Page 16 - IFV Issue 7 July 2024

Gardening

SOUTH AFRICA WINS AT

CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW

South Africa stole the show at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show when it won
a gold medal with perfect scores from the RHS judges, as well as awards for

Best Exhibit in the Pavilion and Best New Design. This year’s design was inspired
by the windswept slopes of the Cape mountains. It is the country’s 38th gold
medal in its history at Chelsea, dating back to 1976, and Leon Kluge’s third gold
medal, having won the top prize for South Africa in 2018 and 2019.

Leon Kluge (right) and Tristan Woudberg
H ead designer and acclaimed sculptures took on the role of mountain London.

ranges, dividing the different biomes
In addition to Kluge and Woudberg,
Leon
Kluge,
plantsman
together with artist Tristan
conservationist Michael Lutzeyer, and
provided by the clay is a reminder of the
Woudberg, led a group of volunteers of the Cape. The natural cracking effect the team comprised Keith Kirsten,
to create this year’s display which contrasting wet and dry seasons of the Marinda Nel.
included large clay sculptures forming fynbos biomes, as well as the fragility of Cape Flora SA, an NPO established in
the backdrop for the beautiful fynbos these ecosystems. The negative spaces 2005, offered its support this year, and
flowers. Numerous species were used, in the sheets of rock acted as windows, remains committed to the sustainable
from the high-altitude fynbos to creating new vistas to explore as one harvesting and growth of the fynbos
the strandveld bulbs which hug the moved around the exhibit. industry. The exhibit promoted the
coastline. In total 22 000 stems were After a four-year hiatus and the demand for high quality fynbos cut
used and a special effort was made to sponsor from 1989-2019 withdrawing flowers in international markets,
include the rarely seen hybrids such its support, a private sector team providing livelihoods for stakeholders
as Protea ‘Snow Leopard’, P. sulphurea stepped in to ensure that South Africa’s and communities within the South
and P. serruria florida. flora was once again represented at African fynbos industry.
Using natural clay to form the the world’s premier flower show. A
sculpture, Woudberg explained that contribution from the Rupert Nature leonkluge@yahoo.com
large panels weaved through the Foundation and Grootbos Private msnel0663@Gmail.com
display, creating the earthy backdrop Nature Reserve provided the financial Photos courtesy of Sven Musica
for the flora to take centre stage. The support needed to create the display in sven@phonixcapture.co.za

14 • Issue 7 2024 • The Villager