Australian Garden Coming To Chelsea Flower Show
The Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne has selected three of its highly experienced horticulturists to lead the planting team for its Show Garden entry to the prestigious RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London from 24 - 28 May.
The three team members, Phil Bowyer-Smyth, Sandra Hodge and Warren Worboys, leave Melbourne for London on 10 May and will spend two weeks in the UK, staying in Chelsea and walking to and from the Show Garden site each day.
The team will be kept very busy at the Show Garden, with over 2,000 plants to get in the ground during the seven-day planting period from 13 - 20 May before the show opens to the public on 24 May.
Royal Botanic Gardens’ Director and Chief Executive, Dr Philip Moors, congratulated Phil, Sandra and Warren on their selection and welcomed them to the project team.
"Our Show Garden will reflect the beauty of Australia and its unique plants, so it’s really important that we have experts such as Phil, Sandra and Warren on the ground to do the planting," explained Dr Moors.
"We are very excited about our entry to Chelsea - it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to showcase the best of Australian garden design to the rest of the world," said Dr Moors.
"It’s also a wonderful way for us to promote our award-winning Australian Garden at Cranbourne to an international audience, with the second and final stage of the Australian Garden set to open in early 2012," added Dr Moors.
’The Australian Garden presented by the Royal Botanic Gardens’ will be one of only eight Show Gardens on prestigious Main Avenue at this year’s show.
At 220m2, the Main Avenue sites are some of the largest on offer and attract a great deal of attention from thousands of visitors and millions of BBC viewers.
Phil Bowyer-Smyth, Coordinator Gardens North at RBG Melbourne says he embarked on a career in horticulture after discovering a passion for gardening, never imagining that he would one day be a part of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
"I’m very excited and slightly overwhelmed to be heading to Chelsea," said Phil. "It’s such a prestigious event and I look forward to contributing to the project’s success."