RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2008

Lancashire’s industrial heritage is the inspiration for The Hardy Plant Society’s Chelsea exhibit. This year, the exhibit will be presented by the North West Local Group which extends from the southern Lake District to the commercial cities of Liverpool and Manchester.

The overall shape of the exhibit is reminiscent of a flower with five petals, represented by a curved metal sculpture forming a ‘shelter’ and surrounded by four planting areas. The exhibit will display some of the enormous variety of hardy plants grown in this area, which for the purposes of the display, have been separated into four groups: those that thrive in damp and sunny, damp and shady, dry and sunny and dry and shady conditions.

Tried and tested favourites that many gardeners rely on have been included along with challenging plants for the plantsman and some exciting new introductions.

Cercis canadensis ‘Lavender Twist’ [Covey] – the first weeping form of this eye-catching plant in Europe, will on show by Notcutts at this year’s Chelsea. Developing light purple flowers in late Spring, ahead of heart-shaped foliage that emerges later on, the plant has been brought to the Uk by Tim Brotzman from the United States.

‘Lavender Twist’ was first found in 1991 in Westfield, New York, growing in the garden of Connie Covey. The plant will usually become dormant before the first frosts, likes full sun but will tolerate some shade. The plant will be available from April 2008. Notcutts are also promoting the excellent work of The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, their chosen charity for 2008.

A garden developed by staff and students from Nottingham Trent University will feature at this year’s prestigious Chelsea Flower Show. The Shetland Croft House Garden is based on an idea from Motor Neurone Disease Association co-founder Martin Anderson MBE and has been designed by Nottingham Trent University lecturer and garden designer Sue Hayward. The design is inspired by a typical 1940s Shetland Croft garden and will be one of nine courtyard gardens being showcased at the RHS event in May.

The University team will be creating the garden to bring awareness to the Motor Neurone Disease Association. Mr Anderson and Sue Hayward will be visiting Shetland to begin sourcing the plants, garden features and landscaping materials. With its unpredictable weather conditions and harsh salt winds, Shetland is one of the hardest places in the Uk to garden.

Planting will consist of heritage vegetables and rare varieties of Shetland potatoes. Plants will include Edmonston’s Chickweed, only found in this part of the world.

From historical displays and longstanding traditions, to the newest plants, and even a glimpse into the future, the Great Pavilion at the 2008 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, sponsored by Marshalls Landscapes, has it all. Over 100 nurseries and growers from around the world are preparing to create the jewel in the crown of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Liverpool City Council will be returning to Chelsea after 41 years with ‘Mr Roscoe’s Garden’, designed to celebrate Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture. The garden explores the diversity of plants within Liverpool’s 200 year old Botanical Collection and honours one of Liverpool’s greatest sons, William Roscoe.

Year after year, many long standing exhibitors bring to Chelsea the finest horticultural displays and 2008 will be no exception. Blackmore & Langdon have exhibited every year since 1913 and Hillier Nurseries Ltd will return in an attempt to break its own record of 62 consecutive gold medals with a display to celebrate Britain’s Olympic sailing team. The leading nursery will also launch a new rose, Rosa ‘Star of Britain’.

This year, Chelsea looks to be shaping up to a new trend for topiary, as formal clipped design returns to the show. A number of show gardens will be incorporating topiary or clipped shurbs into classical, romantic and contemporary designs.

Tom Stuart-Smith has designed ‘The Laurent-Perrier Garden’ sponsored by Laurent-Perrier, which is a garden of elegant understatement featuring 30 year old hornbeams. ‘The Savills Garden’, sponsored by Savills and designed by Philip Nixon, contains a perennial mix of flowers within frames of Buxus.

Robert Myers has designed ‘A Cadogan Garden’, inspired by the modern spaces of the Cadogan Estate. The garden, sponsored by Cadogan Estate Ltd., is a contemporary garden which will incorporate panels of clipped myrtle or box to form a foil and contrast to the planting behind.