunday they would be selling off displays etc.. Your Lillies are magnificent!!!!! Was it jam-packed on Sunday?

Here's a strange incident from the show for you - I was discussing with my friend about how I had been a customer at Monty Don's jewelery shop in London many years ago. We were talking about how he got into gardening etc when we noticed a middle-aged gentlemen nearby eavesdropping on our conversation. We jokingly said to him was he interested in hearing us discussing Monty. You could of 'knocked us down with a feather' when he told us, among other relevations concerning Monty, that he went to school with him and half jokingly said he might be confronting him on a few issues should he bump into him that day! Ohh Ah!!!

Paulsgarden - you can buy tickets for next years show now at a reduced price saving £7.00

Thank you bloomer and Cinderella, I haven't really done the flora garden justice, it was hard to get it all in a photo but it was lovely, a place you would want to spend time in and a lovely variety of very interesting plants.

The pink obelisks were certainly eye catching but I would prefer white because I think it would be more restful? Plantagogo were certainly there but I can't quite remember which was which now - sorry - perhaps I did too many tastings? You are right - the lilies smell wonderful. Do you know if it's true that when you take the pollen bits (anthers??) off you loose the scent?

That's very funny annelise - about monty don! I haven't forgiven him yet for being rude on James martin's Saturday kitchen! I think Daylily went on Friday, you could have met up? Wouldn't it be nice if they had a GoY lounge!!

As we were leaving - 5pm - they were pulling up the show gardens, I don't know how much they were charging for things - I couldn't carry any more!

STUNNING!!!

Thanks, Sticki - a great blog with excellent photos. It's a bit too far for me to get to, so TV and blogs have to be my 'visit'. I like that pink obelisk garden, too - but I also think the obelisks were a bit too pink! The one with the plastic grass pillars is a real turn-off, though. I suppose they have to include 'concept' gardens, but who would want that as their 'real' garden? Not me!

That white flower - I think it's Orlaya.

It always amazes me at these shows how the Nurseries manage to achieve perfection.

Hi Sticki, fab blog, i remember pointing out that Fucshia Thamar to hubby, and also seeing that pretty hydrangea!! I must admit i cant remember many of the gardens names, might remember when i look back at my photos. I'd even forgot about Monty's jewel garden until i saw it on TV on the evening. Your lillies are beautiful.:^))

thank you coshad, spritz and daylily and thank you also for the names spritz; im hoping to have one of those white flowers one day so im grateful for its name. you could spend an entire national budget i should think if you bought everything you liked so we just took a bit of cash and that had to be the limit!

you do wonder how they make everything so perfect!! wish i knew how!!

i bought a little sample of Thamar ~ i will let you know how it gets on

I really dont know if the lillies would lose their scent if you took the stamens out Sticki, the only way to find out is to take them out of one and see. I wouldnt have thought it would personally, but you are the one to answer that !

Thanks Sticki, great blog and your photo`s are lovely, the lilies you bought are fabulous, I`ve ruined many a top when checking for the dreaded beetle,. I do like the bodgers garden and all those lupins are stunning, pleased you enjoyed your day.....

It's looks like you had a wonderful day, Stickitoffee! Your photos are amazing, I remember the gardens from the program. I love the pink obelisks in the first garden. The lillies you brought back are beautiful! I'm sure your mother-in-law must have been delighted :) We're hoping to go back to Chatsworth gardens very soon so will hopefully have some pics to share with everyone.

Hi Sticki loved the blog pictures were amazing:)

Ooh yes, lovely blog Sticki. I love that Bodgers hut!! Great photos and your lilies...wow!!

thank you everyone, the colours and gardens were so stunning you couldnt fail to get good pictures, wish you could have all come too!!

cinderella ~ i will let you know ~ i have taken a few off and those lilies are in the lounge.

im hoping there are no beetles lincslass ~ i had enough of those with my crown imperials; the lad on the stand was a nice lad and obviously working with his mum who i think owned the stand ~ he didnt want any pollen on his shirt so as he was taking the stand down he wore a black bin liner ~ OH did the same taking mother in law's flowers to the plant creche! i carried mine!

craftyemma ~ i think m-i-l liked them but she was more concerned there was no pollen on the carpet so i had to cut it all off outside where she lives and then one of her very nosy and quite rude neighbours shouted across to ask what we were doing ~ i was not pleased!!
going to chatsworth?? lucky thing ~ i love it there, i really like the fountains and the water ~ please bring some photos! bakewell is also a nice little town.

Lovely blog and pics.....

Nice blog and pics Sticki :-) We've been there on the wedensday, had a nice day, although Mark (the other half) had a cold so no drinks for us :-(
Agree with you about the Flora garden, the plant selection was great. It was also nice that we could actually walk inside the garden and look at all the plants properly. The bodgery garden was also a favorite. Of, the pink obelisks were way to much, white would have been better.

Thanks hollyeves, couldn't agree more columbine, it was really nice to be able to walk in the gardens - that was an unexpected surprise.

Absolutely great blog, Sticki - you really did the gardens justice with your super pics. I think I saw more on here than on Gardeners World! You obviously like white flowers (as I do) - that gorgeous Hydrangea Firecracker has gone on my wish list, and yes, Spritz is right (of course), the next but one is Orlaya, really pretty (Not too difficult from seed, but don't pull out seedlings thinking they are cow parsley - it's very similar but smaller.)

That bonsai is perfection. Thank you so much for sharing your visit!

you are very welcome, thank you sheila; yes i love white flowers, they are very special somehow. thank you for the tips about the seedlings.
i loved the bonsai.
i was surprised gardeners world didnt show more ~ i didnt understand why.

Hi Stickitoffee. thankyou for sharing a wonderfull day out,i realy enjoyed the visit, lovely :)

I was there on Saturday and i've put a few photos on my page, i managed to see Monty and took a photo of him, but unlike you it was a full day getting there and back home.

Glad you enjoyed it cmsue

That's a long journey clarice, I hope you enjoyed it, im not sure where monty was, also Adam Henson(?) from country file was meant to be there but I missed him which was a shame, cos I like him.
Sorry clarice I must have missed your blog - I will go to look at it straight away

wow wow wow .................... loved that 1st one , need to go and look again ................ as cudent take it all in , wow .... i went to cheshire show today , and boght plants there .... love your lillies

lots of colours in that first garden ~ certainly bright and cheerful,
how was cheshire ~ do you have any pictures?

Sticki...I am so very impressed with the gardens you photographed (and the clarity of your pictures, too!). I am amazed at the photo you thought had won an award, a bit like a meadow scene. How do they ever transport such a delicate 'garden' and have it look as if it's been in situ for years? Truly amazing.

I am not usually a fan of gladioli but the one in your photo is really beautiful.

I can tell you that we always take the stamen out of the lillies and have never found the scent any less strong. I never knew to take them out of the lily until our daughter was getting married and the florist took out the stamen from the lillies in her wedding bouquet so her clothing would not be stained. So...I hope this is your conclusion too...taking them out doesn't alter their beautiful scent.

The gardens all seem to be in quite delicate shades of purples, pinks (well a lot of them...lol) and it does make for a very pretty garden. Those lupins too were something special....oh...I'll have to stop there. I could go on and on....just such a treat to see your photos, Sticki. Much enjoyed :)

thanks WL ~ im very glad you enjoyed them ~ you may be able to see some of it on the Iplayer ~ gardeners world?? last friday's edition.
i have a few lilies with the stamen out in the lounge and i can still smell them [not as strongly as the huge bouquet in the kitchen tho!!]

Thanks for the lovely blog and pictures, it sounds like a good day out :) I think you included some bits that weren't on the tv, so it was very nice to have a look :) + Those lilies you brought back are enormous!

Yes, Sticki, I have now watched Gardener's World...I am pleased you put up all your photos though as they are superb :)

I can imagine the heady scent coming from all your lillies. They really do put on a lovely show of colour and the scent is such a bonus.

you're welcome jennyfer; some of the lilies are still going! and yes, WL they still have that lovely scent.

Fantastic blog and pictures Sticki! Wish I had been there too! :-)

Maybe next year red? It was when Daylily told me that she had been for the last 7 years I knew it would be worthwhile but it was even better than I expected.

Hi, there was still loads there, but there did seem a little less than previous years, there is sometimes small gardens in the Halls and usually more plant stalls in the Halls, but still very enjoyable.

Sticki' only just picked up your exellent blog, I was there on Sunday too...... If only I had known we could have had a meet.

Oh what a shame valadel I'm sorry I didn't know and I didn't wear my Stickitoffee badge either. I am planning to go again next year, it was so good!

Thanks so much toffee for your great blog really enjoyed reading through it,great pictures as well,must have been a great day out,thanks again for sharing it with us all :)

Thank you whdebor, you are very welcome, I certainly enjoyed my day but it makes it even better when I can share it. If we all met there next year, it would be like a party!

lol sounds like a great idea ! :)

:-)) I'm going to change that, I don't like my double chin!

:-)

I don't like my photo taken,full stop ! Lol.

I will do anything to avoid having my photo taken. Even OH is giving up because I look so awful.

Oh no,you don't ! I think we all think the worst of ourselves,Sticki...my OH has got the message too..Lol.

I would like a face like this:

:o)

It stays the same and doesn't look odd, also it is a happy face!

Lol,Sticki...but we would have been almost the same colour as our Avatars..if we had stayed out in this hot sun !:o)))))

Oh, that's true.
Now an avatar for a face - that would be good. But while I'm about it I may as well replace legs and everything else. Always wanted to be like a Lego man - you could just snap the bits off and swap them!

\0/ Yoo hoo all! I love this blog, as you know I couldn't make it this year so lovely to see what I missed:-(...and hear about the food I didn't taste:-( I hate to disagree with Spritz...but I I think the lovely white flower is Ammi Majus, all a matter of size I think. Ahem....If you look at my new blog (the woman's shameless) you'll see pics of Ammi, easy to grow too. Wouldn't it be great if there was a facility on here where GOYers could see who was going to which show, where and when there would be a GOY gathering? Sticki, your face is much prettier than your avatar, no one likes themselves in photos...it's the law..and in reality, we are, to say the least 3D and animated by personality:-))

That's a good idea Ba, we could do with a list of gardening events and then sign up underneath?

I like that idea too :^), hi Sticki, how are you? :^)

Seem to have been busy, bit of a strange day for lots of different reasons.
Hoping tomorrow will be better.
Watching an old DVD of 'my family and other animals' - I like it, I find it relaxing for some strange reason.

Yesterday I bought two lovely rudbeckias - prairie sun, just hope they survive my garden.

The rudbekias sound nice, do recognise the name of the DVD but dont remember it. Need to try and do some weeding this weekend, but also doing youngest bedroom, having new bed so will need to be assembled!

You might recognise the title cos it's a Gerald Durrell book?
Sounds as if you are going to be very busy, I should be weeding too, hope the weather gets a bit warmer - I'm sitting here in a big thick woollen cardigan!

I know I cant believe the difference in the temperatures lately (well i can cos were in England!!) i was froze last week especially in the house seems very cool when weather not too good, then we had the lovely hot weather and had all the doors open!!

Perhaps we should sum it up by saying we are having 'English weather'!?
It feels like April weather to me!

But the sun is now shining and after I have had my cup of coffee (haven't been in long from work) I must go out to do some weeding. Otherwise I shall be blogging from the jungle!

wow fantastic love the bonsai , i love it all Stickitoffee , stunning pictures , iv just finished nites , all my weeding done :)))

Thanks Mark, well done you for getting the weeding done, I've only just started! Got little foxglove plants everywhere!

I'm a fan, Sticki. Great Blog... it's on my favs. Don't have much time to spend looking but I'm going to take time to go over those pics again! deeeelish!

I've just found out the Spritz was right, the white flower is orlaya. I got my ammi and orlaya seeds mixed up:-( So what I am offering is orlaya seeds:-)

yes please then Ba ~ ammi or orlaya??!! i dont mind what its called!!

thank you lori! it was a lovely show to go to ~ bit too far for you?

Extremely far for me to go, Sticki, LOL... but this is the beauty of goY...thanks to your blog I can enjoy the highlights! xo

Had a good look at the flowers, Sticki. What a great array...liked the peonies, glads and lupins...esp the blue and white pic! My two fav colours in the garden, especially in combination. Had to google "Bodger's House" ...lol. I was thinking that it looked like something I could do down by the stream and plant the roof with sod!! lovely idea. See if we have any Bodgers over here! (We have raccoons...they are very close to human/bodger! lol....) Thought the little house was adorable and so rustic it would fit right into my streamside plans!

I think it would look perfect by your stream, I don't know what happened at the end of the show but some things are sold to the public as they are dismantled.
I think this bodger had to fix things using wood.
Do you have gardening shows?