OPINION
R
HS Chelsea is 'the Oscars of horticulture.' Nowhere else will you find so much glitz, glamour, and television coverage. Winning a Gold medal at Chelsea is an achievement any garden designer or landscape architect worth their salt should aim for. But a growing problem could jeopardise the greatest flower show on Earth: nurseries are terrified of participating.
I've worked in horticulture for 40 years, and Hortus Loci is the largest supplier of plants to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. At the end of every show, I always say, "never again". But like a reliable perennial we keep coming back and we're supplying eight show gardens for 2023. Whilst we’re delighted, I'm becoming increasingly aware of how much of the Chelsea market we're now dominating. Our fellow nurseries seem hesitant to supply show gardens, and this needs to change if RHS Chelsea is to have a secure future. The bigger show gardens have total budgets of between £350k to £500k, but supplying those gardens is risky. Work begins a year in advance, and you need to grow at least 50% more plants than you need as a backup. Not only do you need a Plan B if things go wrong, but you also need
Getting
GROWERS ON BOARD Chelsea is a show of flowers – but the RHS must do more to entice nurseries to get involved, says Mark Straver
a Plan C, D, E and F. As May creeps closer, you must be ever vigilant to protect your precious crop from unpredictable weather conditions, which have become increasingly frequent. Timing is everything, and each individual plant must be flawless for Press Day. The royal family can't take a rain check if your plants aren't ready. It's not at all surprising that inexperienced nurseries won't take the risk. The success of a show garden relies heavily on the experience of the nursery. We'll review the garden designer's planting list and use our expertise to advise which plants will look good in the third week in May, which plants are wild-card choices, and which plants are guaranteed disasters waiting to happen. But how can the next generation of nurseries learn to overcome the challenges and risks? How can they gain that experience if it’s just the same seasoned veterans participating every year? A very welcome shift has come in the form of Project Giving Back's 'All About Plants' – a marvellous initiative encouraging new garden designers, nurseries, plant societies and botanical gardens to get involved. But further incentives are needed to tempt
A growing problem could jeopardise the greatest flower show on Earth: nurseries are terrified of participating
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new businesses, and it's time the RHS revisits its approach to rewarding plant suppliers. After all, show gardens are judged for their design, build, and plants. Designers get extensive media coverage, and medal winners are launched into horticultural stardom. Awards go to the architects, but there’s no recognition for
nurseries, and press mentions are minimal. I've even seen nursery names entirely forgotten from a show garden's board. The more the RHS celebrates the plant suppliers, the more incentive there will be for new suppliers to participate. And we might be able to take some time off for a change!
MARK STR AVER Mark Straver is a thirdgeneration nurseryman based in Hampshire and has worked with plants since the age of 16. He is joint owner and director at Hortus Loci, which he founded with Robin Wallis in 2011. He’s known in the gardening world for his ability to source the best wholesale plants internationally, using his extensive knowledge, connections, and experience in the industry. hortusloci.co.uk
Pro Landscaper | May 2023
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