Crocus are a fixture at the event, having done all 22 RHS Chelsea Flower Shows since the company was founded in 2000, building 36 judged show gardens \u2013 12 of which won Best Show Garden and 33 of which won Gold medals. As well as doing the landscaping for the gardens, Crocus also grows all the plants for them at its Windlesham nursery. Many top tier designers have repeatedly chosen to work with Crocus for their show gardens, and lots of budding designers<\/a> have also been coached through the planning and build process to success by the experienced team over the years.<\/p> You may also like<\/strong><\/p> Crocus has decided to stop for several reasons, including to free up the nursery at its busiest time of year \u2013 around 8,000 plants of the highest quality are needed for each Chelsea show garden \u2013 and the fact that it is not commercially worthwhile for the company, especially when costs are rising.<\/p> Mark cited the changing face of the show as a challenge too, with new regulations and a lack of interest in the work landscapers and growers do at the show making it difficult. He also says they just need a rest: \u201cIt\u2019s the Jurgen Klopp argument! Doing two show gardens a year is physically and emotionally exhausting\u201d.<\/p> What the designers say<\/strong><\/p> Sarah Price<\/a> has worked with the Crocus team several times for her show gardens. “It is rare to be encouraged to push the boundaries of what is possible as a designer,” she says, “but Mark and Peter always did just that. Since my first Crocus Chelsea garden in 2012, we\u2019ve developed a deep sense of trust and mutual understanding, carefully working out exactly how to make the best possible garden, with no room for compromise. This sounds serious, but working with Crocus on Chelsea was always brilliant fun! What other nursery would allow the takeover of an polytunnel for the fabrication of thousands of handmade low-carbon bricks? Or source beautiful, mature roses, the envy of Chelsea at five metres in height. I\u2019ll miss the collaboration, but I know the many gardens they created will live on and continue to inspire.”<\/p> Crocus built Harris Bugg’s 2021 Chelsea<\/a> garden for then-sponsor M&G Investments, taking on the challenging task of building and planting the headline garden mid-pandemic for the first, and probably last, ever September-time show. Charlotte Harris<\/a>, who runs the practice with Hugo Bugg, has fond memories of the experience. “Peter Clay and Mark Fane are a tenacious twosome and their drive for excellence inspires the whole team, including the designers they are working with. Mark Fane\u2019s rigorous pre-planning and relentless attention to the excellence of the detail is a masterclass. Peter\u2019s reputation as a horticultural bloodhound is unmatched, tracking down hard-to-find plants and rarities that designers ask for (and even some that just arrive, like magic!).”<\/p> Mark followed through with the utmost generosity when we managed to achieve what at the time appeared to be an impossible deadline<\/p><\/blockquote>Why is Crocus pulling out after Chelsea Flower Show 2024?<\/h2>
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