Hampton Court Palace top picks revealed

16:53 5th July 2011

It's the start of the biggest flower show in the world at Hampton Court Palace today (July 5th) and one of Britain's top garden designers has outlined her pick of what greenhouse enthusiasts can see and do.

In an article for the Guardian, Philippa Pearson revealed she loves spending time in the Floral Marquee, taking the time to look at every show garden close up and shopping for plants for herself.

There are more than 160 nurseries at the show, each with their own specialities, Ms Pearson remarked.

These include Warmhoven for interesting alliums, Knoll Gardens for grasses, Marshalls Malmaison for carnations, Chrysanthemums Direct for rooted cuttings and Todd's Botanics for drought tolerant varieities.

"Plant must-haves are the tall Anthemis tinctoria 'Wargrave Variety' from Daisy Roots and Brookfield Plants' new Hemerocallis 'Eight Miles High' with dark red flowers and white sharks' tooth edging, both in the Floral Marquee," she noted.

When it is time to eat, the expert added, look no further than afternoon tea at the Palace Tea Rooms or fine-dining at the Allium Restaurant.