First time at Chelsea flower Show for Wareham hosta nursery (From Bournemouth Echo)

First time at Chelsea flower Show for Wareham hosta nursery

6:06pm Monday 18th May 2009 in

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The world’s most prestigious plant parade, the Chelsea Flower Show, officially opens to the public today.

The Queen and senior royals toured Royal Hospital, Chelsea, yesterday while exhibitors put the finishing touches to the 42 gardens and hundreds of exhibits.

The Chelsea Flower Show, which has a history stretching back almost 150 years, is the biggest event on the horticultural calendar.

The world famous event will have extra significance for a small local nursery that grows only two types of plants.

Coldharbour Nursery, tucked away in Wareham Forest, specialies in hostas and daylilies and this week owners Chris Bonanni and Debbie Dunford are exhibitors at the show.

It is the first time they have exhibited there and are showing their hostas.

Yesterday afternoon Chris said she was happy and excited but exhausted and was hoping that as president of the British Hostas Society Prince Charles would stop and take a look at their stand.

“The nursery has built up quite a reputation during the past few years and Chelsea has been our goal. Now it has become reality,” she said.

Coldharbour was started in the 1990s by Steve Saunders, of Swanage. Chris started working with him as a mature student. When he sadly passed away from cancer, Chris, together with her friend and now business partner Debbie Dunford, bought the nursery from his widow who was pleased to see the name continue.

Coldharbour Nursery is also exhibiting its day lilies at Hampton Court Palace Flower Show in July.

See footage of Knoll Gardens at Chelsea in this video

Other local nurseries exhibiting at Chelsea this year include regulars Knoll Gardens, already winners of numerous Chelsea gold medals, and award-winning garden designer Robert Redcliffe, who is based at the 60-year-old family business, Redcliffe Landscape Gardeners in Bashley, New Milton. He will be building an urban city garden using artificial grass.

• The Chelsea Flower Show runs until Saturday, with TV coverage on BBC1 and BBC 2 throughout the week.