Mr F at Chelsea 2023
June 2nd, 2023 | Plant Talk with Graham Rice | Comments Off on Mr F at Chelsea 2023
As ever, Mr Fothergill’s spent Chelsea week at the Flower Show with Marketing Services Manager David Turner meeting visitors, answering questions about seed, and growing flowers and veg from seed, and sending them contentedly home with seeds to sow.
When the Show had finally closed, I checked in with David to find out which seeds had been popular this year.
“It was an interesting year,” he told me, “with varieties that don’t normally sell out being in great demand. Orlaya was a case in point. I brought forty packets down to the show and sold them all in three hours! I re-stocked with another forty packets – and promptly sold those as well.”
Visitors saw orlaya (above) on the show gardens and wanted to grow it themselves. Every year it seems to become more popular – and there’s still time to sow seeds for a late display.
“There was similar demand for herb seeds,” said David, “we sold almost every packet we could. And two old favourites that are usually popular, nasturtiums and sweet peas – this year demand was way up.
“I was especially pleased to see that last year’s new sweet pea, ‘Suffolk Punch Miggie’, which raises funds for The Suffolk Punch Trust to support endangered Suffolk Punch Horses, had its picture taken by so many people. We had plants in flower on the stand so visitors could see – and smell – how lovely they are.”
And of course orlayas and sweet peas look lovely together in a vase.