Last RHS Chelsea for Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants

After almost three decades and an incredible 24 RHS Gold Medals, Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants will create their largest and most stunning display at RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year, in a fitting finale to mark the nursery’s retirement from the world’s most prestigious horticultural stage.

Their walk-through exhibit is 160 sq. meters which is ¾ the size of a Main Avenue Show Garden and it’s set to be the most dramatic display the nursery has ever created in their 28 years at the Show. Hardy’s Great Pavilion finale has been made possible by the support of Candide, the gardening app.

As with all Hardy’s exhibits, the display will feature many hundreds of the nursery’s stunning collection of herbaceous perennials and shrubs. All grown in 100% peat-free media and the use of biological controls where possible, at Hardy’s 13-acre nursery in Whitchurch.

The key focal point of the exhibit is a bespoke, architectural wooden structure (hinting at an upturned hull of a Viking long ship) creating a dramatic archway entrance onto the stand. The structure frames differing views of Rosy Hardy’s signature ‘right-plant-right-place’ design, which will feature separate spaces of naturalistic plant communities, that reflect a variety of garden conditions, from damp shade through to hot, dry, sunny borders.

Hardy’s are launching two new plants at this year’s Show. The first is Salvia ‘Oriental Dove’. The second is Thalictrum tuberosum ‘Chantilly’.

Rosy and Rob are only stepping back from RHS Chelsea Flower and will still be exhibiting at other RHS Shows and at plant fairs around the country as well as continuing to grow plants for show garden designers.

Rosy Hardy said, “This will undoubtedly be an emotional year for all our team. We have loved our years exhibiting here at RHS Chelsea and have some incredible memories. Stepping down from exhibiting here has been a very difficult decision but we know the time is right to step back from the annual pressure we put on ourselves to create a flawless exhibit.

Exhibiting here has been an absolute privilege and honour to be part of what is truly the pinnacle of horticultural excellence and has certainly put Hardy’s on the horticultural map.”