Nursery plants given a starring role at Chelsea

Star designers and show gardens looked to a North Hampshire nursery for the most famous flower show in the world.

Hook nursery Hortus Loci prepared more than 20,000 plants at its 17-acre Hound Green site for the prestigious RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which began on Tuesday.

Hortus Loci grows hundreds of thousands of plants each year at its site and was the biggest supplier of plants to the world famous horticulture event.

The 30-strong team nurtured plants throughout the year to be used in 11 show gardens, created by the UK’s leading designers, as well as 10 glitzy trade stands.

Household names such as Chris Beardshaw, Jo Thompson and Matthew Keightley worked closely with Hortus Loci to get the exact number, type, colour, size and shape of plant for their gardens.

The green-fingered growers will hope the Hook team’s efforts help to bag a cherished gold medal or even Best in Show before the close of the event on Saturday.

The Hortus Loci team travelled the world in search of the best shrubs, trees, perennials, herbs and vegetables.

CEO Mark Straver said: “We supply many of the other flower shows in the UK throughout the year too but RHS Chelsea is the pinnacle of the season.

“When the gates to the show open and the public and media get to finally see these fantastic gardens filled with plants we’ve grown, it’s immensely satisfying.

“Working with who we do also means the team is always keeping an eye on planting trends and helping to set new ones.”

Mark launched the business with co-founder Robin Wallis seven years ago.

The nursery also boasts the Hortus Loci Plant Centre, open to the public, where plants returned from the Chelsea show will go on sale from Bank Holiday Monday.

Centre manager Sue Robertson said: “Our Chelsea sell-off event is a great opportunity to buy a plant that only a day or so beforehand could have been part of a gold medal-winning show garden.”