The Invisible Wind Sculpture by Andrew Lee
Image: Jean Vernon
If you want something to blame for the bad weather at RHS Chatsworth, this could be it. The Invisible Wind Sculpture, designed to show the patterns and flow of wind, was in full motion this week as 40+ mph winds whipped the site. But even a gentle breeze created a beautiful effect as air currents, waves and vortexes interact. The Wind Cloud was particularly effective and as the gusts of wind strengthened it became dramatically animated in its space.
The Palladian Bridge by Jonathan Moseley
You’ve got to cross the river to see the whole show, so make sure you go via the dramatic and fabulous Palladian style bridge that spans the Derwent and is a spectacle inside and out. It’s a world of plants and flowers designed by Jonathan Moseley. The ceiling is adorned with hanging plants, with ferns and bromeliads wrapped in foliage and moss, and baskets overflowing with an eclectic mix of traditional and exotic flowers. Fresh green honesty seed heads are illuminated by the light, revealing the developing seeds inside. It’s truly a work of art and was a beautiful place to shelter from the rain.
The RHS Bug Hotel Competition
Image: Jean Vernon
A huge breath of fresh air, the RHS Bug Hotel Competition near the Dark Peak Entrance is a sight to behold. Local schools were given the creative brief, a fabulous alternative to planted wheelbarrows and scarecrows and typically the children have risen to the challenge and created several masterpieces. Interspersed with containers full of pollinator friendly plants, which are part of the RHS Perfect for Pollinators Container Competition, the Bug Hotels are spectacular offering shelter and nesting sites to a huge range of beasties. It’s a great way to get the kids thinking about wildlife and the importance of insects in our eco system.
The Plant Village
In the plant village there’s an array of plant shopping opportunities, of which my favourite is the display of sempervivums from Sunray Plants.
There’s a whole sempervivum army of plants on offer, but it’s the creative ways to use them that is very, very inspiring. From kettles overflowing with the succulent plants to flower pot men embellished with the rosettes of leaves and more.
The Floral Marquees
There are two amazing Floral Marquees at the RHS Chatsworth Flower Show. Sadly they were closed very early on Press Day, but we did manage to get a glimpse of what was in store for the visitors. Don’t miss the fabulous Echium display from Echium World, an eruption of bee friendly plants in every shape and form. But it was the Fuchsia Carousel from Roualeyn Fuchsias that really stole the show.
The fairground, candyfloss colours of the fuchsia flowers looked just amazing against the creative, Funfair inspired signage and backdrop.
