"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...
I have just returned from a week's holiday wich included visits to the
AG show at Shepton Mallet, Rosemoor and Wisley.
The show was disappointing. All the stands which did sell plants
seemed to be selliing the same, and there were too many "sundries"
stalls.
Rosemoor was partly disappointing, looking a bit jaded but maybe that
was due to lack of rain. The borders along the wall ouside the
buildings were beautiful, and there were some good crops in the veg
area. The plant centre was disappointing and pricey.
Wisley was MUCH better than when I visited about 2 years ago (same
time of year) The demo gardens were very much better tended, the
Alpine houses looking good. Very impressed by a long area of planting
at the bottom of the herbaceous borders, where beds were planted with
verbena bonariensis, white gaura, a lower groing verbena, maybe
rigida, and pink dahlias.
One of the new huge glass-houses is going up and that has ptential to
be magnificent.
Plant centre pricey as always. I wanted an aster frikartii Monch
(having lost two in the last few years!). There was one only, looking
fit for the compost heap, marked £5.49. I asked an attendant if it
might be reduced. "We never reduce, but give a 2 year guarantee."
That's OK if you live near enough to revisit, but not to me with no
car and living the best part of 100 miles away.
Any other experiences this year?

Pam in Bristol

I think Rosemoor has suffered greatly from the decision to remove all the
established roses and replant, the new ones have not done well, I was
particularly upset that they removed and apparently ditched some lovely
clematis at the same time, the new ones have only just gone in - result a
big lack of late summer drama. to be fair I thought lady Anne's garden was
looking great about a week ago, but then it always does!
--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)