The Flower Marquees

There were four Floral Marquees at Hampton court this year, joined together in pairs and separated by the Water Garden Pavilion.

A Hampton Floral Marquee Bloom

Our fleeting floral experiences at Chelsea taught us that the flower marquees and pavilions need to be visited while there's still ample light. We visited the Chelsea Floral Marquee late in the day - the light was poor, and the camera's memory was full of photos of the show gardens and outdoor exhibits.

We were better prepared for Hampton and spent several hours in the four floral pavilions, paying particular attention to plants which aren't used in Moosey's Country Garden.

I love the varied wierd and wonderful nature of the marquees, and the moist rich air thick with different plant smells. I particularly enjoyed seeing the tropical and rarely-seen plants. The opportunity to see so many different plant varieties in one place is worth the admission price alone.

Nursery Links

Some serious effort went into the Floral Marquee displays. Many of the staff we spoke to were tired from the previous night's gala party but were in high spirits and very helpful. If you want further information about any of the plants on our tour of the Floral Pavilions, look out for the links to the nurseries' and exhibitors' websites.

Tour the Floral Pavilions

The floral pavilions at the Hampton Court Flower Show were simply stunning. Follow us as we walk around the four floral pavilions peering at interesting plants from interesting places. We start with the attention grabbers of any floral marquee, the carnivorous plants!

Tropical & Carnivorous Plants

Like a kid in a sweet shop, I headed straight for the tropical and carnivorous plant displays. I couldn't help myself, their gaudy colour contrasts were irresistable. They have to come first in any floral marquee tour.

The Floral Marquee Tour Begins

With some of the carnivorous plants appeased, we can get on with the rest of the tour. First up is a collection of sweetpea flowers, lavender, striking Coleus foliage and a begonia or two.

Moosey is still a bit sore after New Zealand lost the Rugby World Cup so we had to capture the Begonia 'Martin Johnson' for prosperity - it is his testimonial year after all.

The Floral Marquee Tour Gets Going

Dibleys Nurseries can be found in Efenechtyd, a small welsh village in Denbighshire, North Wales. They grow Streptocarpus, Saintpaulias, Coleus, Gesneriads & Begonias. They've been winning RHS Gold medals for years and were one of our favourite exhibits.

Tour be continued...