BOTANIC Gardens in Atworth have won gold at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show for their display of foxgloves, aquilegia and verbascum.
The family-run plant nursery run by husband and wife team, Terry and Mary Baker, picked up their second ever gold from what is regarded as the most famous flower show in the world. The event attracted visitors from all over the world including the Queen who made her annual trip with Prince Phillip to the show.
The nursery in Atworth specialise in rare and unusual lime tolerant plants as well as garden-worthy favourites. Their two hectare site features show gardens and greenhouses where many of their plants can be seen in maturity and includes a national collection of foxgloves.
Mary Baker from the Botanic Nursery said, “We are so thrilled to receive our second gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show for our display of foxgloves, aquilegia and verbascum. It’s a great accolade for the many friends and relations who make it all possible. We were pleased to dedicate the medal to our friend Jackie Cainey who sadly lost her three-year battle with cancer just the week before the show; she was an enthusiastic gardener and a great encourager.
“Foxgloves are one of nature’s survivors, seeding into odd corners of the garden usually where you don’t expect them, where their towering flower stems dominate the garden, ensuring more for future years as foxgloves are great seeders.
“They are woodland clearing plants and the seed needs light to germinate. It often lays dormant in the ground for many years and that is why you see foxgloves springing up unexpectedly after storms or when you have cleared some dense shrubs at the back of your borders. Most foxgloves are biennial, that is they have a two-year life cycle, but there are many more that are perennial so last for longer, around 3-5 years and self seed; they have a natural distribution all over Europe. ”
If you missed the RHS Chelsea Flower Show on TV and would like to see what earned the Botanic Nursery gold, you can do so by visiting the nursery. Additionally, their display will also be on show at the BBC Gardeners World Live show which opens at the NEC from the 12th-15th June.
For more information on the Botanic Nursery visit their website www.thebotanicnursery.co.uk
