Looking back at bloomin’ marvellous Chelsea Flower Show winners from the Doncaster region

This week aims to be bloomin’  marvellous as the country celebrates the nation’s obsession and love of all things gardening at the Chelsea Flower Show.
Garden designer with Bobbie Roberts of Doncaster Deaf Trust in award winning garden in 2011Garden designer with Bobbie Roberts of Doncaster Deaf Trust in award winning garden in 2011
Garden designer with Bobbie Roberts of Doncaster Deaf Trust in award winning garden in 2011

The first Chelsea Flower Show in 1862 was originally called the Royal Horticultural Society's Great Spring Show and was held at the RHS garden in Kensington.

Despite the First World War, the show still went ahead between 1914 and 1916. It stopped temporarily during the Second World War, but returned in 1947.

Gold medal award-winning Sculptor's Picnic Garden by Graham Bodle in 2015Gold medal award-winning Sculptor's Picnic Garden by Graham Bodle in 2015
Gold medal award-winning Sculptor's Picnic Garden by Graham Bodle in 2015
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All the Show Gardens are built from scratch in just 19 days and are dismantled in only five days.

It may be called the Chelsea Flower Show, but flower arrangements did not feature at Chelsea until 1947, due to the war years.

There have been some disasters. In 1928, disaster struck the show in the form of a fierce storm the night before the grand opening. 

In 1932 it rained so much during the show that it caused a summer house display to collapse completely.

Taylors Clematis were awarded gold at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2014 and 15Taylors Clematis were awarded gold at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2014 and 15
Taylors Clematis were awarded gold at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2014 and 15
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This year’s show ends on Saturday, May 25, and in this week’s Free Press we take a look back at some of the winners from the region.

Past winners include proud owners of Taylors Clematis Nursery, of Sutton Road in Askern, Chris and Suzy Cocks, who picked up a Gold in both 2014 and 2015.

Another winner is Graham Bodle of Walker’s Nursery. Back in 2015 he created the Sculptor’s Picnic Garden by Walkers Nurseries in Blaxton, supported by Doncaster Deaf Trust, which was awarded gold and named best in show in the artisan garden category.

In 2011 Doncaster Deaf Trust showed its own garden display at Chelsea Flower Show. In 2001 Pat Gibbons, of Hippopottering, East Lond, near Haxey, was the proud winner of a Gold Medal at the Chelsea Flower Show.

n To be included in the retro section send jpeg images and information to nigel.booth@ jpimedia.co.uk.