RHS London Plant and Design show – Horticulture Halls 14/15th Feb 2012

Not having been to this RHS showbefore I was delighted to find out it was free to members, I knew that membership card would come in handy one day. Half term is not the best time to be schlepping down to the Big Smoke on the first ‘off peak’ train but beggars can’t be choosers I suppose. The London gridlock was much much worse than I recall, according to our cabbie it’s all in preparation for the July Olympics. Seriously Boris? isn’t this a bit ‘day late $ dollar short?’

Plant Hall at RHS London Plant and Design show

We made it through the traffic and arrived at the packed show which is located on two sites close together. It works quite well, the hubbub of the jostling plant sales hall versus the slightly more silent and serious hum of the design rooms. Starting in the plant hall I was immediately floored by the rows and rows of gorgeous spring plants that are available and had to put my purse firmly at the bottom of my bag.

Ashwood Nursery Garden Hybrid - Variety names no longer feature on labels, which will be confusing for buyers

The show could feasibly be renamed, the Galanthus and Hellebore show for indeed these varieties were being shown off to their full capacity with block after block of delicate bloom tempting one and all. Avon Bulbs, Ashwood. Foxgrove Plants and Broadleigh Gardensto name a few of the participating nurseries. It was fun to get up close and personal with one or two of the Galanthus without having to grovel about on the muddy ground. I will admit to something along the lines of galanthophile envy at the range and clump size displayed.

Galanthus 'Wendy's Gold'

The Design Hall was awash with colleges vying for new students and industry bodies selling their expertises. The SGD hosted a HUGE stand offering a showcase of MSGD’s work and offering quick, free garden design consults to all comers. It was exciting to see the photoshopped illustrations of the upcoming Chelsea Gardens and it looks to be another good year in 2012. Personal favourites were Laurent Perrier Garden by Arne Maynard. Is that a brown or purple pleached alle we are going to see I wonder? and  The Telegraph Garden by Sarah Price of Olympic Park renown.

A fine lunch followed at the Blanche eatery, not a stones throw along Horseferry Road from the Channel 4 building and a quick jaunt around the British Museum foyer, due to the Grayson  Perry exhibition being entirely sold out!

Timeless and elegant architecture at the British Museum

Piet & Anja Oudolf at the Garden Museum

Sifting through a friends copy of the Saturday Telegraph some weeks ago I came across an article flaunting talks with legendary Piet Oudolf and Tom Stuart Smith. Ok only legendary if you’re a gardener or garden designer I suppose but nevertheless BOTH worth noting even if you’re not!

The Garden Museum are hosting an exhibition called  The Dutch Wave at their premises in Lambeth Palace Road,  just opposite the houses of Parliament.  All talks were booked out within 24 hours of this article, one wonders if indeed they booked out before then too. As a result they managed to persuade an extra talk out of the Oudolfs for ‘members only’. Of course, I joined immediately. I am now notionally a ‘Country Friend’ which childishly gives me even more pleasure!

The Museum itself hovers within an old church building just opposite the river and Lambeth Palace – yes the home of the current Arch Bishop – is next door. I say hovers as it seems to be firmly but temporarily installed within the old church structure.

Piet and Anja were interviewed by Noel Kingsbury who has been working with them since the 1990′s or was that the 1980′s? and Tania Compton. As they obviously know each other well it made for an interesting insight into how he works and who the support team is.

A late starter, well in his 20′s that is he seems to have thrown himself and his family into the plan & garden design industry lock stock and smoking barrels. After early beginnings in a nursery, then a stint as a landscaper and night student(!) they moved to the countryside, setting up Hummello, which incidentally is to close in the not too distant future, a plant nursery to grow plants he could easily locate for clients and then moving back to designing gardens and planting schemes.

Piet is clearly enthusiastic about his work, the plants, the design – yes he was a designer first plants person second – his projects are clearly expressions of his creativity, his rather boundless creativity. Watching someone like him speak about his inspirations his process of being creative and how the projects evolve, tells me as much about the work as seeing it in the flesh does.

An understated man and although our host waxed lyrical at the closing, Mr O seemed genuinely humble about his achievements and not one to revel in the title Genius. Refreshing and probably what makes his work so appealing is his focus on bringing enjoyment to his audience, be they public or private clients.

I have a few more places to visit now, The Highline next time I am in NYC, Potters Field next time I am in London in growing seasons and Hummello, if I can fit in a trip before it closes….so much to do so little time!