Inspiration – and hello again!

Come to the Malvern Autumn Show for a day packed with enjoyment

The gap in posting has been occasioned by my brief travels with my husband around Brittany, leading me yet again to realise that inspiration is all around you no matter where you are. And nowhere more so than at the Malvern Showground and the imminent Malvern Autumn Show (Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th September).

A nostalgic corner

So much going on – and for me I just love the aspects of nostalgia that pop up around the Show, in celebration of the harvest, autumn gardens – or gardens all year round for that matter, and the opportunity to buy your own part of it. I know what I will be seeking in two weeks’ time and am sure to find what I am looking for. For I have yet to return disappointed over the years I have been visiting, and never know exactly what will take my fancy. Which is of course half the fun.

Plenty of ideas here for a formal garden

Inspiration lies in the Show gardens as well as exhibitors’ stalls. It may not be the garden itself but the little tweaks and juxtaposition of plants and ‘furnishings’ that a clever designer offers. Thinking of how a design will look on different planes, remembering that a garden is for twelve months enjoyment and not just one day. They need to work, and most do.

Decorative kale adds drama

Clever, too, are those experienced designers who make use of a cohesive variety of plants to create a stunning display. Categories not segregated but mixed for leaf shape, height and colour, whether they be ‘edible’ – purpose of the Autumn Show Gardens, or also floral and from the wild. (I so admire the use in France of public spaces with garden annuals along the roadsides attracting pollinating insects – the UK is not good at this, but we could all benefit wildlife by incorporating plants to attract bees and hoverflies into our own patch.)

Pumpkins displayed to perfection

Even our allotments and vegetable plots can be decorative; we spend so much time tending them, so why not ‘think display’ – add a scarecrow with a difference, or a willow structure, or anything that you will enjoy whilst out their on your knees thinning and weeding. Take your camera to the Show if you don’t already do so, and record what you see to act as a reminder.

Taking photos is always enjoyable - keep your eyes open 
and camera at the ready

Have a bit of fun with your imagery! No two Shows are the same and creating a photographic record means you will not forget your day out. Build your own library. Photographs will remind you of those aspects that inspired you; jumping-off points from which to broaden your gardening horizons. Enjoy your day at the Show – and have you yet booked your tickets??

All images used in this post are reproduced 

by courtesy of Stuart Purfield.