Shows

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2010 Chelsea Show 2010

The personal experiences of Pat Inman

At the Harrogate Spring Show in 2008 the West Yorkshire Group was invited by Denis Watson, the National Shows Coordinator, to submit a design and brief for the Chelsea display in 2010, and we felt honoured and very, very excited. Denis and Sue came to Harrogate one evening to let us know what exactly would be involved and after reading and rereading the then RHS Rules & Regulations we realised what an enormous logistical exercise Chelsea is and our excitement became rather tempered with apprehension.

First things first and we had to choose a title & theme. With the recent changes in weather patterns we decided our display should reflect some of the more extreme conditions gardeners are having to cope with of late. Suggestions for a title poured in to be considered and then rejected. Finally a friend came up with ‘True Yorkshire Grit’ – a saying that means toughness, hardiness, resilience - hardy plants for tough places!

We were very lucky in having David Smith to produce a design for us. As a mature student he graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University with a first class honours degree in Garden Art & Design and the brilliant, strong, modern design he produced gave us the height we had asked for. He made a 3D scale model for us but I must admit it was difficult for some to visualise how different it would look when softened by the planting. Five distinct areas would represent different conditions: Exposed & windy: Hot dry & stony: Damp shade: Dry shade: Wet & boggy. The Design Sub-Committee consisted of David, Anna Gugan and myself. Anna is an absolute whiz on the computer being proficient in CAD (Computer Aided Design), and she also produced itemised cost sheets listing everything down to the last nail. We needed to raise a lot of money!

A Fund-Raising Sub-Committee was formed headed by Sue Brown ably assisted by Jane Blayney and Harriet Andrew, and 2009/10 saw our members hosting, attending and enjoying numerous events including open gardens, coffee mornings, plant sales, a bridge day plus we received some generous donations from members unable to host an event. Hours were spent in the library going through the list of local benefactors and writing letters to possible sponsors. Unfortunately in the midst of the recession there were many charities chasing the same pots of money and Chelsea after all is an indulgence compared to their needs. But thanks to the perseverance of Sue, Jane and Harriet and with the help of our Group Secretary, Gill Evans, we managed to get some funding from Yorkshire Forward and Leeds City Council.

Hardy plants regenerate each year; our Group meets in Leeds, the centre of which has over the past years regenerated into a modern business district: David’s design reflected the horizontal and vertical lines of the city skyline with each planting area identified by upright panels. Initially the panels were to be frosted glass but the risk of accidental breakage proved too great and we were guided to a small local company who could produce them in Perspex. (No Risk Assessments to fill in!). This would be covered in a special film into which, with the help of a computer, wording could be cut identifying each area, and overall it would hopefully look like etched frosted glass. In the same building by pure chance was another small company – Exhibition & Display Contracts Ltd – and on realising that they could perhaps help with the construction of the wooden sections I showed them the design and they enthusiastically agreed to build them for us.

We submitted the design and brief, and in October 2009 the RHS wrote to us to say they were delighted to offer us an island space of 4.5m x 5.5m in the Great Pavilion. This led to a slight adjustment, as our initial design had been for a 5m x 5m plot. Now we could give the go-ahead for the building of the wooden structure.

Members of a Plant Sub-Committee consisting of Pat Clarke, our Chairman, Gill, Judith Ladley, Wendy Platt and myself, had ploughed through lists of plants suitable for each area. Copies were circulated to members who were asked to put a tick against any plants they could lend. Harrogate Borough Council kindly let us have the use of one of their large polytunnels at their Central Nursery site in the Pinewoods and our members’ plants were taken there at the beginning of November. We potted the plants into soft polypots, marking those which needed to be returned to their owners. The Pinewoods was a very convenient location as those of us who live within 10 minutes’ drive exercise our dogs there each day and we could check on the plants at the same time.

The very cold weather came far too early in December; it was a nail-biting winter as many of our plants had not had the chance to produce enough new roots and we realised that some would not succeed. At the Harrogate Spring Flower Show in 2008 I had spoken to Rob Hardy of Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants and asked if they could grow some plants for us but he’d said that they were having a much larger display in 2010 at Chelsea so wouldn’t be able to. I then approached Howard Nurseries of Diss who said they could grow some for us so we placed an order with them. Then at the Spring Show in 2009 Rob said they would be able to grow some so we were able to place another small order with Hardy’s.

Our wooden structure was built and delivered to the polytunnel before Christmas. E.D.C. did a superb job, making it very easy for us to assemble. Having been told that we must use mature plants we found that the RHS will only provide an edging board of 3ins or 6ins, not deep enough for rootballs of large plants, so EDC also made us a solid 12-inch edging board plus strong boxes to support the stone path running through the display. We undercoated the wood whilst deciding on the colour of the paint. Painting was rather a trial in the very cold temperatures; luckily we had plenty of time and Anna, David and Janet persevered until two coats of Sandtex were eventually successfully applied. Then we waited, and waited for spring to arrive, which it did most reluctantly, and at long last plants began to grow. As Chelsea approached we had to source more plants from local nurseries as it was obvious that the severe winter meant that some in the polytunnel would not have made enough growth in time.

The York stone for the path running through the display came from 100-year-old roofing slates from the redundant St. Margaret of Antioch Church in Headingley, Leeds. This Grade II listed building which has a wonderful Gothic Revival interior has regenerated into an Arts and Events Centre, Left Bank Leeds – www.leftbankleeds.org.uk. Part of the original roof had to be replaced and we were generously lent the use of some of the old slates.

Whilst fund raising, Jane had approached Askham Bryan College, York who couldn’t donate any funds but asked if two of their horticultural students could help us for the experience. We had many members who wanted to be involved in the build-up and a rota had to be produced to give as many people as possible the chance to take part which meant that along with a tutor, Nigel Harrison, students David Grimshaw and Helen Britton could help us just on the Tuesday & Wednesday of build-up week. Sue Brown works as a volunteer at York Gate in Leeds and one of the other volunteers there was involved in a Yorkshire Dales Garden at Chelsea in 2003. He also came to chat with us and gave us the name of the hostel their team had used and so I was able to book accommodation for the 6 days for the build-up team at what is now the IES Hall of Residence, just 15 minutes walk from the Chelsea showground – very handy. Along with Sandra Tesseyman I had visited Chelsea during the 2009 build-up and had been to look at the accommodation prior to booking it.

On the evening of May 17th David and a team were at the Pinewoods to load up the two hire vehicles, driven by Rob and John – a 7.5 ton truck with a tail-lift for the plants, compost, gravel etc. and a Mercedes Sprinter to carry the wooden structure. Neil Broome took along the labels he’d made whilst Wendy, Sandra and I travelled up to London that day to get our bearings. Tuesday dawned fair and we arrived at the Royal Hospital Grounds in good time. The van with the structure arrived first before Nigel, Helen and David but we had the contact number for Harry Turner, also from Askham Bryan, who was working on the UK Skills garden and he brought some ‘muscle’ over to unload the van. Shortly afterwards Nigel and the students arrived, followed by Rob and David our designer, with the plants, panels, compost and gravel, labels, leaflets, trolleys etc. and everything had arrived safely from Yorkshire. The rest of Tuesday and Wednesday morning were spent getting the structure and the edging board securely in place whilst we sorted the plants. When the ones from Howard Nurseries and Hardy’s arrived there seemed to be an enormous amount and we felt confident that we would have plenty. The plants took up a huge amount of space but luckily next to us was Aldo Airplants who wasn’t arriving until the Saturday and we were able temporarily to spread out on to his plot. On closer inspection of the plants we found that, owing to the severe winter, quite a number from Howard Nurseries were still in very tight bud and would not open in time so we couldn’t use them, which was very disappointing.

Maggie, Gloria, Frances and Janet arrived on Thursday and began ‘dressing’ the plants and scrunching newspaper for packing in between, polystyrene which had been used for packing previously on stands now being banned at Chelsea. Nigel and the students went on to help on the UK Skills garden for a further day and our Vice-Chairman, Ruth Baumberg, arrived to take photographs of the work in progress along with Neil who had made plant labels in advance using a Brother PT1230 labeller linked to a laptop computer. Planting began in earnest, starting with the highest section. The packing between took longer than we anticipated and with many last minute substitutes more labels needed to be produced. Progress was slow and, to make matters worse, along came a mini heatwave!

David was the only one to have seen the completed panels and with the first panel in place and the protective wrapping removed we were delighted to find that it toned exactly with the colour of the paint. On Friday Anna joined us, and Gill and Judith came on Saturday to replace Maggie, Frances and Gloria, and planting and scrunching continued. We still had too much to do when Sunday morning came and by evening we knew we’d have to continue into the night. We weren’t the only ones ! Around 2.00am we were presented with lovely leis made from orchids by the Thai gentlemen working on the Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden, whilst many of the flower arrangers were also still busy completing their displays. Finally we were finished and then we had to clear all surplus items away. The only storage space we had was a 12-inch gap below the stand and everything had to go there.

There have been complaints in previous years about the amount of dust in the Great Pavilion so a new system was being tried by the RHS. In the early hours throughout build-up week and show week hosepipes were used to distribute water along all the walkways and then maintenance staff brushed the water off on to the adjoining grass and of course it seeped along the ground under the stands so we had to make sure all equipment, leaflets etc. were raised slightly to prevent things getting wet. I will forever have the memory of Anna lying flat on her back on the damp ground using brute force to kick the bases of the Danish trolleys under the stand. It really was amazing what we managed to fit under the display! The RHS works with the London Community Resource Network ( LCRN) and there is a recycling area up in a corner of the grounds where unwanted gravel, compost, wood, plants, pots etc. can be taken to be used by local community groups and schools. We fetched two large trolleys from there and had trips back and forth taking anything they could re-use. The dawn chorus was singing and it was quite wonderful seeing Chelsea with no people about. We walked back to the hostel arriving at 5.25am. Time for a shower and some breakfast before returning at 7.00am. I was feeling quite light-headed with tiredness but when I saw the display my spirits lifted. It did look quite lovely and the judges had awarded us a Silver Medal.

Our President Roy Lancaster had been most encouraging whilst we were still building the display and spent a lot of time with us on Press Day when we received much attention from the media with the BBC filming several times for the ‘red button’ coverage with Carol Klein, Christine Walkden and James Alexander–Sinclair. Keith Littlejohns, our publicity officer, did a wonderful job – many of his photographs, along with those taken by Ruth and Denis Watson, can be seen on the website. Denis had, in his capacity as National Shows Coordinator, always been there in the background throughout the two years, to guide, answer questions and solve problems, for which we are most grateful.

A Verbascum luridifolium which had begun the week as almost black but which had changed colour to a strange mustardy-brown attracted a lot of the photographers. The change in colour brought about by the heat, humidity and lack of sunlight in the Great Pavilion was also very marked in Verbascum ‘Merlin’ which faded from a strong mauve to shades of cream whilst Dictamnus albus var. purpureus and Veronica gentianoides also lightened considerably.

We received so many compliments about the display that it made all the hard work worthwhile and when the Show opened to the RHS members on Tuesday we were overwhelmed with the enthusiasm shown by the visitors for our display. Our ‘True Yorkshire Grit’ leaflet, designed by my son, Simon, a graphic designer, was in great demand; we had 3,500 printed but by the end of Tuesday we’d already handed out 1,500 to people who asked for them. The display was buzzing all week, our stewards were kept so busy but all seemed to really enjoy the experience. We eventually ran out of leaflets mid-way through the Saturday afternoon, and the sell-off which followed was rather chaotic with so many people wanting to buy the plants. Along with Maggie, Frances and Gloria we were thankful for the extra help from Harriet and our members Alan and Lesley Wilson plus Tony Rogers and Barry Shilham and their wives from the Essex Group. It was rather sad to see the desolation after the sell-off and we began to prepare for the journey home. More recyclable items were taken to the LCRN area and we were ready and waiting to load our transport when it arrived. The RHS ‘signed us off’ at 10.00pm after the site had been checked to see that it had been left clean and tidy.

Our memories of this once-in-a-lifetime experience are of the sheer hard work required to produce a display but equally of the kindness and generosity of the other exhibitors and the helpfulness of the RHS staff plus that special magic which is the fantastic feeling of being part of the Chelsea Flower Show.

You can see more details and photographs of the 2010 HPS stand at Chelsea by following these links:
- for a description and plant list
- for photographs of the team building the stand, the stand prior to opening and early press coverage
- for photographs taken on press day, showing HPS members and personalities on the stand
- for photographs of the stand
- for more photographs of the stand
- for yet more photographs of the stand

© The Hardy Plant Society 2010.
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The Hardy Plant Society is a Registered Charity No 208080.