Chelsea has also just been named the world\u2019s fifth most popular \u2018must see\u2019 experience by travel company Kuoni, so it\u2019s no wonder that every plant nursery worth its salt aspires to be there. However, regular visitors to the show may have noticed that some of their favourite nurseries<\/a> have disappeared from the Pavilion in recent years. <\/p> You may also like:<\/strong><\/p> Helen Boem, RHS shows floral development manager, confirms that numbers this year are lower than a decade ago. \u201cIn 2014, we had 97 separate nurseries, but that has gradually fallen to 76 exhibits this year, and there are several reasons for that,\u201d she says. \u201cSome nursery owners have retired, while a few stopped trading during the pandemic and haven\u2019t returned. We also recognise that it\u2019s expensive for a small nursery to come to Chelsea. As well as the cost of plants and the owners\u2019 time, there\u2019s accommodation and transport, while heating and lighting bills for greenhouses have gone through the roof. Some nursery owners also tell us that they simply can\u2019t afford to leave their business unattended for two weeks, if they have no other cover.\u201d <\/p> To provide assistance, the RHS offers all nurseries at Chelsea a small recompense payment and a travel allowance. \u201cThey also have free sales space, which they have to pay for at other RHS shows, and we\u2019ve increased the size of the sales units, so they can sell more plants to help cover their costs,\u201d explains Helen.<\/p> “Despite the time and money involved, the draw of Chelsea encourages many nurseries and plant companies to apply for a stand.”<\/p><\/blockquote> Despite the fall in nursery numbers, Helen and her team work hard every year to ensure that the Great Pavilion fulfils its promise. \u201cThe Discovery Zone (where visitors can learn about plant science), All About Plants gardens and the Floristry Competition, are just some of the other features visitors can enjoy.\u201d She also reaches out to nurseries, especially small independents, who would be a good fit, either because they offer a plant group that is missing or under-represented in the Pavilion, or they have something new to offer. \u201cWe get a lot of direct enquiries from nurseries, too, and after passing our quality checks, we may then ask them to try out another RHS show first to test the water, before coming to Chelsea,\u201d she adds. <\/p> Help at hand The RHS mentoring scheme is another way the charity is helping newbie exhibitors get the most from the show. Rob and Rosy Hardy, owners of Hardy\u2019s Cottage Garden Plants<\/a>, have been mentoring for many years and, with 24 Chelsea Gold medals under their belts, their advice is invaluable. Rob says: \u201cRosy is mentoring Emma Tipping, who is creating a display around the Monument focusing on how nurseries grow edibles, and I\u2019m working with Chelsea first-timers Tissington Nursery; Jonathan Sheppard, who has the National Plant Collection of Cosmos; and Strete Gate Camellias. While Rosy is the plant expert, I can offer more practical tips, such as getting your timing right. <\/p> Those new to the show often underestimate how long it takes to get plants into the Pavilion and unload them. \u201cYou should also aim to finish on Saturday night, so you have Sunday to titivate your display before judging \u2013 herbaceous plants grow towards the light, so they need 24 hours to settle, allowing you to see which way they\u2019re going to face. With 170,000 potential customers at the show, I also encourage exhibitors to say hello to everyone and, if you can, chat to the celebrities on press day to get yourself some free publicity.\u201d <\/p> Overcoming the obstacles Despite the time and money involved, the draw of Chelsea encourages many nurseries and plant companies to apply for a stand. This year, seed company start-up She Grows Veg, founded by Instagrammer Lucy Hutchings and marketeer Kate Cotterill, jumped at the chance to showcase their heirloom, open-pollinated seeds. \u201cAlthough we\u2019ve only just launched the company, we see Chelsea as a massive brand-awareness campaign,\u201d explains Kate. \u201cWe were lucky to get selected, but I think we were chosen because our ethos aligns with the RHS\u2019s and our customer base is largely under 45, a demographic we know the charity is keen to attract.\u201d <\/p> Gardens at Chelsea Flower Show<\/strong><\/p> The duo are being mentored by Chelsea stalwart Jon Wheatley, who is also growing plants for the display, and they\u2019re drafting in acclaimed florist Hazel Gardiner to create framed, immersive displays, reminiscent of Renaissance paintings. \u201cWe\u2019re marrying floristry with produce in a totally new way, and we\u2019ll be encouraging visitors to don one of our veggie crowns and post an image of themselves sitting in a large picture frame covered with edibles,\u201d says Lucy. \u201cThe chef Raymond Blanc will also be on the stand making soup with our ingredients on press day, which is a bit of a coup.\u201d <\/p> The company has been selected to contribute to Emma Tipping\u2019s Monument display, too, for which they and three other companies (Kent Wildflower Seeds, Caley Brothers Mushrooms and Kitchen Garden Plant Centre) have been awarded a grant from sponsor UBS Financial Services. Recognising the difficulties small nurseries have in bringing their plants to Chelsea, last year the RHS approved for the first time a group exhibit by Plant Fairs Roadshow. <\/p> They are returning this year with displays from seven nurseries, including Special Plants<\/a>, run by Derry Watkins, who hasn\u2019t exhibited at Chelsea since 1999. \u201cMy dramatic exhibit back then, called \u2018What\u2019s Black and White and Red Only Occasionally?\u2019, received an amazing response, and the publicity put the nursery on the map, but the vast amount of work involved put me off returning until now,\u201d she says. \u201cThe Plant Fairs Roadshow exhibit is a great idea because we\u2019re each sharing the time managing the stand and my display is much smaller and more manageable.\u201d <\/p> For many visitors, the magic in the Pavilion is delivered each year by major players such as David Austin Roses, Blackmore & Langdon\u2019s delphiniums and begonias<\/a>, and Raymond Evison Clematis<\/a>. So, why do these companies keep coming back? <\/p> Andy Jeanes, international sales marketing manager for Raymond Evison Clematis, explains: \u201cAs a global supplier and breeder, it\u2019s important for us to showcase our existing varieties and new forms at the premier horticultural show in the world. We also find the feedback from visitors a great source of market research and we can impart our knowledge, too, so they get the best from our clematis.\u201d <\/p> The allure of Chelsea also tempts smaller nurseries back. Family-owned Lincolnshire Pond Plants came for the first time last year and took home a Gold medal, which co-owner Dawn Fisher says has prompted their return. \u201cThis year, we\u2019re including a bridge, allowing people to walk over the water to get up close to the plants,\u201d she says. \u201cBut, as an aquatic plant nursery, we have the additional cost of a larger water bill, both to fill the pond and to drain it after the show. However, Chelsea last year was amazing and helped us secure some deals with landscapers and garden centres, as well as private customers, so it was definitely worth it.\u201d <\/p> Helen Boem says the future of the Great Pavilion is secure, and the All About Plants show gardens have given it a boost. \u201cThey are designed to celebrate unusual and specialist plants and encourage links with exhibitors. The visitors also like them because they can see the plants at close range and in a garden setting,\u201d she explains. Innovations for the future in the Pavilion include more sustainable growing techniques and a focus on plant conservation, while nurseries wishing to showcase plants that are out of season in May can create an educational display, perhaps revealing the history of a species or cultivation tips, instead of always having to be plant-packed stands in flower. <\/p>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2024\/04\/illustration2crop2-edited.jpg\")
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<\/figure>Reliable returns <\/h3>
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Future plans <\/h3>
Other exhibits to watch out for <\/h3>