A group of part-time amateur
gardeners put the professionals in the shade with the best
display of blooms at the Chelsea Flower Show.
A worker at a crisps factory, a retired company director
and an industrial chemist were among the team who won the
top award in the floral pavilion. The Alpine Garden Society
was given the President’s Award for its display featuring
some of the smallest flowers at Chelsea.
Professional growers from around the world descend on Chelsea
every year to show off their skills, but they were all outdone
by the alpine enthusiasts.
The society was established in 1929 and has won several
Royal Horticultural Society gold medals in the past, but
never before has it won the top floral award.
About a dozen members, led by Christopher Grey-Wilson, a
writer, took part in growing the flowers, designing the
display, and constructing the stand.
“We have a team of volunteers,” Christine McGregor,
the Alpine Garden Society’s director, said. “We
didn’t pay them – they did it for love. They
would take time off work and some took annual leave to be
part of this. They are all passionate members.
“We’re really pleased all these volunteers have
done it as a labour of love. We are thrilled to get the
President’s Award.” More than 300 alpine plants,
most of them in flower, were included in the winning display.
Bob Sweet, the show organiser, said: “Considering
the time and resources put in by the growers it must be
quite galling to see the award won by amateurs.”
He added: “The problem with society gardeners is usually
quality control, because some people’s plants are
good and others are not, but they don’t want to offend.
In this one all the plants are good and fit together so
cohesively that you would think one person had done it.”
The award for the most creative display went to Kirstenbosch-South
Africa for its stand showing how climate change has altered
the South African landscape.
Dead and dying quiver trees were displayed alongside live
specimens to illustrate how warmer temperatures have forced
the species to migrate southwards.
Quiver trees like warm and dry conditions but global warming
has made parts of their traditional environment too hot
and parched even for them. The species, Aloe dichotoma,
has migrated up to 60 miles (100km) south through natural
seed dispersal in the past 20 years. It is known as the
quiver tree because hollowed-out branches are used by Khoisan
tribes-men to hold their arrows.
Scientists regard the species as a useful marker for climate
change. One recent report concluded that the species was
showing signs of decline in the northern part of its range.
David Davidson, who designed the Kirstenbosch-South Africa
exhibit, said that he hoped the display would help to alert
gardeners to the devastation likely to be caused by climate
change. “The impacts are already upon us,” he
said.
Tom Stuart-Smith’s garden for Laurent-Perrier won
the Best in Show award. He used 12 species of plants and
ensured that green was the predominant colour. He said that
it was a reaction against the “colourful excess-es”
of many show gardens in recent years at Chelsea.
“They are often full of gimmicky things which people
don’t necessarily relate to in their own gardens,”
he said. “I wanted a simple idea to show we didn’t
have to have a garden that’s completely full of colour.”
Other winners at the show included Jekka McVicar, who won
her 60th RHS gold medal for her display of organic herbs. |
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