The RHS Autumn Show

At Learning with Experts we travel to anywhere a fellow gardening lover should be, to provide you with the upcoming trends, inspiration and advice to ensure you grow with the constantly evolving world of horticulture.

Last week I had the pleasure of attending The RHS Autumn Show in London. Known for showcasing innovative planting ideas to help add late season colour and texture to our gardens, I had my fingers crossed I was in for a good show.

Hoping to find some inspiration, which by the way didn't come hard to any of their visitors who attended the three day event.

From stalls, to plants, to experts and exhibitions, they really knew how to show off what the autumnal season has to offer. With plants to buy and expert growers advising us how to add style and interest to any outdoor space, I knew from the get go that this might be a big day for my spending allowance. 

As I first entered the Lawrence Hall I stumbled across their 'Autumnal Gateway'.

This was a beautiful sceptical of work created by the RHS Graduate Design team. It featured many rare and usual plants that were lit by coloured lights adding to the cosy, winter feel. I spent a good 20 minutes wondering around the installation kneeling, zooming and rummaging through it to ensure I captured its essence. It also had autumnal fruit and veg hidden away in particular places adding to its charisma.

Once I was back up and on my feet, with the camera lens down for just a second, I found floral exhibitors Freddie's Flowers who seemed thrilled to have secured a spot for show day.  

As you can see from the photos I took, they offered a truly stunning range of flowers and a very innovative business model to coincide with their originality. Instead of spending your time scrolling through endless arrangements of flowers, Freddie's Flowers choose your flowers and deliver them to you weekly. This surprise package also comes complete with arrangement tips too! A win, win I'd say.

The 'Beauty of Autumn Dome' was a lovely addition to the show as it created a comforting hub where visitors would sit and appreciate their surrounding, whilst perhaps also tucking in to their lunch or afternoon tea. This dome was designed and made by RHS Gold-medal winning designer Paul-Hervey Brookes. I enjoyed giving my feet a rest and admiring the nest and it's natured inspired features (spot the squirrel).

I steered away from the Dome after a bite to eat and headed round the corner where I stumbled upon Forest London.

This stall tickled all my cactus enthusiasm and I loved learning more about these eye catching plants. Did you know they need very little tlc? Perfect for a busy bee gardener like myself! I loved being able to feel the textures of the plants and admire their unique beauty. Definitely a favourite of mine.

Now, alongside all the plant purchasing I had been doing, I was in fear that when I came across this next stall it wasn't going to stop there. Ever wandered or stuck on what to do with your flowers if you suddenly have an overload.

Well here's your answer, make them in to hair clips ladies and gentleman. You wouldn't think it from this photo as they look to pretty to put in your hair but they are in fact designed and made for that purpose. Thank you to The RHS for always giving us inventive ideas of how to turn our gardening in to crafty fun, keeping us entertained in the darker evenings.

When I thought there was anything else left to offer, I was welcomed to their second show venue by the 'Foraging Forest' by landscape designer Jon Davies. This capturing man made forest demonstrated the techniques of forest gardening. 

With similar lighting used like the 'Autumnal Gateway' this forest captured the same Autumnal touch but on a much larger scale. Talks were being led through out the forest explaining the detail and were Jon's inspiration came from. All guests seemed to love his design and a bonus was being able to walk round it with a sample of gin from a previous stall!

A massive thank you to The RHS and all the contributing companies for a fun filled outing. This day trip certainly provided us fellow garden enthusiasts with some motivation for the winter months that are upon us. To learn more about horticulture, visit our RHS Level 2 Course Collection.

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