This week has been a great week for plants, and things are beginning to tick along nicely in preparation for Chelsea Flower Show.
My plants-man and I visited a local nursery this week that specialises in British native wild flowers, trees and shrubs. Based in Langar, Nottingham the staff were very helpful giving my plants-man and I some really useful advice on the best way to care for our plants so that they may naturally flower in May.
I had not given any thought to the vast specific needs and requirements that each plant may have that made up the planting list for Chlesea, even with being a keen gardener!
As each wild flower grows under certain conditions in the wild, it is essential that each species gets the care it needs in order to grow well and flower. Some require very poor soil, some need to have their roots restricted in a small pot and some need to spread out, others such as the hairy vetch needs a companion to prop it up.
I try to be as green and ethical with my business as possible, so it was important to me that the plants chosen for my stand would naturally perform in May and would not require heat to be forced. Having to heat a green house to get great plants seems a costly affair as well as not being very green! To aid the growth of the plants we opted for some bubble wrap instead which could be reused over and over again to propocate seedling and protect some of plants that usually have the full protection of a hedge bottom to give shelter from the elements.
I am really very thankful to the kind help from my plants-man as I don’t think I could have managed to give each plant the time and energy they require and still organise everything else.
The relationships between my own business and other small businesses has been an essential way for me to balance the vast amount of work that goes into creating a stand within an RHS show. A year ago I would have been tempted to try and do everything myself, but I have slowly learnt to release my hold on particular areas of my business and although it was hard to relinquish control I am now beginning to feel the benefit.