Village nursery goes for gold at RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Alec White, from Primrose Hall Nursery, will be exhibiting beautiful peonies in the floral marquee at the Chelsea Flower Show from May 24 until May 28.

He has been mentored for the show by Chelsea gold medallist Kate Gould for the display entitled The Timeless Elegance of the Peony.

Primrose Hall is a family-run nursery set on a beautiful five-acre site in Toddington Road, Westoning.

Alec said: “Peonies are our first love and we pride ourselves on growing some of the best in the UK but we also propagate and grow a large range of hardy shrubs, perennials, alpines, herbs, bedding and impulse plants here on site for our discerning buyers.

“My family and I bought the business in 2006 despite having no formal horticultural training and little experience in managing a nursery. As a teenager I loved nurturing and growing plants, doing part-time jobs in my local garden centre after school, but I had to qualify as a lawyer and work as a prosecutor before I responded to my calling, came back to horticulture and set about developing the passion of my youth into a successful business.

“We were delighted to be invited to join the plant village at RHS Hampton Court in 2012. This really offered us the opportunity to take the business to a new level and last year we were thrilled to be awarded a silver medal for The Alstroe Nightclub - Plants with Personalities at the RHS Hampton Court floral marquee and a silver gilt at Gardeners World Live.

“2016 is already shaping up to be a very busy year for us with a packed show schedule, including our first appearance at RHS Chelsea where we will showcase our premium peonies in the floral marquee as part of the RHS innovation project under Chelsea gold medal winner Kate Gould.”

Their display at Chelsea, The Timeless Elegance of the Peony, strives to tell the story of the romantic elegance of this beautiful and highly desirable perennial. Cut flowers are used to create a strikingly feminine room where the flowers adorn the walls and form a soft carpet underfoot inviting the visitor to relax on an indulgent chaise longue reminiscent of times gone by. Dark walls form a dramatic backdrop perfectly showcasing the alluring blush of the blooms and drawing the eye towards a stunning chandelier festooned with graceful flowers winding delicately towards the floor.

Visit http://primrosehall.co.uk