Getting ready for exhibiting at Flower Shows

Showtime

There is an awful lot of behind the scenes activity goes on pre-doing any of the flower show exhibits. Hilary who is in charge of show plants and their welfare is continually moving plants into or out of a tunnel depending on the vagaries of the British weather.....

For smaller exhibits we are moving in our 3litre plants to use in groups. these will be laid out in the show tunnel in batches weekly or fortnightly, batch sizes vary from 10-15. It is not quite an exact science but does follow some rules after many years of experience.

 However they do not stay in one place for very long depending on the growing year. Some batches remain outside, others are in either a tunnel or shade area. We have to keep an eye on their watering and feeding requirements to ensure good steady growth not excessive bursts. Within this we also move some plants in and out of various conditions to try to slow or progress the plants towards their peak.

Grow lights are required for some of the more reluctant to flower plants...

Hilary is not somebody who swears but as Chelsea flower show approaches each year and some plant is not performing as it should encouraging words change to #***##**. (make up your own thoughts)

Carefully tied up for transport in the lorry to the show, already cleaned.

When we get the plants to the shows even though they have been cleaned up prior to travelling it is inevitable that they still require further attention. This has to be done by those who have patience.

Large show plants are placed in position tipped up on blocks if necessary to show off their best side. If the plants are too heavy in a pot for me to be able to lift next year they are split and put into smaller extra large pots!
and finally they should look like this for Judging...

Once the labels have all been put into place we have to walk around the stand numerous times to multicheck there is nothing missing...
I do all the labels by hand as apparently my hand writing is the neatest!!
Once it is judged that is it and the display is there for people to admire.

www.hardys-plant.co.uk 
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5 top tips March

 

1.Plant snowdrops in the green. Lift large clumps as the blooms fade and split in to small clumps to replant.

2.Cut off old leaves from Epimediums to allow you to see the beauty of the new young leaves and flowers.

 

Epimedium grandiflorum "Lilafee"

3.Cut all dead untidy leaves off Heucheras to ground level. If plants are large enough lift and split now.

Heuchera "Obsidian"

4.Start sowing drills of vegetable seeds batch sow, or you will have too many ready all together.

5. The yellow book of National Garden Scheme open gardens is printed either as a local county version or the whole country so get a hold of a copy and go visiting.

www.hardys-plant.co.uk 
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