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South Africa in bloom: 40 years at the Chelsea Flower Show
Amidst all the bad news doing the rounds in South Africa it was a real tonic to go to Kirstenbosch. Although it's always great to go to Kirstenbosch (International Garden of the Year), it was a special pleasure because it was the launch of the South African exhibit for the Chelsea Flower Show. David Davidson and Raymond Hudson, the extraordinary designers for 22 years, have pulled off many gold medals over the years and this year is a cracker with the many tableaux representing various scenes including 'Plants that South Africa has given the world'.
It is an extraordinary achievement to set up the exhibit and the logistics cause a few people several sleepless nights. For example, you don't get the right kind and colour of white sand in the UK, so South African sand is flown to Chelsea. Not to mention all the other structural elements. There are all the customs regulations that have to be complied with and all sorts of conditions involving all kinds of people. The flowers, which take up more space, but are not as heavy, go a week later. Everyone has to do their part just right and at the right time. The team and volunteers have to work very hard to get things perfect.
To be in the most beautiful garden in the world, with the most beautiful object in South Africa, i.e. the Boomslang, Tree Canopy Walkway, and to be told that Kirstenbosch had been judged best audited company by the Attorney General, all made me very proud. Seeing the care, beauty and thoughtfulness of the model for the exhibit made me even more proud. If there is so much talent, beauty, efficiency and excellence just in Kirstenbosch - there must surely be more gold medal material in the rest of South Africa.
