Thrilled to be awarded a Gold Medal at Harrogate Spring Flower Show
All the staff at Caths Garden Plants are thrilled to have been awarded a Gold medal at Harrogate Spring Flower Show, their first show of 2011. The rectangular island display was full of colour and epitomised Spring in all its glory. All the
plants looked fresh and their perfume filled the air. Initially the flowers of Smilacena racemosum, or as it has now been re-named, were only starting to open but after a couple of days on display the flowers opened and the perfume drifted and captured the attention of passers by. The plant was sold out every day with many disappointed show visitors!
The exhibit was also entered into the Innovative category for judging. The title given this time was 'A century of
change' to celebrate the centenary of Harrogate Flower Shows. We were also thrilled to be awarded second prize in this category. We themed our display to tell the history of the changes in gardening over 100 years. 1911 saw the style of Gertrude Gekyll, keen plantswoman who introduced the idea of planting in long drifts of colour in the border. We then illustrated the changes brought about by the Second World War, and the Dig for Victory campaign when gardeners were encouraged to replace flowering plants with fruit and vegetables. For the first time, we displayed rhubarb, peas and cabbages on one of our show displays!
Moving on to the 1960's and the idea of gardens being 'designed' with patios and being used more as an outside room when John Brookes brought out his book 'The room outside' encouraging the first attempts at DIY gardening for the
general public. We completed our display with 2011 showing some of the plants available today and also encompassing a tableau of our nursery with our coloured price labels in plants and pictorial bed labels. I think that the public enjoyed reading the information we also displayed. Gardening has changed dramatically even over the last 30-40 years especially for those of us with smaller gardens who are enthusiastic about gardening as a therapeutic hobby and those of us who are plantaholics, like me!