The team at Notcutts were again delighted to receive a Gold
medal for their exhibit at the Chelsea Flower Show. (image of
medal)
COLOUR IN THE GARDEN The
subject for the exhibit in 2005 was “Colour in the Garden”,
based on the colour wheel principle, showing plants of similar
colours, be it foliage or flowers, displayed together in small
garden settings.
 This year’s subject, designed by Landscapes Director
Jason Lock, assisted by Chris Deakin, shows the dramatic and
stunning effects that can be created by using blocks of colour,
whilst also demonstrating the interest that can be generated
by the careful use of different shades, sizes and textures.
This was Jason's eighth consecutive year at Chelsea and during
construction he was supported by the Notcutts Landscapes team,
many of whom are also RHS Gold Medal winners.
Notcutts Nurseries in Woodbridge, Suffolk and Bagshot, Surrey
grew all of the plants in the exhibit. The preparation principally
took place within the Shows Department glasshouse at Woodbridge,
which measures 9,000 square feet. Additional plants were drawn
from the container nursery, which totals in excess of 100 acres.
The exhibit had at its centre a tall focal point, in the
shape of a large spiral. The spiral added a sense of movement
into the colour sections that were subtly separated using wooden
staves, clearly demarking the space, but not blocking the view
to other areas. A cool circular grass path broke up the festival
of colour; trees added height and perspective, whilst also
being themed into appropriate colours. Water was included in
the design, through the use of tranquil rills on opposite sides
of the display, leading into the central feature. These were
interspersed with stepping-stones.
The Notcutts Book of Plants, now in its 17th edition, includes
lists of plants by colour in the now famous Blue Pages at the
back of the book.
The exhibit was split into the following colours:
RED
A vibrant colour that adds impact wherever it is used. The
intensity of colour ranges from the dazzling to the sultry; care
should be taken to ensure the effect is not over-powering. Used
as an accent, the results can be breath-taking.
ORANGE
A colour that really makes a statement, this is one that gardeners
often either love or hate. A confident colour that combines well
with dark foliage and can appear to lift dull areas.
PINK
A colour that can add excitement or tranquillity, depending
on the shade used. 'Pink', immediately conjures up feminine images,
fluffy, soothing and soft. It has positive, happy connotations;
we are 'in the pink' or we are 'tickled pink'.
Pink can be used to soften a garden scheme, often introducing warmth. It appears
darker when placed with white, deeper with green and acquires strength and
'punch' when used with blue.
PURPLE
A strong, sophisticated colour when seen at it’s deepest
or cool when at the mauve end of the range, this colour also
has strong associations with royalty and magic. Careful use of
purple will reward with a captivating depth and complexity.
WHITE
The colour of innocence and often considered to be a dull choice,
but who would dare to criticise the extravagance of the White
Garden at Sissinghurst? White flowers often have the added advantage
of being scented.
GREEN
A colour that is often over-looked and yet comes in a myriad
hues and tones. A complete garden can be designed just using
foliage plants – which can be of great benefit to allergy
sufferers. Form is especially useful here, from the frothy to
the sharply architectural and spiky. A green garden offers peace
and calm, almost an oasis effect, especially when used with water.
BLUE
The favourite colour of many gardeners, blue sits easily in
any garden scheme. Cool, and calming, it seems to almost hover
in dappled shade, and to bring a depth to plantings in other
colours.
Blue can be found in so many varieties of plant, from carpeting plants to stately
climbers, but a true blue is seldom seen and so is much sought-after.
YELLOW
A joyous colour that seldom fails to lift the spirits, from
cool lemon to warm gold, this is an easy colour to work with
and can be found in most gardens. Many plants have the added
advantage of golden foliage, which will usually out-last flowers,
making them useful for a longer season of colour.
- Notcutts Chelsea Flower Show exhibit was located at stand
number F7 in the Great Pavilion.
- Over 3,000 varieties of plants grown by Notcutts are listed
in the Notcutts Book of Plants, including those plants that
have received the RHS Award of Garden Merit. The Notcutts Book
of Plants is now in its 17th edition.
The show saw us launch many new plants, but three in particular
were: Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Endless Summer’, Euphorbia ‘Blackbird’ and
Rosa ‘ Golden Gate’.
Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Endless Summer’™ ,
developed through over 10 years of research and testing in the
United States at Bailey Nurseries of Minnesota, is a breakthrough
in Hydrangeas because of its ability to flower on the current
season's growth. The result is a plant that provides beautiful
flowers all summer long, rather than in just one flush, a marked
improvement over normal macrophylla varieties. The flowers grow
up to 20cm in diameter with pink blooms in alkaline soils and
blue blooms in acidic soils. This plant is very forgiving of
harsh treatment - even if a gardener trims at the wrong time,
it will still produce a wonderful display of flowers during that
growing season. Grows to around 1.5m tall by 1.8m wide, as for
normal Hydrangeas. Likes moist, well-drained soil in a sunny
location. Available in the centres now.
Euphorbia ‘Blackbird’ [NOTHOWLEE]Found
on our own Nursery in Suffolk. It is a velvety deep purple sport
of Euphorbia ‘Redwing’. The foliage is darkest in
full sun. A very compact and bushy plant. Yellowish ‘flowers’ cover
the plant through to late Spring. Grows to 45 x 50cm. Likes moist,
well-drained soil in sun to partial shade. Available in the centres
now.
Rosa ‘ Golden Gate’, is a stunning, fragrant climber
with golden blooms. Clusters of lemony scented blooms are produced
throughout the summer. It is a robust rose, with dark green leaves
which have a soft sheen. ‘ Golden Gate’ is ideal
for planting against a wall or through an obelisk. Grows to around
2.5m. Likes moist, well-drained soil in a sunny location.
Rotary Centennial celebration
  Notcutts were delighted to join Rotarians around the world
in celebrating a Century of Service. Rotary is the largest humanitarian
service organisation of business and professional people in the
world, with some 1.2 million members, operating in over 166 countries.
In Great Britain and Ireland there are about 60,000 members,
helping those in need and working towards world understanding
and peace. In the last year more than £20 million was raised
for charitable causes by Rotarians in the British Isles. In addition,
Rotarians gave more than 14 million man-hours of service, in
support of community projects at a local, national and international
level.
 On 23 rd May, Charles Notcutt OBE, our Chairman, was presented
with The Paul Harris Fellowship, in recognition of his service
to the Rotary organisation. The presentation was made by Gordon
McInally, RIBI President for 2005. To help the party go with a
swing, a number of celebrities, including Sir George and Lady Martin,
Damian Lewis and Sophia Myles, joined in the cutting of a commemorative
cake.
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