<a href="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/hampton-court4jul19.jpg"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-5706" src="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/hampton-court4jul19-200x150.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="150" /></a>I visited <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-hampton-court-palace-garden-festival" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hampton Court flower show</a> this week to see the show garden designed and built by Caitlin McLaughlin. Jane met her mum 30+ years ago so I've known Caitlin all her life.

She won silver gilt for her Urban Pollinator garden and it was much admired by visitors. The BBC interviewed her for the RHS Hampton Court TV programme and also decided to film the closing sequences from her garden. Here she is talking to Joe Swift and Jo Whiley. For the interview <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0006hhv/hampton-court-palace-garden-festival-2019-episode-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">click here and fast forward to 6 minutes...</a>

The Urban Pollinator is aimed at attracting all kinds of pollinators and there is emphasis on solitary and honey bees.

[gallery type="rectangular" size="medium" ids="5705,5704,5703"]

Her attention to detail is awe inspiring from the hexagonal boxes filled with materials for bees to nest in,the shallow pool for them to drink and the hexagonal slabs inlaid with copper bees. I was totally blown away by it.

Elsewhere in the show were various gardens that took my fancy. I enjoyed the Beth Chatto garden which was filled with plants for an arid garden - the future outcome of climate change on the UK.

[gallery type="rectangular" size="medium" ids="5702,5701,5708,5707"]

The only downside to the event was the drive home. I'd stayed over the night before the visit but my journey back was slow and tedious as I tried to navigate my way through west London rush hour and the tedious grind around the M25. Overall it was a happy and  memorable day.