(18 – 22 July 2007)

Buddhas, buglers, butterflies – the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park has had it all, but this year’s show seems to be going a step further, with a wild array of unusual props and artefacts helping to bring a number of garden and flower bed designs to life.

Bubbles will be forever blowing on the Anthony Nolan Trust garden, where not only will a bubble chair feature, but so will bubble jets and a bubble machine to help enhance the childlike, nostalgic and magical feel of the design.

Jumping trout may not be something you would necessarily associate with an RHS flower show, but Andrew Louden’s design based on the Lake District has these sculptures leaping out of the garden’s reflective pool!

Props that will highlight the musical influence on Tatton’s gardens this year include: Clive Scott’s ‘Rhythm in Blues’ design, that will centre around a fire pit with wire guitar strings for his space designed for a professional musician, while Andy Walker will handcraft a Spanish guitar from mosaic for his Mediterranean garden.

Many designs will be taking to the water, with Tatton Park and Cheshire County Council’s Venetian flower bed featuring a gondola, while Lancaster City Council’s bed will boast a boat to show how Lancaster merchants transported between 15,000 and 20,000 slaves during the 1750s.

Canoes seem to be popular this year – they will feature in Stockport Council’s flower bed and also in Knutsford District Scouts’ Back to Back garden. Maybe Wakefield Council’s flower bed will help to direct all these modes of water transport with its Maritime Chronometer, paying homage to John Harrison who pioneered navigation.

Some exciting installations and structures will also help to draw a crowd. To celebrate 50 years of space exploration, Spaced Out UK’s garden will feature a Sputnik and radio masts, while ‘Restraint’ from Banjo Juli will incorporate metal cages to help compartmentalise the space.

Naseby Avenue Residents Association will be all guns blazing with its portrayal of the 1645 Battle of Naseby, with two cannons providing the focal point in its flower bed.

Phillippa Probert, meanwhile, will take us firmly into the future, blending some smart technology with horticulture. Her ‘Forest Fusion’ design will centre around a glass pod featuring ‘Smart Glass’ technology that changes its tint to provide heat and light control.

The RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park takes place between 18 and 22 July 2007, with 18 July reserved for RHS members. To book tickets call 0870 842 2229 or visit www.rhs.org.uk/flowershows .