The flower show must go on...
RHS Flower Show Cardiff may have been cancelled this year due to coronavirus, but garden lovers can get their fix in another way. Here’s how...
THOUSANDS of gardeners were probably feeling rather disappointed when RHS Flower Show Cardiff was cancelled a few weeks ago due to the coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
But they can still get their gardening fix this spring and enjoy some of the show-stopping displays and inspiration that would have been on hand for them at Bute Park.
For the RHS website is being transformed into an online floral extravaganza from May 18 to 23 to coincide with one of Cardiff’s sister shows – and arguably the most famous of the RHS events – London’s Royal Chelsea Flower Show.
The website will host a virtual Royal Chelsea Flower Show sharing an abundance of free, inspiring content from the great and the good of the gardening world.
Providing an online platform for nurseries and growers from the show’s Great Pavilion to show off their displays and plant collections, it will offer virtual visitors an insight into how some of the world’s best quality plants are grown, with exclusive behind-the-scenes tours of their award-winning nurseries.
Plus a line-up of leading growers will host daily potting bench demonstrations to share their specialist expertise, growing techniques, tips and advice on how to keep plants happy and healthy while we’re at home.
Other highlights will include tours from some of the world’s leading garden designers, florists and gardening personalities of their own private gardens as they share their design tips, favourite planting combinations and trends.
Get all your gardening know-how through interactive Q&A sessions with RHS advisers and special guests, while a daily School Gardening Club will get families growing together with a range of activities.
The Virtual RHS Chelsea Flower Show will take place from May 18 to 23 with the opening day being Members’ Day offering exclusive content for RHS members only.
WELSH NURSERIES AT RHS SHOWS 2020
Nurseries from across the UK have been busy growing beautiful displays and although you may not be able to buy them face-to-face at this year’s flower shows, you can still get your hands on their award-winning plants as many of the nurseries and growers are now selling their specialist plants and products online. Offering an unrivalled selection of top quality plants grown with care and dedication, supporting our local nurseries is more important than ever during this challenging time.
Here’s a guide to some of Wales’ top nurseries where you can get showstopping plants ordered straight to your doorstep:
PHEASANT ACRE PLANTS, BRIDGEND – WWW. PHEASANTACREPLANTS. CO.UK
Pheasant Acre Plants is an established family business based in Bridgend. It has become renowned for its striking displays of spring colour, with tulips at RHS Cardiff and vibrant collections of gladioli at Chelsea where it has been awarded 10 consecutive Gold Medals. Pheasant Acre Plants also offers a range of dahlias and spring flowering bulbs.
Get your hands on the awardwinning gladioli corms now online alongside a selection of dahlia plants.
For those planning ahead, you can even start ordering your tulip bulbs ready for September.
ROUALEYN FUCHSIAS, CONWY – WWW. ROUALEYNFUCHSIAS. CO.UK
Located in the Conwy Valley, Roualeyn Fuchsias is a specialist of this bold bloom, stocking more than 400 varieties of fuchsia.
From bush and hardy varieties to trailing and hybrid species, there is plenty on offer from its online shop.
Run by Colin Jones, the family-run business was launched by his father before he took over the nursery in 2010.
All the plants are propagated on site at the nursery and it often has up to 50,000 plants during peak growing
season. Roualeyn Fuchsias has attended every RHS Flower Show Cardiff since it began in 2005.
DIBLEYS, RUTHIN – WWW.DIBLEYS.COM
Growing houseplants to brighten up your home, Dibleys produces a number of African violets, coleus, tradescantias and painted-leaf begonias. The nursery specialises in Streptocarpus – the Cape primrose native to South Africa with flowers in a vibrant array of colours.
Rex Dibley started his mail order nursery back in 1977 and now it supplies more than 250 garden centres across the UK with houseplants.
The whole family is involved, with Rex’s son Gareth joining the business in 1984 and daughter Lynne becoming part of the team in 1989. They have become familiar faces at RHS Cardiff, who have also exhibited at each show since it began and the nursery was selected as 2018’s Master Grower.
MEDWYNS OF ANGLESEY, LLANFAIR P.G – WWW. MEDWYNSOFANGLESEY. CO.UK
Record-breaking vegetable grower Medwyn Williams returned to RHS Chelsea last year after a nine-year absence. Most well-known for his award-winning produce, Medwyn grows some of the biggest and most impressive home-grown produce. At last year’s Chelsea Flower Show, he introduced the first tomato to be registered with a Welsh name, Y Ddraig Goch (‘the Red Dragon’).
Along with his son, the nursery supplies seeds and plants to anyone who wants to try their hand at growing their own produce.
For more award-winning growers at RHS Shows, visit rhs. org.uk/supportournurseries