The RHS London shows ought to be a pleasure for me to visit; they take place just five minutes from my office and are genteel, polite affairs, quite unlike the scrum of Chelsea or the hassle of Hampton Court – just how I like my flower shows. However, they are timed in such a way that they always seem to clash with a business trip or manic day at work. So, if I get to visit at all, it’s always in a hurry. The 2017 Early Spring Plant Fair was no exception.
The RHS early spring shows are a shot in the arm for visiting gardeners, a reminder that in a few weeks our own gardens will be bursting with colour again. The focus is on flowering bulbs (particularly snowdrops), camellias, potatoes and early flowering shrubs and perennials. Some of the best and most respected nurseries in the country go along to show and sell their wares.
In recent years the RHS have started experimenting with evening openings. These are a blessing for office workers like myself and those who prefer perusing plants with a glass of prosecco or cold beer in hand. The more relaxed atmosphere is preferable to taking part in the scrum of eager beavers that can form during the daytime. Occasionally one even spots a celebrity quietly admiring the flowers. Whether these ‘after hours’ shows are lucrative for the RHS it’s hard to tell, but they are a lovely way to conclude the working day. This week’s late event was on Monday night, before the show opened officially on Tuesday.
For fully paid-up galanthophiles there was everything on offer from freshly dug bundles of Galanthus elwesii wrapped in damp newspaper, to rare treasures costing £40, £50, or £60. I didn’t indulge – there are many other flowers I’d make a collection of before I turned to snowdrops – but I had to admire Avon Bulbs’ gold medal winning display which included Galanthus ‘Moortown Mighty’ and G. ‘Trumps’. Harvey’s Garden Plants were awarded Silver-Gilt for a stand incorporating a particularly handsome form of G. elwesii named ‘Yvonne Hay’ bearing huge flowers above broad, silver-green leaves.
Jacques Amand staged their usual tour de force display of Iris reticulata, I. histrioides and their hybrids, earning them a gold medal. There were more introductions from Canadian breeder Alan McMurtrie. These were nice enough, and the colours were unusual, but the flowers did look very small against older varieties. Iris ‘Eyecatcher’ stood out from the crowd, as did I. ‘Frozen Planet’ with ice white and Wedgwood blue flowers, as pale and poised as a prima ballerina. Iris histrioides ‘Katherine’s Gold’ appeared to be a variation on I. ‘Katherine Hodgkin’, with only the faintest amount on blue on the falls and the rest of the flower suffused golden-yellow, fading to milky-white.
I didn’t expect to be suckered into buying succulents, but Daniel Jackson of Ottershaw Cacti staged such a maestro display that I could not help myself. Light years away from the dry, dusty arrangements of cacti and succulents that I’ve experienced in the past, Daniel’s display was packed with colour and vitality. Faced with a huge array of plants to select from, I chose Crassula ovata ‘Red Horn’, which has leaves the shape and colour of macaroni dipped in tomato sauce, and Echeveria pulvinata ‘Ruby Blush’. Both are unusual choices for someone with an aversion to variegation, but I put it down to it being the end of a very long day.
Elsewhere I picked up Streptocarpus ‘White Butterfly’ from Dibleys (also awarded gold) and Pleione grandiflora ‘White Hybrids’ from Jacques Amand / Living Colour Bulbs. Having done a magnificent job of saving money during January (even if I do say so myself), I decided it was high time for a miniature splurge.
The RHS have started charging members £5 for admittance to some of the London shows. I suppose this move was inevitable, but wonder how many people this might discourage. An ‘enhanced show experience’ was promised in return for my plasticised £5 note, but I can’t honestly say I noticed a difference. Asking politely if my ticket might allow me to return another day, I was told, equally politely, ‘no’. This struck me as a tad miserly: I would have spent more had I had the opportunity to return the next day for some of the other plants on offer.
Having left the office almost an hour after I had planned, I was in trouble for getting home late before I had even set foot in Vincent Square. Just 45 minutes after I had arrived, having covered both halls and an exhibition of this year’s Chelsea show garden designs, I was heading back towards the Victoria Line again. At an average of one plant purchase every nine minutes, it was probably just as well as I didn’t have a return ticket.
The good news is that the next event, the RHS Botanical Art Show will be free for RHS members to visit:
- RHS Botanical Art Show – 24–25 Feb 2017 – Free for RHS members and the public.
- RHS Spring Plant and Orchid Show – 29–30 Mar 2017 – £5 for RHS members (in advance and on the day), and £6 for non-members (£9 on the day).
- RHS Summer Urban Garden Show – 12 – 13 Jul 2017 – Free for RHS members and the public.
- RHS Harvest Festival Show – 3 – 4 Oct 2017 – Free for RHS members and the public.
- RHS Autumn Garden Show – 25 – 26 Oct 2017 – £5 for RHS members (in advance and on the day), and £6 for non-members (£9 on the day).
Categories: Bulbs, Flower Shows, Flowers, Foliage, Photography, Plants
‘Yvonne Hay’ is an eye-catcher, but the wide leaves steal some of the flower’s charm. Like you, love the cacti. And that variegated begonia…wow!
Dibleys’ displays of begonias at Chelsea and Hampton Court are packed with so many beautiful varieties that it’s impossible to pick a favourite. I love them.
Keep up the good work! With best wishes to all, Alda Stich, also a Landscape Architect
Thank you Alda 🙂
I wish I was nearer. I would love to go to one of these shows. Rather fancy G. ‘Trumps’. But in the current political climate, maybe not.
Let’s hope the other Trump is shortlived, slow to multiply or susceptible to disease 😉
I was thinking the same Rusty!
It’s a few years since I’ve been to one of the Vincent Sq shows. Thanks for sharing your highlights. I’m a bit miffed that the RHS has started to charge, esp as the price for non-mems isn’t much more. But it probably won’t put me off going in the autumn 🍂 😊
Don’t be put off, but make sure you have enough time to get your money’s worth! I rather resented paying £5 for 45 minutes!
<3 the hellebores in the top photo. And the galanthus, of course, but impossible in my climate. Leucojum or nothing at all. The 5 pounds, no readmission for members surprises me…I'd think the RHS'd want all the shoppers they can get. Gardeners do impulse buy, but many of us have to go out and stare at the border or think over dinner a bit first…
Completely agree. If it were purely a show I’d understand, but this was billed as a plant fair. Therefore I guess the exhibitors would appreciate as many punters as possible.
How lucky you are to be able to visit RHS shows. I have to confess I am a Galanthophile, had an Open Day today and really enjoyed the day.
Good for you. I do appreciate a nice display of snowdrops. I drove past Pythouse in Wiltshire yesterday and the carpet of snowdrops either side of the road was quite breathtaking.
Nice! I am in South Africa where the colours are eye-popping and the succulents in the Karoo National Garden in Worcester, and the Obesa Nursery in Graaff Reinet are mind-blowing! Posts to come
Ooooh! Lucky you! Can’t wait to read all about it.
I usually think of this show as the start to my gardening year but decided on a trip to Wisley (free to members) rather than fork out a fiver for the privilege of buying my spud tubers from the show. I’ve heard from traders that the show was less well attended this year; also from other gardeners who resented the new entry charge. The displays are always lovely but I wonder if the RHS has scored an own goal here – it’s free entry to the London shows that boosts the value of my membership!
I think they have scored an own goal, as you say, and hope they will reconsider if attendance continues to be down. I will try to get to the botanical art show this week, which is free. I’d much rather go to Wisley though. A bit ambitious in my lunch break 🤓.
Another interesting blog with great photos!!!
Thank you Sally!
Just a big thank you for putting these lovely photos up for all of us to see.
My pleasure Rodja
Dan,
I’ve linked this post to a GOTE thread.
https://frustratedgardener.com/2017/02/18/rhs-london-early-spring-plant-fair-2017/
I hope that is OK.
Chad.
I’ve no idea what a GOTE thread is Chad, but I am sure it’s OK!
I have to admit, I was one of those put off by the £5 entrance fee. Last year I visited all of the “lates” at the London shows (and bought something at nearly every one), but this week I instead took myself off to snowdrops walks at Burton Agnes Hall and Primrose Bank nursery (for £3 entrance, going to charity, they had the same specialist snowdrops and lots of hellebores, plus a hot drink at no extra cost). It does look rather quiet on your picture – I’m sure they’ve lost a lot of customers for the stallholders. When I went to the Chrsitmas late (the Friday before Christmas), the stallholders were complaining that they were made to open for 1 or maybe no actual customers. Let time tell…
Indeed. Those exhibits must be costly to stage, and I suppose plant sales provide some pay back. The late event was not busy, but most of the exhibitors had customers as I was walking about. I hope the RHS will scrap it and instead make a better job of promoting the shows to improve attendance. I work nearby and one would not know there’s anything going on. Now that Victoria has been smartened up there are a lot more tourists and U.K. visitors in the area. Hope you enjoyed your snowdrop walk. Sounds lovely. Dan
So sorry; it might have helped if I’d given the link to the GOTE thread rather than self referencing this one!
http://www.growingontheedge.net/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=10332
Chad
Got it! Thanks 🙏
HI-
I love your posts and website. I live in Massachusetts, USA, and my snowdrops skipped this year – 70 F on February 25, wtf.
You’re awesome. Would like to be in touch.
Thanks, Scott
On Sat, Feb 18, 2017 at 5:40 AM, The Frustrated Gardener wrote:
> The Frustrated Gardener posted: ” The RHS London shows ought to be a > pleasure for me to visit; they take place just five minutes from my office > and are genteel, polite affairs, quite unlike the chaos of Chelsea or the > hassle of Hampton Court – just how I like my flower shows. Ho” >
Thanks Scott. Cold here again this week. My snowdrops are hanging on nicely. No fallow year for them!