Home Grown at Hampton Court
Did you know that sweet potatoes, tomatillos and rice can all now be grown in
British gardens? Home Grown is a major new feature at Hampton Court Palace Flower
Show, demonstrating the diverse range of fruit, vegetables, cut flowers and nursery
stock that can now be grown on home soil.
Different growing methods are increasing the scope of fruit and vegetable production
available to gardeners today, as more and more exotic varieties come onto the market.
Within Home Grown’s model market garden, sweet potatoes, balsam pear, edible loofahs
and perhaps even peanuts will be growing in a polythene tunnel whilst hydroponic
growing methods are used to support crops such as rice, tomatillos and papayas.
Growing outdoors will be an extensive range of traditional varieties of produce,
as well as some more unusual cultivars of familiar vegetables including Broad bean
‘Statissa’, bred to be eaten as whole young pods; Lettuce ‘Red Iceberg’, a red leaved
Iceberg-style lettuce; and Brokali, a hybrid variety of Broccoli and Kale.
A model farmland area will provide a snapshot of today’s agricultural landscape.
Crops of sunflowers, oil seed rape, wheat, barley, oats and maize will be bounded
by a species-rich hedgerow – vital for the protection and sustainability of wildlife
- to demonstrate the dual role held by farmers of both food producer and custodian
of the environment. Modern, commercial farming techniques will also be explored
in an area illustrating commercial apple production. The apples are grown on a trellis
system for maximum yield and ease of harvesting, whilst pollen and nectar strips
are used to encourage insect pollination of the crops.
Traditional crops and growing methods will contrast with the modern techniques and
varieties on show. A traditional orchard area, complete with live bee hives, will
highlight the importance of bees to pollination in UK food production. An outdoor
cut flower area featuring a section of flower crops, such as sweet peas, cornflowers
and Sweet William, will demonstrate the return of many “simple” flowers to the florist’s
bunch.
Guy Barter, Head of RHS Advice, says: “These days, home gardeners can grow a wider
range of fruit and vegetables in ways that were once unthinkable.
“In recent years, advances in commercial techniques have become available to the
home gardener, while warmer, longer summers have led to a surge in popularity of
tender crops such as pumpkins, squash, sweet corn and even sweet potatoes. As these
crops have become feasible for more gardeners plant breeders have used conventional
breeding techniques to produce improved varieties of these novel crops for British
conditions.”
Visitors to the show will also be able to enjoy a feast of other fruit and veg features
like the Growing Tastes Marquee, with some of the UK’s best fruit and vegetable
nurseries; the Cookery Theatre where chefs will create sumptuous dishes from fresh
produce; and gardens designed to inspire Growing Your Own at home.
Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, 6-11 July 2010
www.rhs.org.uk/hamptoncourt