The full list of award winners, including glory for Suffolk and North Essex, was unveiled at the Chelsea Flower Show, today.
Probably the most famous flower show in the world, the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society show’s awards go to a show garden, nurseries, plant growers, artists, designers and horticultural suppliers.
An artisan garden gold medal went to the Broadland Boatbuilder’s Garden which celebrates the Norfolk Broads and was sponsored by the International Boat Building Training College in Lowestoft, which created a three-quarter-size replica of a 900-year-old oak boat found on the Norfolk Broads.
The boat stands on a small jetty surrounded by plants and trees native to the dykes that criss-cross the grazing marshes of the region. Plants include common reed, meadowsweet and purple and yellow loosestrife; southern and early marsh orchid, and the crested buckler fern.
Ipswich company Thompson & Morgan has been awarded third place in the Best New Plant 2017 category at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show for a newly developed hibiscus, the HibisQs® Petit™ Orange.
“It’s great to see a stunning exotic plant such as this being given the recognition it deserves. Its flowers really have to be seen to be believed!” said Paul Hansord, Thompson & Morgan’s commercial director.
He said the new hibiscus produces twice as many flowers and its blooms last for twice as long as traditional hibuscus. www.thompson-morgan.com/hibisqs-petit-orange to order).
In the Grand Pavilion, Bacton’s Potash Nursery has been recognised with a gold medal for its display of fuchsias. Shown in a traditional bank format, the display, with 70 different plants, towers high above show visitors.
In the Grand Pavilion: Gold medals: Harvey’s Garden Plants, Great Green, Thurston, shade and woodland plants; Potash Nursery; Cayeux Iris, Little Walden
Silver gilt: Ken Muir Ltd, Clacton-on-Sea, fruiting strawberries; Todd’s Botanics, Coggeshall; Plants Delivered, Colchester.
Tradestand awards: Three-star: Bosch Lawn & Garden, Stowmarket; Mr Fothergill’s seeds, Kentford, Wooden Garden Obelisk, Tuddenham, Ipswich; Vaso Toscano, Colchester; Barlow Tyric, Braintree.
Four-star: Square Root Planters, Sudbury; Harrod Horticultural. Lowestoft
Five star: Brian Alabaster Ltd, sculpture, Halesworth; John O’Connor, sculptor, East Bergholt; Italian Terrace, Bury St Edmunds, Firepit Co, Haverhill; Jim Lawrence Lighting, Ipswich.
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