Visitors to the RHS Chelsea Flower this year will be able to see Thrive sweet pea ‘Eleanore Udall’ in full bloom in a garden in the Grand Pavilion.
Thrive, the charity that uses gardening to help people with disabilities or ill health, or those who are disadvantaged, isolated or vulnerable, has been given the opportunity thanks to the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) and The Sun’s gardening editor Peter Seabrook.
Client gardeners from the charity’s Battersea garden are overseeing the germination and are delighted to be growing for such a prestigious show. They are being supported by senior horticultural therapist Steve Humphreys.
The sweet pea will be featured in an exhibit highlighting different looks that can be achieved in small spaces through container gardening.
The idea is championed by Peter Seabrook in association with the HTA and Garden Centres Association (GCA) and their members.
The floral exhibit in the Grand Pavilion will feature four model garden displays, each 4m x 4m, the same size as an average front garden in Britain.
Each will have its own theme and ‘Eleanore Udall’ will be part of The Seed Garden.
Major seed brands come together to present a living catalogue of the flowers, fruits and vegetables they offer as both seeds and young plants in The Seed Garden. All the plant material will be container grown and mature so it can be uplifted after the show for display in a public garden.
A number of 2016 Novelties are being grown including the FleuroSelect Gold Medal winners for this year and the ‘Eleanore Udall’ Sweet Pea, produced by Thompson and Morgan for Thrive.
Sweet pea ‘Eleanore Udall’ is a pretty new form with graduated pink petals and a heavenly scent ideal for garden displays and home-made cut flower bouquets. The variety has been named after the late wife of the founder of Thrive, the late Rev. Dr Geoffrey Udall who bequeathed his Beech Hill estate near Reading, Berkshire, to the charity.
Kathryn Rossiter, CEO at Thrive, said: “A huge thank you to the HTA and Peter for giving Thrive the opportunity to be part of RHS Chelsea this year allowing hundreds of visitors to see ‘Eleanore Udall’ in full bloom.
“I know the team in Battersea are working diligently to ensure the sweet pea will look its best for the show – heat lamps, careful watering and feeding forming part of the process.
“Once the sweet pea is in full bloom I hope people will marvel at its beauty and will buy packets of the seeds to create their own beautiful, fragrant displays.”
Sweet Pea ‘Eleanore Udall’ is a pretty new form with graduated pink petal and a heavenly scent, ideal for garden display and home-made cut flower bouquets. The variety has been named after the late wife of the late founder of Thrive, Rev. Dr Geoffrey Udall, who bequeathed his Beech Hill estate near Reading, Berkshire, now home to the charity’s head office and gardens.
The other three gardens are …
Love the Plot You’ve Got – Room Outside
Based on the successful Love the Plot You’ve Got gardening campaign, designed by Lovania, industry members of the HTA will demonstrate how a hard landscaped front garden can be greened and decorated with woody plants and hardy perennials to form an inspiring outdoor space. The gardens will include trees, shrubs, conifers, herbaceous plants, roses and alpines. The choice of plants will give a year round effect and a colourful display of flowers and foliage in May.
GCA Golden Jubilee Hanging Basket Garden
Members of the Garden Centre Association, who are celebrating their Golden Jubilee this year, will present a hanging garden with a massed display of hanging baskets hanging from pergolas above ground filled patio pots holding some of the baskets. The effect will be to fill the cube of space with colour, achieved by featuring popular summer bedding flowers and foliage available to home owners in May.
The Rising Stars Grow your Own Exhibit
Supported by Westland Horticulture and their Rising Stars scheme, home grown is the theme of this garden. Assisted by schools and colleges, this garden will demonstrate the wide range of crops which can be produced where there is no available soil. Plants will be grown on the backing wall in hanging baskets, satchels and patio pots.
Kernock Plants will also be supplying an InstaPlant Living Wall to commemorate the Queen’s 90th Birthday. Writtle College is growing their new Osteospermum ‘Little Writtle’ and plan to stage plants in a school desk. Thompson & Morgan are delivering plantlets of Gerbera Sweet Series (from Florist) and Tree lily bulbs for schools to grow.
Pinetops Nurseries are working with school children to grow their new face up, bicolored Asiatic lily and Hills Nurseries are doing the same with Chrysanthemum Princess Charlotte.
Thrive is selling the seeds for £2.99 and packets are available now at www.thrive.org.uk. 100% of money generated from their sale comes to Thrive.
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