Beat the Heat at RHS Hampton Court

Nilufer Danis's opulent Turkish garden of paradise at RHS Hamptonn Court 2015
Nilufa Danis's opulent Turkish Garden of Paradise felt right at home in yesterday's heat 

Phew what a scorcher! Temperatures were in the high 20s at RHS Hampton Court yesterday and are set to soar into the 30s today. Here are my tips to help you enjoy the show, instead of getting a bit grumpy in the heat like I did.

  • Go early and/or stay late - it means you can enjoy the show at the cooler times 
  • It was noticeably cooler under the arbour in Nilufa's garden at 1pm yesterday. There are a lot of trees at Hampton court, some with seats around them, so you can have a long sit down - including a picnic or siesta - in the really hot part of the day
  • Wear your comfiest shoes - the show is huge, so there's a lot of walking involved
  • I hate wearing a hat because I get 'hat hair', but I did wear one yesterday. One with a wide brim will also protect your neck 
  • Wear comfortable, loose clothing including something to protect your neck if your hat doesn't
  • Take plenty of water and linger by the Long Water, where a delightful breeze blows in for the afternoon. The clever creators of paradise gardens like Nilufer's knew that water - especially moving - can bring temperatures down by several degrees
  • Lugging heavy bags around in the heat is a recipe for grumpiness, so buy your plants late, or leave them in the plant creche to collect later
The tented areas like the Floral Marquee may get rather hot today. I noticed there were some large fans installed at the entrances yesterday, which should help keep things more bearable.

NB it's well worth getting a show programme as it's easy to miss the things you'd like to see and there aren't that many maps dotted around the vast show area to help you get around. It'll help cut down any unnecessary walking! 

Comments

  1. Great tips, I wish I was going, but as you say, it's going to be scorching. I love that Turkish garden. Opulent is just the right word for it I think.

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    Replies
    1. I wish I could let you smell all the roses and lilies CJ, the fragrance was opulent too :)

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  2. Great to see you yesterday Michelle! Wish we had more time for a natter. Must sort out those dates soon ;)

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    Replies
    1. It was good to see you too guys, especially as we missed each other at Chelsea :)

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  3. Wow, you are one dedicated blogger, Michelle! It's so hot, I've hardly got the energy to walk the dog, let alone go to Hampton Court and write about it. My thermometer (outside, on a north wall) was registering 84F in the shade yesterday.

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  4. Thanks Victoria :-) I must admit I've flopped in a tired heap today ;-)

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  5. I've seen glimpses of 'The Turkish Paradise Garden' over at 'Alternative Eden' and it looked fabulous. A real oasis on a hot day. I visited the Hampton Court show 20 years ago on an equally warm day. I'm not sure whether I would still be up to it now :) My friend's newly purchased clematis must have grown a foot on the way home.

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    Replies
    1. I think that clematis would have grown 2 feet last week!

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