Selfsufficientish.com

So I've just been to the Harrogate Spring Flower show. Nice day out. Lot of interesting stalls and displays. Lot of stuff that you could probably buy from you local garden centre.

I'm sure that shows like this just encourage people to buy things and not to shop local.

These shows tend to be very expensive to get into, never mind the price of plants, tools etc. We went to Tatton Park show a couple of years before we came up here. It was stunning but so dear we didn't buy anything (apart from bottled water, which was equally extortionate, considering it was one of the hottest days in a particularly hot summer!).

I think the best thing about these shows is that they get the creative juices flowing, rather than the goods themselves. You can then go home and find the items more cheaply, or work out how to do something similar that fits your requirements.

And a good day out is worth a little expense, every now and then.

I love the unusual plant fairs, you don't get them here and I really miss going usually to an old house with a lovely garden, and being able to buy lots of lovely plants you may not see anywhere else from the people who grow them and know all about them

diggernotdreamer wrote:I love the unusual plant fairs, you don't get them here and I really miss going usually to an old house with a lovely garden, and being able to buy lots of lovely plants you may not see anywhere else from the people who grow them and know all about them

There was a rare plan sale on at Fota House in Cork in the last couple of weeks. Maybe a bit of spin from where you are, but maybe one to keep in mind for next year.

There are still some events to run, as per below calendar, but not sure if they are all rare plant sales, or just general garden shows.

http://isna.ie/forthcoming-shows/

Thanks Taf, I am quite a way up, I know there is one somewhere in Wicklow, sigh, I could go out of my front door and go 20 miles down the road to one in England, I have to make do with mail order plants now.

I can't understand how anybody these days can afford this kind of "day out" - a lot of the shows are specifically aimed at families and cost a small fortune to get into. Haven't been to anything for years, although I'd love to go to rural shows in particular, smell a bit of livestock odour and hear the tractors grumbling... Sigh. (And last time I went I already knew enough to take all my own food and drink!)

People have funny ideas of what they can afford ina. The coach I went on to the Harrogate show had 45 out of 46 seats filled, mostly of older people who didn't drive. For those who had invested in the fold up carts that are sold by the dozen at the show years ago, they could have gone to a local garden centre on the bus pass and probably paid less for the plants they bought.

Mind you, there were the stalls for the well off - hand carved rocking horse anyone? Or would you like a bronze Mad Hatter for your garden?

Sure you take your food and drink, sure you don't buy unless you are looking at the seed merchants doing promotions but just sometimes ....

I only go with specifics in mind and don't buy otherwise. But even I have to break out sometimes - haven't done for the last couple of years mind.