News Comment


It is a great relief to see that, at long last, the weather is improving and allowing people to get out into their gardens. As an industry we need to capitalise on the window of opportunity that is there – all be it a shorter one this year. More than ever our customers will need to be inspired and


what better inspiration than the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which celebrates its centenary this month (see page 16). This year’s show promises to be a great one with the focus not just on the show’s heritage but also the spectacle of the very best of plant production, garden design and landscaping. Both APL and HTA members will be showcasing their work and the BBC TV coverage will help bring the show alive in living rooms across the country. Look out for news about the Plant of the Centenary – visitors to the show and the RHS website will be able to vote for their favourite from a list of top 10 plants. This provides a great opportunity for linked inspiration displays in store. The HTA Biosecurity Conference takes place on 30 May in


York in association with Confor and supported by HDC and Fera. Plant health is such an important area for our industry and this event brings together key players to look at the issues in order to minimise the threat to the UK environment while developing a strong and thriving UK production industry. We are delighted to be partnering with Haymarket on this


year’s Garden Retail Awards (see page 6). I would encourage businesses of all sizes to take the time to submit entries. The value of winning awards cannot be underestimated – it really is a great way of engaging and sharing success with your teams. Importantly, a new development for 2013 is the inclusion of the ‘Retail Outlet of the Year: Under £1 million turnover’ category, in recognition of the many great smaller, independent garden centres. Excitement is building for the HTA National Plant Show,


which takes place next month (25 and 26 June at Stoneleigh Park). Botanist, presenter and author James Wong will be headlining the seminar programme, enthusing visitors about his unique take on the potential for grow your own. Register to attend in advance by visiting www.nationalplantshow.org.uk


Carol Paris HTA Director general


Horticultural Trades Association Horticulture House, 19 High St, Theale, Reading RG7 5AH t 0118 930 3132 f 0118 932 3453


e media.office@the-hta.org.uk If you would like to reproduce anything from HTA News, please contact the HTA for permission. While every care is taken that all information inside the magazine is correct, prices and details may be subject to change. The HTA reserves the right to shorten or modify material submitted for publication. The HTA takes no responsibility for claims made in advertisements or advertisement features in the magazine.


Celebrating 100 years of great Chelsea plants


As part of the Chelsea centenary celebrations the RHS has announced the top 10 best plants launched at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show since 1913, one for each decade. These plants will compete for the ultimate accolade: the RHS Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Centenary. The RHS is giving the public the final vote on which plant


should win and you can vote online or at the show. To help people decide, the RHS has enlisted 10 keen amateur gardeners, one for each of the last 10 decades, to act as ‘Plant Champions’ and explain to the general public why they should vote for each plant. The ‘Plant Champions’ have been chosen because they were born in the same decade in which their plant was launched at Chelsea and because they have a particular link with or passion for their plant.


RHS historian Brent Elliott was tasked with drawing up this most elite of shortlists with horticulturalists Peter Seabrook, Roy Lancaster, Rachel de Thame, Carol Klein and Colin Crosbie. Brent admits that they ‘...found it very difficult. There were a couple of choices that were obvious, but several were very close.’


Shortlist for RHS Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Centenary 1913-1922


1923-1932 1933-1942 1943-1952 1953-1962 1963-1972 1973-1982 1983-1992 1993-2002 2003-2012


Saxifraga ‘Tumbling Waters’ Pieris formosa var. forrestii Lupinus Russell hybrids


Rhododendron yakushimanum Rosa Iceberg (‘Korbin’)


Cornus ‘Eddie’s White Wonder’ Erysimum ‘Bowles’s Mauve’ Heuchera villosa ‘Palace Purple’ Geranium Rozanne (‘Gerwat’) Streptocarpus ‘Harlequin Blue’


_Further details about each of the plants and their supporting plant champion can be found at


www.rhs.org.uk/chelsea/potc Voting opened on 22 April and continues until noon on Friday 24 May. Visitors to the show can view the plants in the Great Pavilion and vote on stand GPG5. You can also vote online on the web link above. Details of the winning plant will be announced on the RHS website and at the show on Saturday 25 May


HTA editorial team Gill Ormrod and Angela Bean Editorial Christine Dyer Design Chris Pearce, Propel Design www.propel.co.uk Printed by Buxton Press Advertising Sarah Cottle, Viridis Media t 01780 763 041/0773 606 1255 e sarah@viridismedia.co.uk HTA Commercial manager Tim Bell t 07808 775177 e tim.bell@the-hta.org.uk


Cover image HTA/RHS Chelsea Flower Show


4 HTAnews I May 2013 I www.the-hta.org.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28