Bringing the Animals to RHS Garden Wisley

What happens before the big show…

The Spring Craft & Design Fair 2017 at RHS Garden Wisley has now finished for another year and my silver animals and I are safely back home again. During the fair, us exhibitors try to give off an air of calmness and professionalism – while behind the scenes we’re paddling furiously like the proverbial duck! So here are a few photos to pop the illusion…

The journey to RHS Garden Wisley

My personal journey to RHS Garden Wisley started in earnest in January when my place at the Spring Craft & Design Fair was confirmed. Three months and a very significant amount of work later (all of which fits into a small plastic box!), the car is packed and ready to go. I have a weakness for choosing events due to their beautiful surroundings and RHS Garden Wisley certainly doesn’t disappoint – stunning from the entrance onwards. Even the marquee is impressive!

Setting up my stall

This is my first major fair and the professionalism of the whole event is clear to see – it makes the job of setting up a real pleasure (well almost!) and I don’t have to contend with either wind or rain. Although I’ve done it many times before, it doesn’t stop me fiddling endlessly before I’m happy with the final effect. The last stage is to stash everything that I might need under the table, hidden behind the freshly ironed table cloth.

Enjoying the Surroundings

Once the fair had started, I had no time at all to visit and enjoy the gardens or to admire the wonderful creations that the Craft Fair had brought together. So I had a sneak peek of the other exhibits, after setting up my own, and took a few moments to enjoy the gardens – well, until the heavens opened anyway. Here are a few…

I hope to be back in this beautiful garden in April 2018 for the next Spring Craft & Design fair, but do consider visiting – it’s a great day out (even if my animals and I are not there!):

RHS Garden Wisley – official website