After a two-year break, Barbados returned to the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show in London to cop a silver-gilt medal.
The team from the Barbados Horticultural Society (BHS) designed and created a beautiful exhibit that invites Chelsea viewers to ‘Come Relax in Barbados’, in our healthy lifestyle island-home which has long been renowned for its powers to recuperate mind, body and soul.
This was in keeping with the desires of the organisers to highlight the mental, physical and social benefits of gardens as one of the main themes for this year’s show.
The exhibit featured a hammock slung between two palms in the midst of a Tropical Eden. The 100 per cent natural hammock was hand-made from the leaves of the coconut tree by Bajan artisan Daniel Jones, who also produced crowd pleasing hand-woven hats for each of the team members.
Mounted on a 15’ x 15’ standalone platform, the flamboyant exhibit displays classic Caribbean favourites such as Heliconias, Ginger Lilies, Anthuriums, Bromeliads, Orchids, Pink Tulip Ginger hybrids, Ornamental Bananas, Ferns, Succulents, Sea Grape leaves and bunches of Coconuts. They were all painstakingly positioned by the arrangers to create a captivating, artistic array of exotic blooms and foliage.
Barbados now has a remarkable record of winning a total of 20 Gold Medals, 12 Silver-Gilt and 1 Silver in 33 appearances at the Chelsea Flower Show.
A secondary aim of attending the Flower Show is also to promote Barbados as a tourism destination. The Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. is offering visitors to the Barbados exhibit a chance to win a one-week trip for two to the island, with accommodation at the elegant Cobblers Cove Hotel in St Peter.
The team was led by experienced Chelsea Co-ordinator Jennifer Weetch, while the working party comprised Susanne Ryan Graham, President of the BHS; Rev. Dr Wayne Ramsey JP, First VP of the BHS; Jackie Ferdinand, Trevor Inniss, Trevor Hunte and Sally Miller; with Keith Miller providing support with the PR and Media work.
BHS was unable to attend the event for two years because of restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. (PR/SAT)