Meconopsis star at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023
Meconopsis wowed the public – and the judges – at RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May 2023. The team from Kevock Garden Plants that grew the plants and designed and built the nursery’s floral display included members of The Meconopsis Group Graham Gunn and Stella and David Rankin, so it is no surprise that Meconopsis were so prominent.
At one end of the display was a large group of big blue poppies, Meconopsis cultivars including ‘P. C. Abildgaard’, ‘Barney’s Blue’, ‘Slieve Donard’, ‘Mop Head’, ‘Keillour’ and ‘Lingholm’.
Towards the other end were a group of Meconopsis × cookei and its parents, M. punicea and M. quintuplinervia, with a large plant of M. ‘Clydeside Early Treasure’, strikingly different from other cultivars, with its five narrow petals.
On the other side were two Meconopsis zhongdianensis, their racemes of about 30 flowers lengthening by the day as more flowers opened.
The public loved the Meconopsis more than anything. And not just the public. The Kevock team’s efforts were rewarded with a Gold Medal – and a big bonus: the President’s Award. The recipient of this is the personal choice of the RHS President, currently Keith Weed.
