Roger Platts’ inspired floral exhibit at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show has won a Silver-Gilt Medal for its English charm and Best of British planting.
Roger is delighted to pick up his ninth major flower show award for his design ‘A Plantsman Palette’.
“I am thrilled to get a Silver-Gilt for my floral exhibit,” says the Kent plantsman who has won medals for show gardens in the past but has never designed an exhibit in the Great Pavillion before. “As I understand it the judging criteria is quite different to the gardens. I found the whole experience extremely interesting and informative.”
Visitors to the exhibit on press day included garden pundits and presenters Carol Klein, Joe Swift and Chris Beardshaw, plus a whole host of famous passing admirers, not least HRH The Prince of Wales who was said to have particularly enjoyed the corner planting. Close by his side – and perhaps in homage to her own name – the Duchess of Cornwall was said to have favoured the swathes of herbaceous perennial Alchemilla.
On Monday children from St Leonard’s School in Streatham paid a special visit to the stand to meet Roger and chat to him about the progress of their own gardening projects at school via the RHS charitable scheme ‘Campaign for School Gardening’. Having started at a young age himself, Roger is keen to encourage budding enthusiasts and has been supporting the scheme through his floral exhibit.
‘A Plantsman’s Palette’ is an attractive presentation encompassing soft, natural forms against a traditional backdrop. Designed in the style of an English country garden, the floral exhibit contains drifts of plant combinations not always found in the average garden scheme including those with structural variety, year-round interest and attractive scent. Choice specimens were grown in large numbers at Roger’s nurseries to ensure that only the Best of British were carefully selected in keeping with the theme of this year’s show.
Roger won a Gold Medal and the prestigious ‘Best in Show’ award for his garden ‘Garden Open’ at the 2002 Show.