The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which opened its bloom-bedecked gates to the public on Tuesday, is arugably the (quite literal) Garden of Eden for plant enthusiasts.
Here, ostentatious show gardens exhibit the very best of horticulture and design, but their main purpose is often to serve as environmental or societal commentary and draw attention to the vital work of the charities they're sponsored by.
Some, however, actively focus on the plants within them. One of them is the The Plant Heritage Missing Collector Garden, which is 80% planted up and showcases a selection of the rarest and 'most underused' varieties in Britain in support of Plant Heritage. The organisation works to conserve cultivated plants at risk of disappearing as they fall out of favour.
With Chelsea being a place to discover the hottest trends in planting, the newest varieties and the latest must-have flower, this garden is a welcome antidote, showing those florals firmly – and in some cases, dangerously – out of fashion.
More than 10 'National Collection Holders' – the people who safeguard endangered varieties – from across the UK have lent their perennials, trees and grasses for this garden. Of a colourful spread of rare plants, Plant Heritage highlights five key cultivars:
1. Boehmeria tricuspis
Boehmeria tricuspis, commonly known as Chinese or false nettle, is an unusual variety with red stems that 'enhance the colour palette' of a garden, Plant Heritage says.
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2. Acer buergerianum
This maple tree, or Acer, has unusual trident-shaped leaves. According to Plant Heritage, this variety is 'underused', but that might change soon. With its climate resilient qualities, this ornamental tree could become a valuable addition to UK gardens.
3. Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Ruby Port’
Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Ruby Port’ is a moody, jewel-toned take on the classic cottage garden flower that is the columbine. Its ruby-red flowers, carried on dark stems, lend a garden a dark romantic atmosphere in late spring to early summer.
4. Geum ‘Blazing Sunset’
Bright orange geums feature all across the show grounds this year, but this cultivar is different. Geum ‘Blazing Sunset’ sports dazzling, fully double flowers of a gleaming scarlet red.
5. Athryium otophorum var. okanum
Ferns are another Chelsea staple this year, but this cultivar is woefully underused, according to Plant Heritage. "It's a beautiful adaptable fern, which should be more widely grown," the organisation writes on the RHS website.
Wanda Sachs is the Multiplatform Writer for Country Living and House Beautiful, exploring the latest in gardening, wildlife and sustainable living alongside interiors and property. She is particularly interested in human-interest stories, the intersection of design and pop culture, and the evolving relationship between urban and rural life. Previously, she served as Associate Editor at The Berliner in Berlin, where she reported on culture and fashion. Wanda studied English and German at the Goethe University Frankfurt and Exeter University.
