Taken from Lynne’s weekly column ‘Green Scene’ for the Western Mail. 2nd June 2018 
We All Need Support
Amongst his year’s Chelsea Flower Show trends were the architectural spires of lupins, irises and foxgloves planted amongst softer drifts of cottage garden style herbaceous plants – all very beautiful and all rather reminisce of my beds at the cottage, by default rather than design – so it is always frustrating when those lovely tall perennials are battered by heavy rain and lay floundering across paths and lawns.
Of course staking is the answer, and before it is actually needed but if, like me, you have been caught out with your plant support still in the shed, then using twiggy hazel sticks to support flattened flowers and foliage will work well at this stage.
Or of course you could invest in posh plant supports from www.harrodhorticultural.com/plant-supports. They are also rather decorative in their own right and as such, won’t need to be relegated to the shed in the winter.
Hooray for Hydrangeas
It was nice to see a humble Hydrangea win the show’s Plant of the Year award. Hydrangea’s get a bad press as most people just think of the rather self-assured Hydrangea macrophylla with it’s pom pom, mophead flowers but there actually over 70 varieties of the shrub and some of them even have rather delicate lacy flowerheads.
The newly crowned Hydrangea Runaway Bride ‘Snow White’ is one of those, with masses of delicate lacecap white flowers and this neat, compact and perfectly hardy plant is tipped to become a firm garden favourite. With a graceful weeping habit, it’s even recommended for hanging baskets and patio containers as well as mixed borders.
Hydrangeas are an undervalued, no-nonsense shrub and hopefully this one will bring them back into favour with gardeners and florists alike.
Chimpan-wheeze
When a friend’s five year old asked excitedly if I saw any monkey faces at Chelsea, I must admit I was a bit thrown, especially when he impatiently added, “Monkey faces like you had last year, in your wellies.”
It turned out he was referring to the charismatic little monkey faced violas that I grew in an old pair of wellies by my front door.
I told him that I didn’t see any Monkey Faces at Chelsea but I did see a few famous ones; “Pffht,” he replied, “Monkey faces are much better than famous faces.”
Out of the mouths of babes …
Best in Show
Best Product in Show went to Mr Fothergills Optigro Seeds, a compact range of vegetable seeds to which non-chemical seed priming treatment (using only water and air) has been applied, guaranteeing faster germination and better results, but what with all the focus on vertical gardening, my choice would have been the Vertical Wall Planter from Labels ’n’ Things was a simple and effective (and cheap too, only £6.99) to introduce a green wall to your garden. www.labelsnthings.co.uk.
Mind you, as I mentioned last week, I think my own ‘homemade flowery boots’ would have won an award too – they were photographed by endless journalists and publications including American and British Vogue (‘Sure it wasn’t Vague?’ my brother asked!) – I have seen them in Country Living, but if you do see them in print anywhere else do please let me know! Thank you
Welsh Wonders
I mentioned on Eleri Sion’s radio show last week that whilst I was at Chelsea I went to see Dibleys Nurseries, of North Wales, and asked the fella on the stand for a quick interview for Radio Wales. He politely replied, “Of course, but I am only the mechanic.”
Struan Roberts was also very knowledgeable about the plants and lovely to talk to, and I was delighted to hear that Dibleys Nurseries won a Gold. More at www.dibleys.com.
And I was rather intrigued to meet the green-fingered internet sensation Huw Richards, who has not only grown his own organic fruit and veg for years but who has also grown quite a following on YouTube, with his down-to-earth ‘How To’ videos. Huw is entertaining, informative and easy to watch, and at only 19 he has just finished his exams (“a pain which kept him away from the garden”) so will now be concentrating on making more videos, creating an online course and writing a book. Follow Huw at www.huwsnursery.com.
You can listen to Struan and Huw’s interviews, along with all the other celebrities I caught up with here.
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