I have spent some time watching "Chelsea" on the TV. There were many issues relevant to the MGS and I am only sorry that I did not have paper and pencil ready at the time.
Water, water management, water sustainability , straight-lined water features were the order of the day. A new word, rill or rile, seems to become popular. .
Roof gardens featuring succulents was briefly featured. Another subject which has been mentioned on this Forum is "Childrens`gardens" which is gaining local support in the UK. This should be an MGS initiative maybe managed by the local BH?
Grow your own vegetables linked to "eat 5 fruit/vegetables a day" weas featured. A subject rarely touched on by the MGS or the Forum.
Evidently one of the last flower colours we see at night is blue followed by white and silver. Night flowers and scents encourage moths and then bats which feed on the moths. Nicotiana tabaci, Liliums were mentioned as excellent scented "night flowers". This offers possibilities to the mediterranean gardener. The use of up-lighters also provided food for future design
I thought that mediterranean plants featured strongly. A "new" plant mentioned was Trachelospermum asiaticum.
Alisdair I think you should share your thoughts on Basson`s garden now that you`ve mentioned it. Did the MGS have any part in the planning, design , execution or finance of this garden?
This is a world stage for gardening and it would be good in the MGS could be present in some form. The President has said that he would like to increase mebership and this would seem to be the obvious event to make this happen. Of course having a Goal would help.