[Sue Deacon]

or have the RHS garden shows lost the plot this year?

I used to really look forward to them. But after watching the one from Hampton Court this week I have to say I'm completely underwhelmed!

I am all for a themed garden, but where did all this flannel about 'journeys' come from and is someone giving away rubble and rusty steel?

Is it just me and my menopausal tourettes, or are other people saying WTF was all that about!

[Blowin]

Having long been a member of the Grumpy Old Sods, Sue, I've grown completely committed to the notion that expressions of quality are meaningless where acceptability relies on personal taste or opinion. Thus, winners of such competitions as Eurovision, Miss World, HOYS Dressage and Olympic Diving have little or no value, and there's no such thing as 'good' wine, music, food or film.

When it comes to annual rounds of fashion and design, we see a uniform approach to car body shapes, for example. Ladies' fashions are utterly ridiculous and, in things like gardens, 'different' and 'change' become the buzz words so that the marketing guys can force the gullible into new purchases. Sadly, huge swathes of the population have a thirst for 'what's in this year?' and the merry go round continues. With Anno Domini comes a growing Common Sense!

[kindredspirit]

Must say I'm not really keen on CorTen either.

The Garden Shows are moving into Showbusiness and eventually they'll be using hot air art critic language to describe the gardens. Nowhere for a soul to rest but to go around and around on the merrywheel.

[Sue Deacon]

So glad I'm not alone.

Blowin - there have been times past when I've not LIKED the winning gardens, but can appreciate the reasons they have won. But more and more I think 'THAT'S a GARDEN??'

I know what you mean though. Ness Garden Centre, just outside Derry, used to be a first rate place with a good choice of plants and a full compliment of 'sundries '. They even sold fish, pond pumps and aquatic plants. Last time I was there it was all barbecues, garden furniture and jam.

[Blowin]

Indeed. Although I've now been out of the coach industry for some 15 years, garden centres were becoming the coffee shop of choice when looking for somewhere to stop, and many people now view a garden centre as an obvious Sunday morning stroll venue. I'm sure most people leave with something they've bought but it may well not be much to do with gardening. I suppose its a variation on the concept of the department store, i.e. any excuse to get folk over the threshold.

[Sue Deacon]

My favourite garden centre, Bridgemere in Cheshire, managed the best of both worlds really lovely food, seasonal 'shopping' AND an incredible choice of plants.

Your post reminded me of weekend trips out there. We always knew what was on offer that week by the number of cars coming towards us bearing their goodies. I remember one week in particular when it seemed every other car had a bright orange tiger lily bobbing around in the back. Sure enough, there were 100's of pots of them placed, thoughtfully, by the checkout!