Covering a wide area of the grounds of Hampton Court Palace by the River Thames in West London there are always many interesting things to see, sculptures, ornaments, pottery as well as plants.

There are a number of excellent laid out gardens each year.

and the themes vary from the traditional to the ultra modern

Shapes, colours and textures delight the eye

and sometimes amuse

but the quality of the exhibits is always of the highest standard

plenty to stimulate the imagination

It is amazing how tranquility can be found in such a busy place and how many magical views can be glimpsed

There are formal collections of plants in the marquees and plenty of specimens and gardening tools to buy

Luckily there are also lots of places to sit and take a rest and enjoy some refreshments while the legs and feet recharge for the next section.

Some of the exhibitors organise wheel-barrow taxis so that visitors can collect more specimens than they could carry comfortably.

By coincidence, one of the garden sponsors happened to be a manufacturer providing valuable employment in East London where our Rotary Club's Sinebhongo project is established.