Hampton Court

We were out the door before nine. Meeting up with neighbours, we headed up to the Hampton Court Flower Show. It was nice that, for a change, the Gorse Fox didn't have to do the driving.  It wasn't a bad journey and we were parked soon after eleven.

A coffee was the first priority, but after that, we split up with the intention of getting back together at lunchtime. There are plenty of places to eat at the show, but we had chosen the restaurant by the bridge across the Long Water.

We started at some of the small gardens. They were only about 4 metres square, but had a lot packed in to a small space.

The Silver Vixen managed to end up chatting with the designer of one of these. He seemed little more than a boy and the Gorse Fox wondered if his parents knew he was bunking off school.

The Conceptual gardens are always a bit of an eye-opener.

They are not necessarily the sort of gardens that inspire the Gorse Fox, but always interesting. This year was no different. Pyramids, Red String, Butterfly Dome (with a very long queue), a wave of black plastic, a "burial bound" with black plastic collapsing scaffolding.
The photo shows a garden that was built to raise awareness of cancer survival rates.

Lunch was taken at the Palace Room. There was much debate over the menu, but when we actually went to collect the chosen meals we were disappointed and ended up having to make alternative selections. The Silver Vixen's choice was wisest - a ham hock salad. Chris, Maureen and the Gorse Fox ended up with baguettes. Tasty enough, but not what we had chosen.

After lunch we split up again. The Silver Vixen and the Gorse Fox headed for the Floral marquee. This huge marquee houses hundreds of exhibits showing flowers and shrubs of every imaginable type.

We always wander round the whole display, but are drawn particularly to the Acers, the Fuchsias, and the Orchids.

The manufacturer of our garden furniture had an impressive display. On their stand, Bramblecrest, had the recliners, footstools, and a side table that matched our existing furniture. This was on offer and discounted by a third. This was a significant saving and having negotiated a free-delivery, we decided that it would be foolish to pass up the opportunity to complete the garden seating. This will take several weeks to arrive - but there is no hurry.

We all met up again for a cup of tea, to review our day and check whether there was anything we needed to go back and check, see, or purchase. Content, we headed back to the car and joined the traffic. The satnav was kind to us and selected some good routes and we made good time (considering it was rush hour). We stopped for a pint at The Gribble then got back in time to watch the Wales-Portugal game at the Euros.

A perfect day - it is only a shame that our other neighbours, Trudy and Ian, were unable to join us.