Exploring Global Gardens at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show Posted on June 1, 2024July 12, 2024 By Travelworldwide This week at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show, gardens inspired by destinations from Charleston to Galicia, Normandy to Peru, were showcased. Each garden reflected the unique plants and landscapes of these regions. The show continues for a few more days, so there’s still time to visit and find inspiration for your next holiday. During my visit on July 4th, the three USA gardens from Oregon, Charleston, and Austin were in full celebration mode. In the Austin garden, the music of singer-songwriter Carson McHone brought back memories of my trip to Texas, where street performers played in bars and near food trailers. The garden featured stone walls, beaten earth paths, and a rusting metal bowl filled with water, reminiscent of the smart hotel we stayed at. The soft swathes of grass, mixed with dusty reds and yellows of Echinacea and other wildflowers, were beautiful. The spiky Agave plants reminded us that Texas is tequila country, and Austin is known for its margaritas. The Oregon garden focused on a mountain landscape with rocky outcrops, mountain streams, and pine forests. There were also vines to represent the wine-growing region, and naturalistic plantings of daisies and grasses, evoking a farmer’s field. Bicycle wheels decorated the borders, symbolizing the state’s many cycling routes. The Charleston garden exuded elegance and old-world charm, with box hedges surrounding a manicured lawn and wrought iron benches. The pink and white plants gave a romantic feel, mixed with tropical shrubs. It was the perfect spot to imagine sipping iced tea with your grandmother, listening to her stories of being a southern belle. The Inca civilization of Peru inspired a tropical garden sponsored by British Airways and Journey Latin America. The garden featured a wall of native foliage with banana plants and sculptural leaves. Inside, dry stone terraces like those at Machu Picchu were revealed, with water trickling down into irrigation pools. Gardens of maize, potato, and quinoa were neatly arranged, and the planting was spiky and exotic, with variegated red and green plants mixed with yellow and orange Alstroemeria. It felt like stepping back in time to when the Incas were at their peak. To celebrate the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings, the ‘Le Clos d’Hastings’ garden had a medieval theme, reflecting the plants and countryside of Normandy and Hastings. The garden was divided by a woven hazel fence, with a field of crops on one side and garden plants in shades of white and purple on the other. A green hedge at the back represented the Normandy landscape, while Norman soldiers stood guard at the front, posing for photos. One of my favorite gardens was the Route of the Camellia garden, sponsored by Turismo de Galicia. It celebrated the pilgrim’s route to Santiago de Compostela, with scallop shells scattered on the path. A Camellia tree, common in northern Spain, overhung a romantic shrine to the Virgin Mary. Pink-colored shells represented camellia petals, adding to the garden’s charm. If you love gardens, check out the RHS Garden Holidays, which offer tours of the world’s great gardens with horticultural experts. The RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show runs from July 5-10, 2016. Visit the RHS website for more information on this and other RHS flower shows. Blog
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