[imagesource: Facebook/Leon Kluge]

It’s blooming excellent!

South Africa’s exhibit at the Chelsea Flower Show which opened in London yesterday (May 21), showcased the diversity of the Cape Floral Kingdom and bagged some gold.

The event, hosted by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), is internationally acclaimed and attracts thousands of international visitors annually – including the British royals. Displays from our flower-rich country have previously won 37 gold medals since 1976 when it participated for the first time.

Since one of our key sponsors at the show, the South African Biodiversity Institute/Kirstenbosch Gardens, pulled out, it meant South Africa’s return this year happened thanks to a private sector-led initiative, TimesLIVE reported.

The RHS said the team behind it includes floral artist and landscape designer Leon Kluge, winner of the past two gold medals, as well as horticulturist Keith Kirsten, Grootbos Foundation’s Michael Lutzeyer and Marinda Nel, past chair of the Botanical Society.

Making us all beam with pride at home, the Leon Kluge Garden Design team was awarded a gold medal, the 2024 ‘New Design Award’ and Best Exhibit in the Great Pavilion. This year’s South African theme was Mountains of Abundance.

Leon Kluge, the master designer and gardener (who’s won this award before) said, “Every second of the past nine months becomes worth it when holding the GOLD award at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower show. What an experience it has been,” per SA People.

On Sunday, Day 4 of their Chelsea build, Leon admitted he was feeling “pure relief”. “Our Garden has developed in a matter of 4 days into a magical showcase of only a fraction of our South African Biodiversity,” he said.

The Cape Floral Kingdom is inscribed as a Unesco heritage site with an estimated 9,000 plant species. Western Cape agriculture MEC Ivan Meyer welcomed South Africa’s return to Chelsea, saying:

“Our participation in the event will showcase the unique fynbos of the Western Cape and with the potential increase in the export of fynbos cut flowers, more jobs will be created and commercial and new farmers will benefit.”

Fynbos cut flowers are one of the Western Cape’s income-generating export products. Meyer said Cape flora accounts for 90% of South Africa’s cut flower exports. In 2023, fresh-cut flowers were valued at R85bn on global export markets compared with R10bn for dried flowers.

Applause all around:

Image: Facebook/ Leon Kluge

Last year, the Agapanthus Black Jack, straight out of Hartebeespoort and bred by De Wet Plant Breeders in the region, took the crowning glory as the Plant of the Year at the Chelsea Flower Show.

[sources:floraldaily&timeslive]