RHS Chelsea Application 2017

All exhibits in Discovery should be of scientific interest or aim to educate show visitors about a horticultural subject/research. Please describe your theme, remembering to keep your message as simple as possible so that it is easy for show visitors to understand:

The British Ecological Society’s exhibit will be called “Delight in the Dark” and will explore the amazing diversity of shade tolerant plants from around the world.

The display will describe the various types of shade that plants, and gardeners, encounter and demonstrate how, by matching the right plants with the right type of shade, it is possible to grow beautiful plants in shady areas.

We will communicate how some of the plants typically considered as shade tolerant are actually vernal plants that flower in early spring, taking advantage of higher light levels before trees fully develop their leaves.

We will demonstrate how plants detect shade by monitoring light composition and show how they respond to these cues, either avoiding or tolerating low light levels. Through a display that features an array of shade plants we will illustrate the adaptations that enable plants to thrive in shady environments.

The plants on display will allow visitors to explore various aspects of plant biology such as the differences between pigment variegation and structural variegation, the latter being demonstrated by deep shade plants such as Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’ and many species of Begonia. In these cases the lighter areas on the leaf are caused by the presence of space within the leaf (not pigment levels) that facilitates the internal reflection of light.

The display will feature plants both from the UK and further afield.

Please explain how your theme relates to horticulture:

Many gardeners assume it is not possible to grow plants in low light levels, often stating this as the reason for not trying. Through our display we will explore the science that can create wonder in the darkness.

Shade, caused by trees or buildings, is an almost inevitable part of gardening. We will explore the wide range of shady situations likely to be encountered and demonstrate how different plants respond differently to shade.

We will display plants that can grow well in low light and could be just as at home on the temperate forest floor of the Pyrenees, as they would be on the 14th floor of a north facing balcony in Birmingham. We will look at how some plants thrive in low light conditions and show how you can create something special in environments that many people consider unsympathetic to horticulture. By using the principles of “right plant, right place, right light” we will demonstrate how it is possible to improve human wellbeing by planting a combination of plants that will have a positive impact on the human experience.

Please explain how you will convey your theme and encourage interaction and engagement with visitors. What form of media will you be using to convey your theme?:

The display will be highly interactive and will be hosted by researchers who are pushing the frontiers of plant science, all of whom are fully trained and experienced in speaking with public groups.

Visitors to the display will also be able to discover a range of plants that thrive in dark conditions, and could brighten up the dark spots in their gardens. We will explore the weird world of plant parasites featuring plants such as Lathraea clandestina and Orobanche hederae, and mycoheterotrophs such as Monotropa spp. Using sculpture we will enable visitors to visualise ephemeral flowers such as the Ghost Orchid (Epipogium aphyllum), revealing the weird world of flowers that can thrive in total darkness.

Please provide a list of key plants in your proposed exhibit:

Our display will demonstrate the sheer diversity of shade tolerant plants worldwide. As well as those mentioned above we will include species such as:

Vinca minor, Viburnum carlesii, Skimmia japonica, Camellia spp., Convallaria majalis, Mahonia japonica, Daphne laureola, Ruscus aculeatus, Iris foetidissima, Asplenium scolopendrium, Aspidistra elatior

We will also feature some ancient woodland indicator species such as Wood Anemone (Anemone nemorosa) and Wood Sorrel (Oxalis acetosella).