Every year, growers, nurseries and designers have concerns over whether their plants will be in peak condition by the week of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show – a cold or mild autumn, winter or spring can either hold plants back, or bring them into flower too quickly.
Growers and nurseries are used to this and deploy various methods to either slow or speed up the growth of plants, such as growing them under cover, siting growing locations in different parts of the country, or even by growing some plants in warmer parts of Europe. Designers often specify a range of plants in their plans, so that they can choose those at their peak and substitute choices if necessary.
We have thrown away £35,000 worth of plants in the past week
Growing plants for Chelsea 2023, however, has proved an exceptional challenge, due to the prolonged cold spell in December, after which many gardeners reported dead plants, and a mostly chilly and wet spring so far.
This year, growers and designers have told us that the growing season is around a month behind what would normally be expected.
What the growers are saying
Mark Straver of Hortus Loci, the plant nursery growing the plants for nine show gardens at this year's show, says it has been particularly difficult this year. “We have thrown away £35,000-worth of plants in the past week,” he says. “Alliums and other things that are usually bulletproof and grow outside are dead. They literally turned to mush. They were wet for too long and then they froze solid, and that killed them. They seemed fine, but we got to March and found that things that should be growing weren’t.”
For anyone who grows plants for a living, it’s terrifying.
Mark Straver, Hortus Loci
Why does he think this happened? “We have all become lazy at protecting plants over winter because of the mild winters lately, and that killed a lot of plants. In past years we would have got away with it, but not now. That is where the drama is this year – we thought we were safe.”
The plants that survived were lagging a bit in growth too, but are now rallying, he explains. “It was behind, yes, but everything is catching up rapidly. However, if we get late frosts now that will be an issue.” He admits he has nightmare thoughts of a hailstorm the week before the show ripping through the plants – “It has happened in different places in Europe”.
Of course, every year designers and growers worry about their plants peaking in time for the show, but does Mark see a definitive change in recent years due to climate change?
“Absolutely,” he says. “This is all new to us. Long periods with no rain at all, 40°C summer days, which is unheard of; followed by wet and then the coldest snap in 32 years. For anyone who grows plants for a living, it’s terrifying.”
Despite the devastating losses, Hortus Loci has a back-up plan to ensure its Chelsea show gardens will still look amazing come the third week of May. “You need a plan A, B, C and D for everything. Each Chelsea garden will have about 3,000 perennials that look at their best in May, so you have to grow 10,000 perennials per garden to make sure you have enough choice. There is security in numbers."
Designers are preparing to be flexible
Many designers are revisiting their growers with possible changes in mind – or accepting that plants may not be quite doing what they had hoped.
Chris Beardshaw, who is creating the Myeloma UK garden, sponsored by Project Giving Back, told us: "It's quite extraordinary. There's a lot of growing to be done! It's that fine balance of getting plants to grow, but it's very easy to "overcook" them. If they have been put into a polythene tunnel or glasshouse, they become etiolated and soft, and unmanageable. However although we're behind, I'm comfortable that the growth that's being put on is 'hard' and it suits our scheme – the style of the rear of the garden is woodland and that more emergent look is beneficial for us."
You need a plan A, B, C and D for everything. Each Chelsea garden will have about 3,000 perennials that look at their best in May
In Gavin McWilliam and Andrew Wilson’s Memoria & GreenAcres Transcendence Garden, they admit to not being too specific about some of their plant choices at the early stages of the design process. “We get to update our brief about 3-4 weeks before the show, so can tweak choices then based on what has flourished,” explains Gavin. “But I think there might be a lot of substitutions and alternatives at Chelsea this year – especially for anybody who wanted anything slightly less hardy.” One way to think about choices is to find those that have a longer season of interest. Ideally the duo are hoping to include annual white poppies. “At least if they aren’t in flower the buds or the seed heads are interesting and will work with our concept. But who know, we may not have poppies at all,” comments Andrew.
Designers should be aware of the vagaries of changing climate when making their plant choices.
James Alexander Sinclair, RHS judge
Designer Charlie Hawkes, who is designing The National Brain Appeal’s ‘Rare Space’ garden, also supported by Project Giving Back, has stock of one of his key plants, the species tulip Tulipa sprengeri, growing in England and Scotland to give them a seasonal spread. “I’m hoping to get timing right between those two locations. We only need four or five of them because they are so potent, so hopefully one of the batches comes into flower,” explains Charlie, adding “It’s hard to know what I’ll actually end up doing with the planting – there is always uncertainty due to the weather. You need a sort of spread bet with plants either side of the norm, in case the weather shifts. Which it probably will. So overall I’ve definitely got too many plants, but hopefully enough that peak for judging.”
What the judges say
Does it matter if designers plants aren’t in flower or leaf or doing what they hoped in their brief?
“It depends,” says RHS judge James Alexander-Sinclair. “If you are submitting a lavender garden and there is no flowering lavender then it is tricky to overlook! But once, famously, a hedge of Cleve West’s that was not entirely in leaf on judging day did not count against him, especially as we could see that it would be fine by the middle of the week and there were lots of other things to distract the visitors’ attention."
He adds: "Designers should be aware of the vagaries of changing climate when making their plant choices. Often, at the selection process when we first see plant lists, the judges will point out any choices that we think unwise, because getting such plants in flower at Chelsea (or any of the other shows) is difficult. We don’t like seeing plants that have been forced too much – something that happens much less than previously – as, apart from anything else, they will not sit comfortably with other plants in the garden that are flowering at their natural time."
"In our judging criteria, we have three categories for plants - Planting Design, Planting Associations and Planting Implementation. We allow minor inaccuracies, and whatever happens, judges understand the challenges, and the purpose of the judging process is to try and give as generous a medal as possible. Every year designers and nursery folk worry and usually it is fine in the end, either because they have changed the plant or they are working with skilled growers.”
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