It's also the perfect time to introduce new plants, and Chris Blom of Bloms Bulbs (D21) is introducing five new tulips. There are three weather-resistant, peony-flowered doubles with strong stems – the rose-pink 'Jumai', the cream-white 'Danceline' and the scarlet-red 'Cosmic Dancer'. Chris also has a green and white viridiflora with exceptionally pointed petals called 'Greenstar'. But the most eye-catching is a lily-flowered, blood-red, 'Typhoon'.
Most of the plants launched at Chelsea, however, capture summer, and new roses abound. David Austin Roses (C22) releases four varieties. 'Kew Gardens' commemorates the 250th anniversary of the botanic garden and the nursery is replanting a rose garden behind the Palm House using a design mapped out in 1848. The apricot buds of 'Kew Gardens' open to form five-petalled cream flowers. 'Tam o' Shanter', a cerise shrub rose, celebrates another 250th anniversary – that of the birth of the poet Robbie Burns while the 'Lady of Shalott', a copper-pink chalice-shaped rose, recognises the bicentenary of Tennyson's birth. David Austin's favourite, 'The Wedgwood Rose', is a soft-pink shrub that can also be used as a climber. He describes it as having an "almost gossamer-like quality with a lovely fruity fragrance on the outer petals and a clove-like scent at the centre". This rose celebrates Wedgwood's 250th birthday. Charles Darwin was Josiah Wedgwood's grandson and this year is the bicentenary of his birth as well.
Peter Beales Roses (E10) launches an elegant yellow rose with high-gloss foliage named 'Grosvenor House' in celebration of the hotel's 80th birthday. Bred by the late Colin Horner, it will be widely planted in Hyde Park.
Harkness Roses (D9) shows eight new varieties, and two merit special attention. One, a compact crimson-red floribunda, was selected by the scientist Sir Robert Winston at the nursery some years ago. Named 'Robert Winston', it will benefit his chosen charity, Women for Women, an organisation that helps war-torn women and young children recover and rebuild.
'The Girlguiding UK Centenary Rose' has clusters of almost-single, red-purple flowers, each with a smart white centre. The guiding charity will accrue 20 per cent from each sale.
Raymond Evison (F14) of Guernsey Clematis has two compact and floriferous clematis. 'Ooh La La' has ruffled, raspberry-pink flowers with contrasting purple striping; the equally flower-packed 'Fleuri' has deep-purple flowers with indigo overtones.
Hillier has a new 'chameleon' heuchera bred in France called 'Tiramisu'. In spring the chartreuse-green foliage is striking, but as summer fades the foliage takes on a chocolate hue before turning to frosted verdigris in winter when the veining is most prominent. Hillier also has new cordylines, 'Sunrise' and Southern Splendour'.
Cayeux Iris (C11) has 100 years' experience of growing and breeding irises at its 55-acre nursery. It exhibits three of its nine new irises. 'Bel Avenir' has pale-lemon standards and soft violet-blue falls; 'Nuit de Noces' is a purple-pink iris with striking orange beards and there is also a nautical navy-blue and pure-white bicolour called 'Coeur d'Or'.
Hardy's Cottage Garden Plants (G19) has another sun lover Scabiosa africana 'Jocelyn' and this large-flowered scabious is a clear-pink rather than a wishy-washy lilac.
Sarah Conibear's lupins are a Chelsea favourite on Westcountry Nurseries (G27) and this year she introduces 'Thunder', a moody purple with a yellow fleck.
Broadleigh Bulbs (E6) is offering a Pacific Coast iris or Californian iris called 'Broadleigh Fenella', a two-tone purple and cream. These quieter irises flower well in shade in May and they can produce hundreds of flowers over six weeks so are extremely useful in the garden. I can see the muted 'Broadleigh Fenella' mingling well with the hardy, scented viola 'Abigail', a new yellow and purple viola bred by Victorian Violas (G19) and there is a new two-tone pink called 'Nellie'.
Eagle Sweet Peas (B17) has three new varieties, including the cream picotee 'Keira Madeline' and the salmon-orange 'Leominster Boy'. But one of its new varieties, an orange-striped sweet pea, has been christened 'Geoff Hughes' after the actor who portrayed Onslow in Keeping up Appearances.
The affable presenter of Bargain Hunt, Tim Wonnacott, also has a suitably sunny new chrysanthemum named for him by Chrysanthemums Direct (C27).
Bowden Hostas (G4) from Devon introduces 'War Paint' a green hosta with a jaunty splash of yellow and The Big Plant Nursery (E18) shows a miniature ginkgo called 'Pixie'. It looks more like a bonsai specimen so would be suitable for the smallest garden – whether there are pixies at the bottom or not.
News flowers in Chelsea Flower show 2009
Most of the plants launched at Chelsea, however, capture summer, and new roses abound. David Austin Roses (C22) releases four varieties. 'Kew Gardens' commemorates the 250th anniversary of the botanic garden and the nursery is replanting a rose garden behind the Palm House using a design mapped out in 1848. The apricot buds of 'Kew Gardens' open to form five-petalled cream flowers. 'Tam o' Shanter', a cerise shrub rose, celebrates another 250th anniversary – that of the birth of the poet Robbie Burns while the 'Lady of Shalott', a copper-pink chalice-shaped rose, recognises the bicentenary of Tennyson's birth. David Austin's favourite, 'The Wedgwood Rose', is a soft-pink shrub that can also be used as a climber. He describes it as having an "almost gossamer-like quality with a lovely fruity fragrance on the outer petals and a clove-like scent at the centre". This rose celebrates Wedgwood's 250th birthday. Charles Darwin was Josiah Wedgwood's grandson and this year is the bicentenary of his birth as well.
Peter Beales Roses (E10) launches an elegant yellow rose with high-gloss foliage named 'Grosvenor House' in celebration of the hotel's 80th birthday. Bred by the late Colin Horner, it will be widely planted in Hyde Park.
Harkness Roses (D9) shows eight new varieties, and two merit special attention. One, a compact crimson-red floribunda, was selected by the scientist Sir Robert Winston at the nursery some years ago. Named 'Robert Winston', it will benefit his chosen charity, Women for Women, an organisation that helps war-torn women and young children recover and rebuild.
'The Girlguiding UK Centenary Rose' has clusters of almost-single, red-purple flowers, each with a smart white centre. The guiding charity will accrue 20 per cent from each sale.
Raymond Evison (F14) of Guernsey Clematis has two compact and floriferous clematis. 'Ooh La La' has ruffled, raspberry-pink flowers with contrasting purple striping; the equally flower-packed 'Fleuri' has deep-purple flowers with indigo overtones.
Hillier has a new 'chameleon' heuchera bred in France called 'Tiramisu'. In spring the chartreuse-green foliage is striking, but as summer fades the foliage takes on a chocolate hue before turning to frosted verdigris in winter when the veining is most prominent. Hillier also has new cordylines, 'Sunrise' and Southern Splendour'.
Cayeux Iris (C11) has 100 years' experience of growing and breeding irises at its 55-acre nursery. It exhibits three of its nine new irises. 'Bel Avenir' has pale-lemon standards and soft violet-blue falls; 'Nuit de Noces' is a purple-pink iris with striking orange beards and there is also a nautical navy-blue and pure-white bicolour called 'Coeur d'Or'.
Hardy's Cottage Garden Plants (G19) has another sun lover Scabiosa africana 'Jocelyn' and this large-flowered scabious is a clear-pink rather than a wishy-washy lilac.
Sarah Conibear's lupins are a Chelsea favourite on Westcountry Nurseries (G27) and this year she introduces 'Thunder', a moody purple with a yellow fleck.
Broadleigh Bulbs (E6) is offering a Pacific Coast iris or Californian iris called 'Broadleigh Fenella', a two-tone purple and cream. These quieter irises flower well in shade in May and they can produce hundreds of flowers over six weeks so are extremely useful in the garden. I can see the muted 'Broadleigh Fenella' mingling well with the hardy, scented viola 'Abigail', a new yellow and purple viola bred by Victorian Violas (G19) and there is a new two-tone pink called 'Nellie'.
Eagle Sweet Peas (B17) has three new varieties, including the cream picotee 'Keira Madeline' and the salmon-orange 'Leominster Boy'. But one of its new varieties, an orange-striped sweet pea, has been christened 'Geoff Hughes' after the actor who portrayed Onslow in Keeping up Appearances.
The affable presenter of Bargain Hunt, Tim Wonnacott, also has a suitably sunny new chrysanthemum named for him by Chrysanthemums Direct (C27).
Bowden Hostas (G4) from Devon introduces 'War Paint' a green hosta with a jaunty splash of yellow and The Big Plant Nursery (E18) shows a miniature ginkgo called 'Pixie'. It looks more like a bonsai specimen so would be suitable for the smallest garden – whether there are pixies at the bottom or not.
News flowers in Chelsea Flower show 2009
