Blooming lovely
I’m taking it easy at home today having spent yesterday on the judging team at the RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival. Though it’s a smaller show than Chelsea Flower Show, I’m sure I walked twice as far during the day (and that was probably just going to lunch!)
Whenever I am involved in something like this, I always love that first hour or so, when I’m there before the place opens. Yesterday morning, I set off early to find our meeting point, which I’d been told was a good twenty minute walk from the car park.
No grand entrance for me here and, unsure of where I was heading, I just followed the steel pathway.
It appeared it was going to be a warm day ahead and I noticed everyone was coming prepared.
I was very thankful I didn’t have to bring my staging stuff with me too!
It was my first time at this show and one question in my head was, having parked my car on one side of the Long Water, what was the best way to get to our meeting point on the other side? Perhaps I’d need to go all the way around it - and maybe that’s why we’d been advised to allow long enough to get there.
Thankfully, once there, I saw the bridges that had been built to make crossing over there a cinch! (I’d not brought my swimming things!)
I noticed one of the security staff making good use of a deckchair, probably all too aware that it was likely to be the only chance he’d get all day!
Though this show is not quite as high profile as Chelsea, nevertheless the photographers, TV crews and reporters were out in force early.
Fortified with breakfast and coffee, we set out for our first benchmarking assessment. What did we think of this tradestand? What points did we identify in its favour and what could be improved? Using our given criteria, we made our judgement, agreed the points made and had resolved how to approach today’s list. We were in four panels of three, each panel with 35 or so stands to judge.
Off we went.
My challenge was to rationalise the standards here with those I’d apply elsewhere. So, my eye went immediately to those throws which were hung on the display. I immediately wanted to go over and fold them more tidily, arrange the folds and perhaps, organise according to colour. I’d definitely want to go and match cushions to the throw below it, where possible. But one of my colleagues came from a retail background and recognised this as a commercial stand - just how realistic is it to arrange things perfectly when customers are browsing…. I love working in such a visual setting and find such things fascinating.
I love coming across such interesting products too. These pots are made from old rope, which was manufactured for use at sea, for nets or tethers (and therefore, saltwater and weatherproof, designed to last forever really) It’s a great concept and the stand was really eyecatching with those bright colours, telling the story well and with pride in a great product.
The show had been open a while by now and the visitors were beginning to appear. Judging on a show day was going to be a challenge, I feared.
We had a route set out for us and followed it in a way that led us to be at the right place by lunchtime. Keeping to the time schedule is always a challenge and it’s easy to get sidetracked or distracted. On we went then, to the Breeze Houses
to pots
and along to more pavilions. Just what did each stand have to commend it and where might they make an improvement or two? We wandered around each one independently before coming together to make our judgement.
Some stands looked a little familiar - the same thing moved to a different location.
Others clearly didn’t have the same budget for their stand as the bigger companies did.
By good luck or excellent management (!) we were at the meeting point for lunch right on time! A brisk walk took us to La Fiamma where a delicious lunch awaited us.
A couple of the panels had already completed their lists, but since we still had a few more remaining, we hot footed it back to the showground to get those last few assessments made.
Trying to see the wood for the trees was a little more tricky as the show was really buzzing by now and most of the stands seemed to be doing a lively trade. Squeezing through the crowds with a clipboard felt a little weird!
I found myself taking photos of some beautiful planting, trying hard to identify plant combinations that I might be able to copy for pots at home - I’ll need help from Amy though! Isn’t this one pretty?
This one caught my eye too - quite rightly, the RHS places the use of plants high on the list of priorities when it comes to assessing tradestands. This is a garden show after all, isn’t it?
By now, we’d come to the end of the list and our work was done. There was just time to return to base, to sit and go through a moderation with the other teams, to discuss the awards we’d proposed and to enjoy a cup of tea!
On the way back, it wasn’t quite the snoozing dog that caught my eye here, but the way the beautiful woodstore had been planted. I smiled to myself though, because I could imagine the reaction from my Hero were I to suggest something similar! Lovely though, isn’t it?
One more lovely thing to catch my eye on my weary way back to the car was on the Kiraku Clothing stand. With a half price offer in place, I couldn’t resist trying on one of those full length coats and you can imagine where that led…
I couldn’t resist a bag of five herb plants too, thinking I didn’t have far to carry them.
The way back to the car was along that same metal path as I’d taken a few hours earlier, though as I walked a creeping realisation came to mind.
I’d been somewhat cavalier when I left the car this morning and it was a very - very - large field. I’d made no note about the location, except for it being on the end of “a few rows up”. Just as I was fearing the worst, I spotted it…except it wasn’t! Thankfully, it was a couple of rows further on.
I can’t say how good it was to sit down in my comfy car and begin the drive home, which involved a slight detour along the way to pick up an ebay purchase.
More about that on Thursday!
