Monday, July 23, 2007

National Flower bed Competition

Conwys coucils theme was their North Wales coastline ,which runs from east to west along the Irish sea. I love the leaping dolphins.

This Stockport council flowerbed represents the river Mersey flowing from Stockport to the sea. I loved the canoeist and the leaping Salmon.
Cheshire county council used Samuel Egerton's (the founder of Tatton Park) grand tour of Venice as their inspiration. A traditional gondola with the love marigold lined posts, and the art picture of Venice.

Stoke on Trent Council display was celebrating its brightly coloured pottery..

Darlingtons borough coucil celebrates its regal looking Peacocks, a major attraction in its parks.

Newcastle-Under-Lyme has had a market since 1280 in its current site, and this traditional market stall celebrates this.

The Northern brewer celebrates 200 years of a Blackburn brewery in the borough.


My favourite flower bed won a Gold medal.It was designed by a residents association who live in Naseby Avenue. They are amateurs and borrowed greenhouses and compost to grow their plants.The flower bed commemerates the English civil war Battle of Naseby in 1645. A roundhead and Cavalier face off astride cannons either side of the battlefield.

The other entrys mostly came from councils, with professional designs and planting.The stories behind each entry are interesting too. It shows you can have meaningful displays even with bedding plants.The colours were vibrant and had crowds admiring them up and down all day.

Here flowers truly were used like paint on the standard seven metre by four metre bed.I admired all of them in the sun.

7 comments:

Mountain Mama said...

You got some wonderful shots. It looks like you had an enjoyable time.
I went to seven garden tours on sunday. It was a long day and it was raining much of the time but I hid myself and my camera under a huge umbrella and totally enjoyed myself.
I am wondering about the name of the flower in your banner. Do you know what it's called? I took a picture of a flower resembling it and would like to know it's name.

David (Snappy) said...

Hi Mountain Moma,It was great day in the sun.will blog a few more of the gardens yet in the Show garden, and Back to back competitions that I liked.
The white flower with lime green tips on the banner is an Astrantia Major.If you search this blog for Astrantia people have ID'd it for me down to possible cultivar.
I love the pincushion like flower, so jewel like.

Anonymous said...

Hi Snappy,
Really like the Stockport flowerbed - we're wondering whether the salmon is the famous Sammy the salmon?
Good to see a canoeist on the Mersey.....
Mersey Basin Campaign

Silvia Hoefnagels . Salix Tree said...

I really like the Mersey river one! I've always wanted to live by a river, or rather, a little stream. This might be a nice way to make a "stream" of blue and white flowers! What a nice idea!

David (Snappy) said...

Thanks Mersey Basin campaign blog.I hope you reported the display on your blog!
Salix tree the stream of blue and white flowers works really well.The canoeist and salmon are also great designs from metal!

lisa said...

What a cool show! I like the river display, too.

David (Snappy) said...

The Flower beds Lisa were like works of Art.The bold use of colours and using bedding plants to make 3D models is lovely.
You need a big garden to build a 7metre by 4metre bed!
Maybe you can build them smaller :)