The royal garden has spoken, and the plant of the year has been chosen at Britain’s most prestigious flower show, grown by South African green thumbs!
London, United Kingdom (23 May, 2023)— In a royal garden where flora battle it out to be the prized pick, a South African-bred flower came out victorious. Activating the power of their green thumbs, De Wet Breeders exhibited their beautiful blooms, with one crowned the Plant of the Year at Britain’s most prestigious flower show.
While the British might be known for competitive flower shows, the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show is the bouquet of them all; perused by the likes of the royal family.
The Chelsea Plant of the Year has been a huge win for green thumbs for just over a decade, while the Royal Horticultural Society (the UK’s leading gardening charity) who host it, have been in action for over 200 years.
This year’s run showed the global gardening community that Britain may have talent, but South Africa steals the show, with De Wet’s Agapanthus BLACK JACK (‘Dwaghybo2’) taking first place, exhibited by Sparsholt College and supplied by Thompson & Morgan.
As Cape Garden (who were a part of the winner’s journey) explain, the proud purple victor is no easy breed.
“For those that do not know, ‘Black Jack’ is a striking deep purple-black Agapanthus that took many years to breed. It produces 10 times as many florets per flowerhead for a flowering season. This is ‘the one.”
Based in Hartebeesport, De Wet Plant Breeders specialise in Aloes and Agapanthus (of course), with green thumbs Andy de Wet and Quinton Bean—the garden fathers working as a botanist and horticulturalist duo.
As for the other podium plants, Hydrangea serrata ‘Gotemba Nishiki’ (EUPHORIA PINK) grown by Mr. Nagasaki T. from Japan came in second while Weigela CAMOUFLAGE (‘Tmwg15-01’) bred by Charles Valin scored third.
The global garden applauds you, De Wets!
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