Countdown to Chelsea 2018

An exquisite anemone form of Helleborus hybridus Ashwood Evolution Group (available 2020)

The countdown to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show has begun and the tension is building at Ashwood as we prepare for our hellebore exhibit (Stand GPA/130) in the Great Pavilion:  these beautiful early Spring-flowering herbaceous plants are making their debut this year, the first time that hellebores have been shown as a single exhibit at Chelsea.

The cold store: home to the Chelsea hellebores

Nursery owner John Massey VMH and Ashwood’s hellebore breeder Kevin Belcher are masterminding the project, which aims to showcase our world-renowned Helleborus x hybridus Ashwood Garden Hybrids, widely regarded as some of the best hellebores ever produced, together with a cross-section of species. The exhibit will be set in a semi-woodland landscape that will evoke the natural habitat of hellebores.

There will be a special focus on recent introductions, in particular some spectacular new colours in the Ashwood Evolution Group: plants in this group are exclusive to Ashwood Nurseries and have been developed as a result of hybridising our finest golden yellow hellebores. We will also be launching two exciting new groups of hybrids: the Atlas Group and the Profusion Group.

Kevin Belcher: hellebores on the move

Plants earmarked by Kevin for flowering at Chelsea have come out of the cold store into the blazing May sunshine and have burst into life. However, this Spring’s weather is testing them to their limits and the plants are finding themselves constantly on the move; windy conditions meant that they had to be re-located to a more protected site while the very warm temperatures have resulted in them being returned to the cold store more than once to prevent them peaking too soon.

‘Team Ashwood’ lead by manager Karrina Gilbert is now being mobilised, helping to prepare and transport the plants and materials as well as building the exhibit and ‘manning the stand’ throughout the show. Once again, we are welcoming back retired Ashwood breeder Philip Baulk whose expertise in exhibiting at RHS Shows is so highly valued. Back at the nursery, we will be bracing ourselves for the onslaught of enquiries and orders.

Nearly ready for Chelsea!

This is our fourth visit to Chelsea: in 1996 a lewisia exhibit won a Gold medal followed by another in 2005 for hydrangeas. In 2016 an hepatica exhibit scooped a Gold medal as well as The Diamond Jubilee Award for the best exhibit in The Great Pavilion.

Nursery owner John Massey says: ‘I would feel incredibly proud if our hellebore exhibit achieved similar success, but you can never take it for granted. Everything we’ve worked for over the last year is being put to the test and the challenge never gets any easier. The real stars of the show are the plants themselves and we just have to hope that they perform on cue.’

Stand GPA/130 Great Pavilion | RHS Chelsea Flower Show | May 22nd-26th inc. Read more

Discover more about Ashwood’s Chelsea journey.

Read more about Helleborus x hybridus Ashwood Evolution Group