Hampton Court Palace Flower Show is the biggest flower show on earth, and we love attending every year, especially when it looks like it is going to be lovely clear skies and hot sunny days.  This always makes for a good show, and when the people attending are such enthusiastic gardeners, it is an added bonus.

We are exhibiting in the ‘Growing Tastes Marquee’ where we are surrounded by a huge variety of stalls who are showing everything from tea to cheese, vinegars and wine, sausages and garlic – an absolute culinary delight!  

We have grown a wide range of herbs for our display, and we are proud to demonstrate that you can plant a huge variety of herbs in your border, as well as in pots, to give a wonderfully colourful and aromatic display all summer – much loved by honey and bumble bees.

In keeping with this year’s pink show theme, we would like to highlight two of our favourite herbs, Marsh Mallow (Malva sylvestris) and Sambucus nigra.  Both are perennial and fully hardy.

Marsh Mallow is a tall-growing medicinal and pot-grown herb since Roman times, and it has striking spires of pink cup-shaped blooms whose petals are deeply veined with dark purple fuschia. These mallows are an unusual addition to the border, but will give plenty of long-lasting colour. The three varieties we are offering are traditional Marsh Mallow, Mallow ‘Zebrina’ and Mallow ‘Mauritiana.’

Sambucus is a delightfully attractive shrub, with finely cut dark purple leaves, giving a feathery appearance. The umbels of pink flowers can reach up to 15cm across and are used to make cordials, summer drinks and sparkling wines. The fruits can be made into sauces, jams and ketchups.

We always enjoy hearing about your garden, exchanging ideas and trying to answer all your questions – please do come and see us at Hampton Court Flower Show or come and see us and our display at Tatton Park Flower Show on the 24^th to the 28^th of July.