It has been a bumper year for medals at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show with APL and HTA members showcasing the very best in garden design, landscaping and plant production.
APL members Landform Consultants celebrated a gold medal for the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne show garden, featuring native Australian plants with a silver gilt flora for their NBC Wildlife Garden – the first rain garden to feature at Chelsea. The Garden Builders received a silver flora for their British Heart Foundation Garden.
Alongside a gold medal Jamie Dunstan from Gardeners Boutique achieved the accolade of best urban garden for the Stockton Drilling Winds of Change Garden. Adam Frost and New Ground Landscapes received a gold medal for his Lands’ End garden with silver gilt medals going to Graham Bodle for the Doncaster Deaf School Garden and The Garden Builders for The Magistrates’ Association Garden.
The Great Pavilion exhibits provide a feast for the senses. Hilliers Nursery and Garden Centre were awarded their 66th consecutive gold medal for their ‘how does the garden make you feel exhibit – the longest unbroken run of medals in the history of the show.
It was gold too for Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants, whose walkthrough exhibit was this year in collaboration with Westland Horticulture. Hardy’s also won the Plant of the Year award for anemone ‘Black Swan’.
Roses provided a spectacular display with David Austin Roses and Peter Beales Roses awarded gold medals and Harkness Roses a silver gilt flora for their exhibits. Amongst the new varieties launched were ‘The Churchill Rose’ and ‘Friendship of Strangers’ from Peter Beales, ‘Natasha Richardson’ from Harkness Roses and ‘Queen Anne’ from David Austin Roses.
Specialist rhododendron growers Millais Nurseries received a gold medal for their stunning display of rhododendrons and azaleas as did Kelway Plants for their exhibit which features over 500 peonies.
APL/HTA member Awards
Show Gardens
Gold – Landform Consultants – Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne
Silver-Gilt Flora – Landform Consultants – RBC Wild Garden
Silver Flora – The Garden Builders – British Heart Foundation
Urban Gardens
Best in category and gold – Stockton Drilling ltd – Jamie Dunstan
Gold – Adam Frost and New Ground Landscapes – Lands’ End Across the Pond
Silver-Gilt Flora – Graham Bodle and Walkers Nurseries – Doncaster Deaf Trust
Silver Flora – The Garden Builders – The Magistrates’ Association
Plant of the year
Anemone ‘Wild Swan’, Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants
Great Pavilion Awards
Gold – David Austin Roses
Gold – Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants
Gold –Hilliers Nurseries and Garden Centres
Gold – Kelways Plants
Gold – Millais Nurseries
Gold – Peter Beales Roses
Silver-Gilt Flora – Burncoose Nurseries
Silver-Gilt Flora – Harkness Roses
Silver-Gilt Flora – John Woods Nurseries and DeakinLock
Silver-Gilt Flora – Ken Muir Ltd
Silver-Gilt Flora – Tendercare Nurseries
Silver-Gilt Flora – The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company