NOTCUTTS’ CHELSEA GOLD
Notcutts Garden Centres has been awarded a coveted Gold Medal
at “the best flower show in the world” -
the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and staff member Cherrilyn
Wood who works at Notcutts, Oxford was keen to show it
off.
The show piece garden exhibit embodies many different
requirements demanded of a contemporary garden. The elements
have been skilfully blended together creating an external
space that is both attractive and functional for family
members, from ages 8 to 80+.
There is a kitchen garden for growing vegetables and
herbs in raised beds, providing delicious food for the
table with negligible food miles – a great opportunity
for young and old to work together, knee to knee, discovering
the wonders of nature. A cutting garden gives romance,
with colourful flowers that can be picked for displaying
indoors, whilst providing a sumptuous show outdoors.
Gardens are also an important habitat for British wildlife
and so an area has been set aside for native flowers
in a meadow setting. This is a great place to spot butterflies
and bees, together with some of our dainty native flora.
A dining area provides a focal point to the garden,
as well as a shady nook to enjoy a good book or for children
to play in and around. This also serves as a relaxation
zone after a hard day’s work where the family can
congregate and share the tales of the day.
“This year’s exhibit followed a new direction,
so it is especially rewarding to gain a gold medal. We
all love the design, which shows many more elements of
a garden that people can take away and adapt to their
own gardens,” says Emma Haslam, garden centre manager.
Notcutts landscape consultants director, Jason Lock
and senior designer, Chris Deakin designed this year’s
superb exhibit. Jason has been responsible for the design
and staging of Notcutts exhibits since 1998 and so has
a wealth of experience in what it takes to make an eye-catching
display. Chelsea is a team effort by Notcutts in association
with National Savings & Investments, drawing on expertise
from the landscapes division, the garden centres and
John Woods Nurseries.
A new plant was also launched by Notcutts at Chelsea.
Cercis canadensis ‘Lavender Twist’ [Covey]
- the first weeping form of this eye-catching plant in
Europe. It develops large light purple flowers in late
Spring, ahead of heart-shaped foliage that emerges later
on. Brought to the UK by Tim Brotzman from the United
States of America, ‘Lavender Twist’ was first
found in 1991 in Westfield, New York, growing in the
garden of Connie Covey. The original tree was about 35
years old and was 4.5 feet high by 7 feet wide with a
diameter of 6 inches. The plant will usually become dormant
before the first frost and has survived -23 ºF.
It grows to 2-3m at maturity and likes full sun but will
tolerate some shade. It is available from Notcutts in
a 12L pot, RRP £49.99.
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