Gold at Chelsea!

A Gold medal at Chelsea and full marks across all judging criteria.
Congratulations and many thanks to everyone involved in creating this year's display. We couldn't do it without the enthusiasm of our members, the support of our sponsor Albourne Partners and the interest of the Chelsea visitors.

A Gold medal for this year's display which is sponsored by Albourne Partners

Val Micklewright and Sam Hurley are delighted with their third Gold medal for the OSGB

Chelsea 2015 - we have finished!

A beautiful orchid landscape has emerged on our 8m x 3m site in the Great Pavilion. The build team are weary but satisfied - they have done their best.

Simon Waddilove, Val Micklewright, Sam Hurley and Andre Roux

British native orchids are highlighted in huge pictures on the rear wall, on the information panels at the front and a few, such as Ophrys apifera and Ophrys insectifera, even feature
on the display.

Huge thanks to the build team, the members who lend their plants, and everyone involved in this enormous task. And particular thanks to Albourne Partners for their sponsorship and support this year. We do hope their guests will enjoy their visit to the show and the gala evening on Monday.

Final day of building at Chelsea

When exhaustion sets in building the Chelsea display we simply take a nap under the staging. (Simon was actually just creating space to store our trolleys under the stand).

Attention to detail is key at Chelsea and each plant has to be thoughtfully positioned, neatly staked, correctly labelled and beautifully finished, whether it is surrounded by moss or bark, hanging over a cliff, or cascading from a tree. 

The sides and back of the display are complete and today we will finish the front section. Our three pendent Coelogyne pulverula are opening a little more each day and should be an interesting example to show visitors of how the spikes develop. 

 

The Great Pavilion is now a riot of colour and scents as all exhibitors race towards the finish. Press Day and judging tomorrow along; watch this space for medal results...

Cypripedium calceolus staged in our display

Thanks to the growing skill of our members and friends of the society, we are able to display Cypripedium calceolus, our British native Lady’s-slipper orchid, on this year’s Chelsea exhibit. The exhibit is sponsored by Albourne Partners Ltd, an independent advisory firm founded and headquartered in the UK and so it is a pleasure to be able to feature British native orchids.

This much sought after orchid was reduced to a single wild plant in Britain by the 1930s due to thoughtless over-collecting. Thanks to the Sainsbury Orchid Conservation Project at RBG, Kew seed-grown plants have been successfully reintroduced to various locations in Britain.

The beautiful Cypripedium calceolus is now available to buy from commercial nurseries.

Significant progress today

Terrific progress all round today - the build team are really in their stride. At one point they looked up from their labours to discover they were surrounded by a field of chrysanthemums and a forest of delphiniums.

The display begins to fill the 8m exhibit space

The OSGB display surrounded by the overflower from other exhibits

Plants continue to arrive for staging including Aranda Singa Gold and Dendrobium Enobi Purple. The left hand side of the display is beginning to take shape with a tree covered in Vascostylis Janice Alison. The enormous tub of Anguloa uniflora has found a home and will gradually be incorporated into the landscape.

Aranda Singa Gold

Dendrobium Enobi Purple

The pavilion is filling up with almost all exhibitors now busy creating their masterpieces.

A weary build team head for home after three days of building

A grim old day at ChelseaThe mountain range

We were never more pleased to be in the Grand Pavilion than yesterday because it was a grim old day at Chelsea for those working outside. Torrential and persistent rain made progress almost impossible although, with only four days to go, many exhihibitors could not afford to abandon their work.

A rather grim old day in the build up to Chelsea Flower Show

Many exhibitors abandoned work as their exhibits became water-logged

But others had not choice but to continue in the persistent rain 

Our central mountain range is developing with a group of orchids including Epicattleya Charlie Brown, Phragmipedium Sedenii, Phaius tankervilleae and Oncostele Stirbic on its peak. Ravines run off to the left and there is a sheer cliff on the right over which hang wonderful, pendent Coelogyne pulverula. 

Beautiful red, orange and pink orchids atop the mountain peak

the mountain range continues to grow

 Displays in the pavilion continue to rise from the ground with unusual items like a giant teapot and an exotic temple from Thailand.

And giant tea part in the Grand Pavilion

Orchid flowers are used to decorate this exotic Thai Temple

A dragon at Chelsea Flower Show

Chelsea was once again bathed in sunshine and it was good to see the Great Pavilion being guarded by a watchful dragon.

Today saw us hang four beautiful images of British native orchids taken by past President of the Society, Henry Oakeley, along the back wall of our display.

A tree of Phalaenopsis Snow Cloud and Miltonia spectabilis is beginning to take shape on the right hand side, along with an asymetric mountain complete with cliff and ravines in the centre.

The build team worked hard despite various hiccoughs today and, amongst other jobs, new lights have been wired up and 100 ferns have been watered. Once again we have spread ourselves all over the place and our camp is beginning to sprawl around the pavilion!

A driftwood dragon guards the Great Pavilion at Chelsea Flower Show this year

The Bull Ring Gate at 7.00am

Burton Court towards Royal Hopsital, Chelsea

OSGB display taking shape with large images of British native orchids on the rear wall

Wrestling Phalaenopsis into place being a moss-covered tree

The build team relaxing over lunch 

Miltonia spectabilis is beautiful and scented