RHS London Show: Great plant fair

I do like having the day off to go to an RHS show...the sun was shining....my wallet was full of £20 notes which needed to be spent and I needed some good plant action to get my mojo going

The show its self was ok, however a lot of the same nurseries, and a little similar to the one in February which I guess is because the weather has been so cold, but all in all a good show of spring beauty....lots of daffs which I was rather taken by, and some proper RHS competition stuff as there were lots of alpines laid out for judging and singular daffs in glasses.

Surprisingly I couldn't find any OTT daffs, the most expensive (which I was of course immediately drawn to) being £17.50 a bulb....all rather cheaper than the exclusive snowdrops....

All was going well until I realised that I had been round twice (both halls) and not found any plants I wanted to buy....don't get me wrong, I was willing, and I had sharpened my elbows in readiness to get past the hoards to get to the best plants, but there was nothing I wanted. What was wrong with me? have I changed? do I have everything? Even my good friend Peter who I was with, and who is going to be an amazing garden designer, found nothing... However almost when I had given up hope I spotted a Romneya which is on my must have list, buying it was a great relief...then sent me on a role and I bought an Arisaema nepehthoides which made me feel complete.

So all in all a good day wandering amongst plants, and the fabulous planty characters that make the horticultural world fabulous.

There is something about the freshness of spring plants that is rather glorious.... Pulsatillas are also very much one of a kind....

 The new growth of a Rheum palmatum behind a 'Brazen Child' which I should have bought in order to add it to my fantasy garden of plants with comedy names

This was about as exotic as it got with a couple of stalls of Restios which is all beginning to look a little familiar

There is something very special about the wall displays. Anyone for an embroidered Sempervirum?

Or what about a fantasy Arisaema with Bald Eagles roosting in the top and deer grazing underneath ?

I think the picture speaks for its self...

I *love* Asarums....they look so alien, however growing them in the garden the flowers are a little lost as they are so close to the ground. Wandering the garden with my Uncle he remarked 'oh that is a nice cyclamen' (pointing at the Asarum)'

I also had a few moments pondering house leeks as they are all so nice and exciting as they look so exotic, however whenever I grow them they get smaller and smaller until they disappear or get consumed by weedy grasses or Groundsel....