All about Taunton Flower Show
Taunton Flower Show is held in Vivary Park in Taunton. The centre piece of the show are the large competitive classes and floral classes marquees. The competitive classes are open to all and consist of approximately 250 different classes for amateur gardeners, crafters, floral artists and children. The floral marquee features traders who mount show displays of their flowers and plants. Around the marquees are a wide range of horticultural traders. The centre of the park is an arena where events such as marching bands, dog displays, dramatic motor bike events etc take place. The show also features other smaller marquees - we have a bees and honey show and in 2009 we are also having a wine show. The show also has a children's zone where our younger visitors can be entertained.
For the last few years we have encouraged professional garden designers to build show-gardens where you can be inspired.
2009 sees the 143rd Taunton Flower Show. A show was held on Thursday 16th August 1866 in the grounds of a Mr Kinglake of Taunton and led, in the course of time, to the establishment of Vivary Park at top of the town’s High Street. The Edwardian Park was fully restored in 2001 and continues to provide a magnificent backdrop to what the media rather grandly dubbed ‘The Chelsea of the West’ a few years ago.
This year’s show on will still have horticulture at its heart although in recognition of the need to attract a new generation of green-fingered enthusiasts sees the continued development of of gardening events as well as floral and craft displays.
The show has weathered two world wars and even a flash flood in 1997 when the park appeared to revert to its historic role as the fishponds of the Bishop of Winchester (Vivary being derived from Vivarium - Latin for ‘fishpond’). Exhibitors had worked up to midnight to set up their displays the evening before the show. Torrential rain overnight meant the site was two feet deep in water as day dawned. The public were barred entry on the grounds (or waves!) of concern for their safety and judges donned waders to examine the entries before making way for the sad sight of workmen dismantling what they could as the waters subsided.
The show will always be subject to the vagaries of the weather. In 2001 one weather report on the first morning forecast a heatwave, unhelpfully stated that anyone attending the show would be fried alive. It took considerable effort to get the message to other media commentators that the tents were actually the coolest place to evade the excessive heat but attendances were demonstrably down that year.
The public will always determine the fate of each year’s event. We rely on amateurs and professional horticulturalists and floriculturalists to provide exhibits and trade displays of a high standard. Garden Clubs are especially welcomed and many of their members volunteer to take their turn in stewarding for a few hours during the two days. As a registered Charity, Taunton Flower Show relies entirely on the voluntary effort of many gifted and dedicated people to ensure the horticultural heritage will be handed on to successive generations.
Ultimately it is the visitors who are the most exacting judges, voting with their feet as they travel from across the Westcountry to give us their critical gaze. With a growing membership of the Society giving opportunity of a preferential entrance time, parking and catering, it seems we may be getting the delicate balance between nostalgia and progress about right.
The sight of a uniformed marching band evokes deep emotions and the sunset ceremony seldom fails to stir young and old alike. The recent introduction of New Orleans-style Jazz has provided a lighter accompaniment to the tasteful dining experience on offer adjacent to the fountain. Thrills if not spills are guaranteed by top class entertainment in the arena.
143 years on it seems that Taunton Flower Show is still prospering. Indeed Mr H Fox, who won a prize in 1866 for Achimenes is the Great Uncle of Richard Fox, one of the present show committee members and who has worked tirelessly for the Taunton Flower Show for almost 40 years.
