I made my first ever visit to the CFS on 24th May – probably the hottest and muggiest day of the year with temperatures forecast to reach 29 degrees C! I was not disappointed. Yes, it was crowded but very civilised and sweet smelling. As a gardener and ecologist, it was good to see the way in which many of the gardens integrated creative design with enahancing the natural environment, for example by using iris, geums and foxgloves in designs to focus on encouraging invertebrates, such as bees and hoverflies, into the garden. My favourite garden was ‘Satoyama Life’, designed by Kazuyuki Ishihara, which comprised mossy stones, cool shade and water. In the heat of the day, this, and other gardens that incorporated water features did look very tempting. Despite the heat, however, the gardens were fresh and inspiring.
The pavilion displays were stunning and I was very impressed by the stand overflowing with perfect daffodils. Given the recent weather, and the timing of the show, it must take incredible effort to create such displays so well. And, of course, no day out is complete without tea and cake! All in all a perfect day out.
