It has been such a long time since The Meconopsis Group put on a show. After five Gold Medals at Gardening Scotland, the team decided to call it a day in 2017.
Imagine our surprise and great excitement at the opportunity to put on a display to promote our Scottish group, and these wonderful plants, in the Floral Hall at RHS Chelsea 2025.
A small team from the committee got together last year to plan the logistics for what we want to be an outstanding display. Every week the lists got longer and longer and many spreadsheets were formulated. Zoom calls helped as there were distances between the members of the small planning group, though meeting in person helped at the times when we needed to plan an exact layout on the living room floor, or in plant sheds with our measuring tapes and pretend display boards. This display stand then had to be built in a way that could be transported in a van to Chelsea.
Planning what will be needed, seeds had to be sown, plants had to be brought on, and pots of divided plants were stored in various locations. It is hoped that we will have many of the popular plants on display as well as species plants that grow in the wild.
Fortunately, the date of Chelsea corresponds with the best flowering season for Meconopsis. Many pots of plants have been nurtured as the plan for the display will be two thirds floral display with the rest being information all about the plants, how to grow them, and to dispel myths that the plants are difficult. We had to design a display that would be interesting and informative to all the visitors.
After a call out to members, we were able to secure enough volunteers to support all that we would need to get the exhibition there and man the display for the entire duration. Behind the scenes, members have been busy making up many packets of seeds that we will be selling at the show. Train tickets have been purchased and a house to stay in was reserved a long while ago as we realised the popularity and availability of accommodation would be very difficult nearer the time.
As time gets nearer, we still have things to do like checking and double-checking information before it goes to print, gathering all plant material to one central location, and packing everything we may need to cover every eventuality of the set up. We will get there and look forward to showing off Meconopsis to visitors at this year’s RHS Chelsea Show!
Join Up
Joining The Meconopsis Group could not be easier. Visit the Meconopsis website at www.meconopsis.org and go to membership/login along the menu at the top.
It currently costs £12 per annum and each year members can choose 10 packets of seed from the seed exchange in November for no additional cost. Members also have access to our private members’ resources section that lists all the information and talks from 25 years of the group.
We offer free membership for students in horticulture or botany for two years. If they continue in education or the industry for a further two years, we offer an additional free membership thanks to the generosity of a donation to encourage further education. We have complementary members who assist in many ways on a day-to-day basis and honorary membership for those who have made a huge contribution to the genus.
Supported membership is available to those living in countries where Meconopsis are originally from, providing they can share information and photographs about plants in the wild. This allows us to record the location of species and note how the genus is surviving, which is an important part of the work we do to preserve these captivating blooms.
We look forward to welcoming you to the group!