This post is late. I must admit that over the past week or so I have preferred following politics over writing here. A German living in London: well, I'm sure you won't have trouble guessing my allegiance in the Brexit referendum (although, of course, I wasn't allowed to vote myself). Moreover, I live in Hackney - the borough with the second-highest percentage of Remain voters in all of the UK (not counting Gibraltar). Shock and sadness, then, were palpable the morning after - not only at the school gates where I dropped off the children but pretty much anywhere. On the Overground, never a place for much communication, it was eerily quiet. Like a blanket that subdued all. It was against this backdrop that I went and visited GROW London, the "Contemporary Garden & Lifestyle Fair" on Hampstead Heath.
One way to transport your plant purchases... Grow London 2016
First thing I did was head for an illustrated talk by well-known garden historian and Chelsea Fringe founder Tim Richardson on "The New English Garden". He gave an overview about what has become known as the New Perennial movement and selected British gardens that have adopted it in one form or other. If I understood him correctly, he thought it was on the wane again now, or perhaps rather in a process of being adapted by the British. The original movement, he said, was rather formulaic, with a limited pallet of plants that were chosen on the basis of contrasting forms (such as vertical spires or horizontal umbellifers), rather than matching colours. English gardens, he added, always used to be very much about colour schemes and the novelty and diversity of plants.
After the talk, I was cheeky/ nasty/ silly enough (choose according to your own view) to ask whether he thought that this trend for "New Perennials" would wane even faster now in the light of the referendum? I couldn't resist, given the title of his talk, the still-hot result of the referendum and the fact that the movement came mainly from Germany and the Dutch, with Piet Oudolf being its most celebrated and best known proponent. Understandably enough, Richardson didn't seem happy or comfortable about being asked such but said no, he didn't think people would be so stupid and that there had always be a lot of cross-border exchange and influence amongst gardeners and the horticultural world. I think he is right.
For one thing, trends in gardening are slow to take hold and slow to move on. We're usually talking decades rather than months. Changing a garden is not as quickly or easily done as is changing, say, an interior. Apart from that, when it comes to gardens, it is very much a matter of personal taste: I'm not a big fan of the New Perennial movement even though I am from Germany. Likewise there may be many British people who might simply love this style or find it more convenient. My own personal guess is that perhaps this trend has peaked but that naturalistic planting and wildflowers will continue to be on the rise, especially in public places, as ever more species are threatened by habitat losses and ever more people live in urban areas, disconnected from the countryside.
After the talk, I was cheeky/ nasty/ silly enough (choose according to your own view) to ask whether he thought that this trend for "New Perennials" would wane even faster now in the light of the referendum? I couldn't resist, given the title of his talk, the still-hot result of the referendum and the fact that the movement came mainly from Germany and the Dutch, with Piet Oudolf being its most celebrated and best known proponent. Understandably enough, Richardson didn't seem happy or comfortable about being asked such but said no, he didn't think people would be so stupid and that there had always be a lot of cross-border exchange and influence amongst gardeners and the horticultural world. I think he is right.
For one thing, trends in gardening are slow to take hold and slow to move on. We're usually talking decades rather than months. Changing a garden is not as quickly or easily done as is changing, say, an interior. Apart from that, when it comes to gardens, it is very much a matter of personal taste: I'm not a big fan of the New Perennial movement even though I am from Germany. Likewise there may be many British people who might simply love this style or find it more convenient. My own personal guess is that perhaps this trend has peaked but that naturalistic planting and wildflowers will continue to be on the rise, especially in public places, as ever more species are threatened by habitat losses and ever more people live in urban areas, disconnected from the countryside.
And so to the GROW London show proper. I had been to the inaugural show two years ago but not last year. So when I talked at this year's Chelsea Flower Show to some nursery people I had bought from at GROW London back then, I was slightly dismayed to learn they didn't consider it worthwhile coming again: not enough turnover to justify the costs, I was told. As a consequence, I was really curious about this year's event.
Initially, my fear that there would only be a handful of plant sellers among the accessory and lifestyle stalls seemed confirmed. In the end, it was not as pronounced as it first appeared but still nowhere near as exciting for plantaholics as the first show had been. I talked to several exhibitors and most agreed that it was a different crowd of punters attending compared to last year; fewer serious gardeners, they said. One went as far as stating that the latter would not bother coming to events like these anymore but go to specialist plant fairs all over the country or indeed Europe. Still, GROW London explicitly positioned itself as a garden and lifestyle show, not a plant fair, and that was reflected.
The number of exhibitors has grown considerably over those past two years, indeed almost doubled. But this was mainly in the non-plant selling sector. So this year, for instance, saw the introduction of categories (if you want term them such) of GROW Gourmet and GROW Living. In the latter, I was pleased to find a stall by Emily Burningham of whom I have written here before.
Initially, my fear that there would only be a handful of plant sellers among the accessory and lifestyle stalls seemed confirmed. In the end, it was not as pronounced as it first appeared but still nowhere near as exciting for plantaholics as the first show had been. I talked to several exhibitors and most agreed that it was a different crowd of punters attending compared to last year; fewer serious gardeners, they said. One went as far as stating that the latter would not bother coming to events like these anymore but go to specialist plant fairs all over the country or indeed Europe. Still, GROW London explicitly positioned itself as a garden and lifestyle show, not a plant fair, and that was reflected.
The number of exhibitors has grown considerably over those past two years, indeed almost doubled. But this was mainly in the non-plant selling sector. So this year, for instance, saw the introduction of categories (if you want term them such) of GROW Gourmet and GROW Living. In the latter, I was pleased to find a stall by Emily Burningham of whom I have written here before.
 There were lots of succulents on offer throughout - |  some planted more conventionally, others less so. |
On the plant front, I was delighted to buy from Glendon Plant Nursery again. They are a small nursery (and don't seem to have a website, otherwise I'd set a link) and I was told that while bigger enterprises may not consider it enough trade to come to this show, they - Glendon Plants - were quite happy. I also bought from charming Irish fern specialists Shady Plants who were here to test the waters, they said. Well, there was a lot of water, if only from the sky...
Another stall I couldn't pass by was that of Decoy Nursery. I got talking to Amy who founded it a little over three years ago - without ever having had formal horticultural training, she claimed. But, she added, she'd grown up raising plants so it came natural. I found her optimistic tale as heartening as her plants tempting. Based in East Sussex, Decoy Nursery specializes in shade plants hence there were quite a few ferns on offer here, too. But there were also rarer finds, such as Double Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis 'Multiplex').
Another stall I couldn't pass by was that of Decoy Nursery. I got talking to Amy who founded it a little over three years ago - without ever having had formal horticultural training, she claimed. But, she added, she'd grown up raising plants so it came natural. I found her optimistic tale as heartening as her plants tempting. Based in East Sussex, Decoy Nursery specializes in shade plants hence there were quite a few ferns on offer here, too. But there were also rarer finds, such as Double Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis 'Multiplex').
 |  |
Another interesting find though in a very different vain was BloomBox Club. Basically, it's a business that sends out plants, preferably on subscription. While from other nurseries you will pick the varieties and/or cultivars that arrive in a box on your doorstep, with the BloomBox Club this is done for you: you sign up for "bold, beautiful, low maintenance and unfussy" plants of their choosing, delivered four times a year. I looked it up online:
The cheapest option is £30 every three months, or £185 if you pay ahead for a whole year. One delivery consists of 6 plants in 1 litre pots plus a hessian cloth planter and some cards with "inspiration" as well as planting and specific plant care instructions. Alternatively you could go for the "Large" option which will bring you 4 plants in 3 litre pots plus instructions, setting you back by £70 per season or £250 per year up front. There are also individual themed boxes, such as the "Wimbledon" for £60 which features strawberry plants among the six 1litre pots, or the "Shrub Box" for £95 which includes four 3 litre pots, the pictures showing Pittosporum, Phormium and Viburnum tinnus. Photos illustrating the "Shade Box" (£80) showed Pieris, Helleborus, Heuchera and Hosta. Oh, and delivery isn't included in either of these price tags. Nevertheless, I was told the young business had met with much demand and was doing amazingly well.
While I'm certainly not part of the target market, I'm torn between feeling annoyed that someone new to gardening (the website specifically asks: Don't know your Daffodil from your Dahlia?) should be made to part with so much money, and the feeling that, well, if they have it spare, then they might as well spend it on something that makes the world a little more beautiful and helps the nursery trade. Every additional plant is fine by me. Still, I find it a little sad: one of the fun bits about gardening is choosing what to plant! However, the core target group will be time-poor professionals who don't have a clue about gardening, perhaps don't even want to know much, but nonetheless like the idea of having plants around them. As lifestyle items. Thus BloomBox Club seemed perfectly well placed at GROW London.
The cheapest option is £30 every three months, or £185 if you pay ahead for a whole year. One delivery consists of 6 plants in 1 litre pots plus a hessian cloth planter and some cards with "inspiration" as well as planting and specific plant care instructions. Alternatively you could go for the "Large" option which will bring you 4 plants in 3 litre pots plus instructions, setting you back by £70 per season or £250 per year up front. There are also individual themed boxes, such as the "Wimbledon" for £60 which features strawberry plants among the six 1litre pots, or the "Shrub Box" for £95 which includes four 3 litre pots, the pictures showing Pittosporum, Phormium and Viburnum tinnus. Photos illustrating the "Shade Box" (£80) showed Pieris, Helleborus, Heuchera and Hosta. Oh, and delivery isn't included in either of these price tags. Nevertheless, I was told the young business had met with much demand and was doing amazingly well.
While I'm certainly not part of the target market, I'm torn between feeling annoyed that someone new to gardening (the website specifically asks: Don't know your Daffodil from your Dahlia?) should be made to part with so much money, and the feeling that, well, if they have it spare, then they might as well spend it on something that makes the world a little more beautiful and helps the nursery trade. Every additional plant is fine by me. Still, I find it a little sad: one of the fun bits about gardening is choosing what to plant! However, the core target group will be time-poor professionals who don't have a clue about gardening, perhaps don't even want to know much, but nonetheless like the idea of having plants around them. As lifestyle items. Thus BloomBox Club seemed perfectly well placed at GROW London.
For those even less green-fingered: the textile alternative
The BloomBox Club website talked of supporting Ecotherapy, a "variety of treatment programmes aimed at improving mental health and physical wellbeing through being out of doors and working closely with nature", and mentioned they were helping a project near where I live. I thought it somewhat ironic this should be done with a service that basically eliminates much of the gardening experience for yourself, but at least this is a worthwhile cause.
I was less indulgent with another thing I came across: OrtoBrick. While BloomBox Club cuts out the growing-from-seed experience amongst others, here we have the opposite. This product's website states: OrtoBrick is a cutting edge green design object for a new and conscious Urban Agriculture. It is a small and solid brick of fertile Tuscan soil containing seeds of horticultural plants." And that's it. It is a solid stamp-branded brick of soil with embedded seeds. Or no seeds at all: In addition to rocket (here called Arugula), basil, parsley, wheat or just grass there is also the option Soil or Humus, both without seed.
The purpose of the exercise? I quote from the website again: "Orto in Italian means Vegetable Garden: If cultivated, it easily generates a micro vegetable garden to be tended to, otherwise it remains an object of design and communication. OrtoBrick is conceived to be used in cities: it can grow in the office, at home, on your desk, or in the kitchen. OrtoBrick is a seedbed designed [by an artist, I should add] to let you experience the early growing stages: it is a sustainable, symbolic, practical and educational project. OrtoBrick is created to promote environmental sustainability and knowledge about plants. 100% natural and handmade."
Well, we used to have that experience with a damp cloth or cotton wool and a packet of cress seeds for a fraction of the cost... But then, perhaps, OrtoBrick is much superior and worth the price because it isn't just any seeds germinating (and wilting after a few days unless you munch them) but "a unique piece of natural and living design for your house: if you don't water it, it keeps its message unchanged over time." Unless, of course, you made the mistake of watering it to start with AND THEN don't water it anymore. This, obviously, would provide a rather different message... Perhaps one that's quite appropriate for Britain after the Brexit vote?
I was less indulgent with another thing I came across: OrtoBrick. While BloomBox Club cuts out the growing-from-seed experience amongst others, here we have the opposite. This product's website states: OrtoBrick is a cutting edge green design object for a new and conscious Urban Agriculture. It is a small and solid brick of fertile Tuscan soil containing seeds of horticultural plants." And that's it. It is a solid stamp-branded brick of soil with embedded seeds. Or no seeds at all: In addition to rocket (here called Arugula), basil, parsley, wheat or just grass there is also the option Soil or Humus, both without seed.
The purpose of the exercise? I quote from the website again: "Orto in Italian means Vegetable Garden: If cultivated, it easily generates a micro vegetable garden to be tended to, otherwise it remains an object of design and communication. OrtoBrick is conceived to be used in cities: it can grow in the office, at home, on your desk, or in the kitchen. OrtoBrick is a seedbed designed [by an artist, I should add] to let you experience the early growing stages: it is a sustainable, symbolic, practical and educational project. OrtoBrick is created to promote environmental sustainability and knowledge about plants. 100% natural and handmade."
Well, we used to have that experience with a damp cloth or cotton wool and a packet of cress seeds for a fraction of the cost... But then, perhaps, OrtoBrick is much superior and worth the price because it isn't just any seeds germinating (and wilting after a few days unless you munch them) but "a unique piece of natural and living design for your house: if you don't water it, it keeps its message unchanged over time." Unless, of course, you made the mistake of watering it to start with AND THEN don't water it anymore. This, obviously, would provide a rather different message... Perhaps one that's quite appropriate for Britain after the Brexit vote?
But I don't want to end the post like this. There was another discovery at the show: garden tags, a free app that has been described as "Instagram for gardeners" but with the added benefit of access to a plant encyclopaedia. The latter is garden tags' own creation rather than just access to a compendium by, for instance, the RHS. "We want it to be less technical", I'm told. The app was officially launched just over four months ago but apparently has real momentum behind it. One of the founders I talked to smiled that they now wanted to conquer America. Good luck to them! But don't forget the rest of Europe...
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