Mallow is unique as a show as it has 25 permanent gardens since the very first show back in 1999 and they have been maintained and improved each year as different companies take over a garden for the show but the basic structure remains intact.
My moan which I may as well get out of the way now is the almost complete lack of vegetables on show or on sale throughout the show!
There were 5 million plants on sale this year ( I wonder who counted)?! , the Show gardens, various garden furniture & landscaping companies, pets were well catered for with pet shows and retail outlets plus all the usual stalls.
The best things are, the number of specialist plant nurseries who all bring along their plants, who are immensely knowledgeable and will advise and talk about their plants they are not just employed to stand there all day and sell.
There are a number of free hour long talks by well known gardening experts, who live and grow here in the South and are fully conversant with any problems which may arise.
Two of our best, Peter Dowdall, who is a well known author on gardens and all aspects of gardening and Charlie Wilkins who is the well known Irish Examiner gardening columnist for many years.
I did not get to any of Charlie's talks but I did get an hour of Peter, on shape and structure in the herbaceous border.Passionate about plants would best describe him!
Some recycling!
I would love a secluded corner like this
Primrose Vialli, we bought these at Bloom last year as they seemed to be the 'must have' plant, sadly none of ours performed like this!
Nice way to cover an old pipe or tree trunk
My shopping, for another day!
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