Wealden Times | WT264 | May 2024 | Love Your Home Supplement inside

C
of
ream
crop
the
Garden
Jen Stuart-Smith highlights the celebrated South
East nurseries who’ll be appearing at this month’s
RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024, from 21-25 May
istockphoto.com/BethAmber
There can be few garden shows
that cause as much excitement
as the RHS Chelsea Flower
Show. Founded in 1913 and known
as the Great Spring Show, since then
the event has given rise to a gardening
technique – the ‘Chelsea chop’ – a
week-long floral extravaganza known
as ‘Chelsea in Bloom’ and has become
the place for celebrities to mingle with
gardening greats, the Royal family – and
those of us who are lucky enough to
attend. If you haven’t been, it’s definitely
worth going, even only the once. That
said, if you can’t face the crowds or
the cost of a ticket, it really does make
brilliant TV viewing. At least from your
sofa you don’t have to stand on tiptoe
or elbow your way through the crowds
to see the incredible show gardens.
Of course, the show gardens are the
biggest draw but the Chelsea Flower
Show also offers fantastic shopping
opportunities, access to specialist
growers and plant breeders, as well as
fancy food stalls and Champagne bars.
When it comes to people-watching,
it doesn’t get much better... If you’re
lucky, you may catch one of your
favourite TV presenters, talking to
camera – just don’t be tempted to
photo-bomb! As well as celebrities and
gardening royalty, you may also spot some
familiar local faces, as our fair counties of
Kent, Sussex and Surrey contribute a huge
amount of talent to the show each year.
So, who is going to be there this year?
Kent
If you’re on the lookout for plants, there
are several Kent nurseries at Chelsea
this year. Former gold-medal winners
Brookfield Plants will be displaying
their impressive collection of hostas and
hemerocallis while Swallowfields Nursery
offer a gorgeous selection of ‘cottagegarden’
plants including a wide range
of salvia and species pelargoniums.
The No Name Nursery, brainchild
of Steve Edney and Louise Dowle,
is unlikely to disappoint... with its
sustainable approach, impressive
reputation and connection to the famous
Salutation Gardens in Sandwich.
Following on in the environmentally
friendly vein, those of you looking to
re-wild your grassy areas should pop
in and see Kent Wildflower Seeds
in the Great Pavilion. As the name
would suggest, the company – set up
by the Denne family – specialises in
wildflower and native seed mixes.
C
East Sussex
Big kids – or those who simply want
a bit of peace and quiet indoors –
might want to check out Blue Forest
treehouses. The company, based in
Wadhurst, design and build bespoke,
luxury treehouses with sustainability
at the heart of their designs. From
castles to garden accommodation
– anything is possible, a chance to
let your imagination run wild.
Also from Wadhurst are the
wonderfully exotic Plantbase, owned
by Graham Blunt. A bit elusive online,
this nursery is worth tracking down
for its alpines, Australasian, South
African and South American plants,
amongst many exciting others.
After traipsing round the show,
you may well need to take the
weight off with a stop at the Daybed
Company. Just don’t get too comfy!
This small family company, based in
Pett, between Hastings and Rye, is a
relatively new kid on the block – but
if the beds are as comfortable as they
are stylish, they could be on to a
winner. Designed to work inside or
out, the turned Iroko wood
will turn silvery over time, if
you opt for the latter.
103
priceless-magazines.com