Summer Flower Shows 2022

Posted on 20th July 2022 by Bronwynne Britt

The Flower Show scene has been firing on all cylinders this year!

Did you get to any of them?

We’ll be sharing a little taste of what is happening right now at the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park – the final major show of the RHS season happening now until 24 July.

But first, if you missed the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival (where we had some Gold Medalists pictured right), here’s some of what went on there:

Forest Bathing Garden

If you find being in forests brings out your inner nymph, you would’ve loved this. Forest bathing, traditionally practiced in Japan, is a restful activity allowing you to take in all the sights, sounds, feels and smells of nature. The aim with this experience was to encourage mindfulness in becoming fully aware of everything surrounding you. To be fully present with what is now.

The John King Brain Tumour Foundation Garden

This was an example of a hospital rooftop garden providing a much needed sanctuary for patients and staff to experience the calming effects of nature. This transformation of what would otherwise be unutilised, bare spaces also attracted wildlife which added to the harmony. A beautiful sculpture by Emma Rodgers and the blue and yellow colouring of the planters around it were a show of appreciation to the NHS. Even better is that this garden is now living on after the festival at the Atkinson Morley Wing at St George’s Hospital.

Connections Garden

This one was representative of Alzheimer’s Research UK, showing the impact a dementia diagnosis has on the family and friend’s. Across the front of the garden was a felled tree with saplings growing around it. The woodland entrance lead to a pathway surrounded with black, yarn-bombed synapse-like structures – conveying the confusion and disorientation of dementia – and out into a tranquil garden with Scotch thistles and giant scabious.

If you are sad you missed all this, you’ll want to get yourself to the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park.

Along with good food, music and cooking demonstrations as well as fun and earth-friendly activities for the young of age and at heart, here’s a little sample of what else to expect:

BBC Radio 2 and The One Show’s Sow, Grow and Show sporting a competition table with cut flowers and bizarre and beautiful vegetable varieties
The RHS and BBC North West Tonight Community Urban Garden of plants that take care of air pollution and raised beds for communal vegetable growing
Community Borders’ accessible planting schemes that encourage a diversity of wild-life
Greener Front Garden on how to transform a small, dull outdoor space into something inspiring and useful

There will also be The Practical Gardening Theatre where young gardeners will be encouraged to go green with helpful tips and of course plenty of flowers and plants to be inspired by in the Floral Marquee and Plant Village. As well as:

Come Lime With Me

Think “Come Dine with Me” but inspired by the designer’s Anglo-Guyanese ethnicity, this garden will show us how to “lime” - a Guyanese/Caribbean slang word for “the art of doing nothing while sharing food, drink, conversation and laughter”. Water will also be a key feature of this display depicting the concern around rising sea levels which is a serious threat to these coastal countries.

Literally Littoral

Speaking of water, this one features a water-wise “rain garden” and is made from recycled materials such as steel water tanks, scaffold boards, stone, gravel, grit and sand. A fine example of affordable, eco-friendly design that makes use of plants that are hardy along coastal areas and prevents flash flooding.

Could Car Less

Inspired by the Community garden project “Taking Root in Bootle” in 2021 by the Regenerus charity, this display shows innovative ways in which to ditch the car in favour of the more earth friendly bicycle for commuting. They will also demonstrate how to harvest rain water and practice dry-garden planting.

The Vitamin G Garden

And when it comes to the mental, physical and social benefits of gardening, well we all need a bit of 'vitamin G' in our lives. This garden will show different ways in which we can get our daily dose in spaces for contemplation, relaxation and restoration through art, plants, meditation, yoga and interacting with others.

Intrigued?

Get those tickets here.

RHS Chelsea Flower Show – Then and Now

Posted on 18th May 2022 by Bronwynne Britt

109 years since the first RHS Chelsea Flower Show and still going strong.

What an achievement in these unpredictable times.

Let's delve into a bit of this remarkable show's history and then find out what we have planned for you this year!

Early Days

The first show held on Chelsea Hospital grounds on 20 May 1913, then called the Great Spring Show, was where the RHS Chelsea Flower Show as we know it really took off. With 244 exhibitors and a giant tent over two acres full of all manner of plant-life, it was quite the event.

However, the Royal Horticultural Society had quite a few shows leading up to that, although not quite so prestigious. For example, it seems the first exhibit in 1805 was rather humble - a potato displayed by a Mr Minier.

So in 1827 the Society decided to get the public involved. They held a fête at their garden in Chiswick and it was such a success they had another the next year.

1829 was hit by terrible rain where guests were apparently drowned up to their ankles - ’shrieks were dreadful and the loss of shoes particularly annoying.’ Mammoth downpours have occurred a few times since, so be prepared - take your wellies!

The show continued in Chiswick until 1857. From 1862 onwards it moved to Kensington and then Inner Temple, but by 1911 they were on the hunt for another more suitable venue.

The 1900’s

Come 1912, whilst supporting an international horticultural extravaganza on the grounds of the Chelsea Hospital, the Society realised this would be the perfect venue.

The show has continued with great success at this location since, with only temporary postponements during the two World Wars and a delay in 1926 due to The General Strike.

The event has grown and exhibits have become more and more intricate and creative as the years have gone by, with all sorts of memorable happenings such as:

“The Garden of Tomorrow” in the 50’s featuring ‘the most modern aids to horticulture’, one of them being a radio-controlled lawn mower.
A 5000 square foot orchid display in the 60's – the largest ever at the show.
The first celebrity garden designer came about and could be seen on TV in the 70’s.
A vintage gnome allegedly blocked the entrance to the show in protest in 1993 on the 80^th anniversary of the garden gnome ban
The recycling of the Great Marquee into 7,000 aprons, jackets and bags
An entire garden made from 2.5 tonnes of plasticine by James May causing quite a stir

What've We Got in Store This Year?

This year we'll be capturing visitors attention with a dazzling, eye catching bonanza! It will be an all-singing and all-dancing display of alstroemeria, honouring the alstroemerias South American heritage.

Alstroemeria are the party animals of the garden and nothing says party like the Rio Carnival! So we're creating a Carnival street scene with mannequins in dramatic sparkly costumes made from alstroemeria, feathers and sequins.

You'll feel like you are part of 'The Greatest Show on Earth' (as the Rio Carnival is affectionately known)!

More cause for celebration is that we'll be launching two new alstroemeria at the show on 23 May 2022. One will be entered into the Plant of the Year competition. Alec has named them affectionately after his maternal and paternal grandmothers - ‘Little Miss June’ and ‘Little Miss Connie’ pictured right (photos by Clive Nichols).

Nanny Foreman (June) (maternal) – Nanny June has always been a gardener and Alec has fond memories of spending lots of time in the garden with her. He especially remembers going with her to Hampton Court Palace Flower Show in the early 1990s and spending long days looking at the gardens and plant pavilion exhibits. Nanny June turned 89 this year and we are hoping she will come to press day

Nanny White (Connie) (paternal) – Alec has particularly fond memories of sunny summers spent in Bournemouth on the beach with Nanny Connie which was close to where they lived. She loved outdoor walks and spending time in the sun. Nanny Connie was always very supportive of his gardening exploits and early exhibiting as a child.

These will make a wonderful addition to the historic Parigo ‘Little Miss’ Series which we hold the Plant Heritage National Collection for.

Clearly there's lots of cause for celebration! Come and join us and get your tickets here!

Parigo Relaunch at Chelsea 2021

Posted on 17th September 2021 by Bronwynne Britt

We're excited to be relaunching this British Heritage brand to visitors and keen gardeners at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2021. It's been nearly twenty years since Parigo was at Chelsea so we are delighted to be back!

With the show moving from May to September this year, it's a fantastic opportunity for us to be able to show off the beauty of Alstroemeria. Although Autumn is not the most flowery time of year for many plants, Alstroemeria flower right up until October.

Our exhibit will demonstrate, in a contemporary way, the extraordinary colour range of these versatile, repeat flowering plants.

So you'll get to see them in all their blooming glory!

Who's Parigo?

Parigo was originally established in the UK in 1938 by John Goemans who was the first in the world to grow Alstroemeria commercially under glass. In 1959 Goemans bred and introduced the first Alstroemeria variety specifically intended for glasshouse growing. By the mid 1960s he had bred an entire collection and it was some years before anyone else could emulate the success.

In 1985 Bob & Frank Goemans took charge of the remaining Spalding site, with his brother Frank Goemans managing the Chichester site. By the end of the century it was decided to concentrate on the breeding and propagation of the Alstroemeria for both the cut flower and garden markets.

Come 2019, Frank decided it was time to retire. Rather than shutting the business down he thought he'd find someone he could pass his father's Alstroemeria legacy on to. Frank handpicked Alec White to take over his treasured family business because of his success in growing peonies and his brand PrimroseHall Peonies.

After taking over the Parigo brand in 2019, Alec plans to reignite the breeding programme and bring this British horticultural heritage brand into the 21st century. He is committed to producing the highest quality Alstroemeria plants for our customers. His passion is to show the world what a fantastic assortment of Alstroemeria are available, both as cut flowers and as garden plants.

Parigo at Chelsea

As a British bred and grown flower, Parigo fits right in to one of the themes of this year's show - sustainability and environmental awareness.

In line with this, there is a new competition - The Chelsea Flower Show Floristry and Floral Design – with the main theme “Our World”. The aim is to create awareness around our environmental impact, particularly in the cut flower industry. Making small changes over time can make a big difference!

Entrants will choose between ‘Floral Windows’ and ‘Floral Installations’ which have the following options:

‘Floral Windows’ will have the themes ‘British Blooms’ or ‘Preservation’ to emphasize the importance of keeping things local and reusing plant materials to reduce those carbon footprints.

‘Floral Installations’ will be centred around ‘Pollination’ and the ‘Beauty of Nature’. These designs will be required to use plants from the RHS Plants for Pollinators list or carry a strong horticultural message in the design.

Find out more about the exhibitors here.

Better yet, get some tickets and see us all in person!