South Africa has taken its 33rd gold at this year’s Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show in London, leaving its hardworking team overjoyed.
The theme of the exhibit is “100 Blooming Years” of Kirstenbosch and involves a sensory walk where visitors can experience the beauty and tranquility of being enveloped in the heart of Kirstenbosch since the display is an enclosed reconstruction of the Central Garden and Dell – the oldest and most beautiful parts of the Garden.
Designers David Davidson and Ray Hudson have been creating the designs for the Kirstenbosch Gardens exhibit for 20 years. After 38 years of exhibiting at the prestigious event for South Africa, each year provides a challenge to top the previous year.
“We are ecstatic!” exclaimed Davidson. “Receiving gold in this very special year for both Kirstenbosch and the Chelsea Flower Show is a huge accolade for us – the medal is a highlight of our Chelsea experience and a reward for the hardworking team.
“This exhibit shows the world the importance we put on our natural heritage and history and Kirstenbosch’s coming-of-age gives the traveller yet another reason to visit South Africa and come into our Garden.”
“Receiving this esteemed accolade is thanks to the work of so many hard-working and committed people who have spent many hours preparing the display. We are reminded on this occasion of this City’s rich floral kingdom and the responsibility we have to nurture it for future generations”, said Cape Town, Executive Mayor, Alderman Patricia de Lille.
South Africa’s stand at the Chelsea Flower Show celebrates 100 years of its most famous conservation garden, Kirstenbosch which will exhibit the oldest plants in the garden – those plants that have been growing for 100 years or more, or were introduced during the first five years, 1913 to 1917, and are still here today.
Not all of the specimens are 100 years old. Some are cuttings, offsets or seedlings of the original plants and have been propagated and grown at Kirstenbosch over the past I00 years. Centenarians will include: Gardenia thunbergia, Oldenburgia grandis, and Aloe plicatilis.
The circular, walk-through exhibit features the Dell and Cycad Amphitheatre on one side, and the Protea Garden and mountain skyline on the other. The overhead sky canopy enhances the sense of quietude that enfolds the Garden.
Other plants will include the popular Proteas, Mandela’s Gold strelitzias and more examples of the fynbos. Plants are sourced all over the country before being air freighted to London, thus supporting local farmers.
Kirstenbosch has won 33 Gold medals, two Silver-Gilt medals and three Silver medals, the Lawrence Medal in 2006 for the Best Exhibit shown to the Society in that year and was the first recipient of the new President’s Most Creative Award in 2008.
The display at the Chelsea Flower Show is an important part of our tourism drive overseas and encourages many visitors to come to South Africa. The Major sponsor for the exhibit is The South African Gold Coin exchange and Scoin shops.
This is a very special present for Kirstenbosch in it’s centenial year and a harbinger for Cape Town as the World Design Capital 2014.
