Taking home its 38th Gold medal in at the show, South Africa has won the top honour and many other accolades at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London.

South Africa has won the Gold medal at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show and was awarded Best exhibit in the Pavilion as well as the Best New Design award.

The show, formally known as the ‘Great Spring Show’, is a garden show held for five days in May by the Royal Horticultural Society in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in Chelsea, London. Held at Chelsea since 1912, the RHS Chelsea flower show is attended by members of the British royal family.

According to press statement, it is South Africa’s 38th Gold medal in its history at the Chelsea Flower dating back to 1976 and the first time in history South Africa has won Best New Design and Best in the Great Pavillion.

The statement says that South African exhibits were described as one of the most outstanding exhibits in the history within the Great Pavillion, this year’s design was inspired by the windswept slopes of the Cape mountains.

The statement adds that RHS President Keith Weed presented the awards to Leon and his team on the opening day of the London show. Head designer Leon Kluge and artist Tristan Woudberg led a group of volunteers to create this year’s multi-award display which included large clay sculptures that formed the backdrop for a display of fynbos cut flowers.

The statement adds that this is Leon Kluge’s third Gold medal at the Chelsea Flower show after having won the top prize in 2018 and 2019 for South Africa.

It adds that a multitude of species was presented in the display, from the high-altitude fynbos to the strandveld brimming with bulbs which hug the coastlines, celebrating the beauty and significance of one of the most biodiverse regions in the world.

The statement says that an unprecedented 22,000 stems were used in the display to create a South African explosion of fynbos. This year special effort was made to include rarely seen hybrids such as the fan favourite, Protea ‘Snow Leopard’ as well as featuring seldom seen species such as the pendulous Protea sulphurea and the delicate blushing brides (Serruria florida) .

“Large panels weave through the display creating an earthy backdrop for our vibrant flora to take centre stage. The sculptures take on the role of mountain ranges, dividing and isolating the different biomes of the Cape which have given rise to our unique flora over time,” says Woudberg.

“The natural cracking effect provided by the clay is a reminder of the contrasting wet and dry seasons of the fynbos biome as well as the fragility of these ecosystems. The negative spaces in these sheets of rock act as windows, creating new vistas to explore as one moves around the exhibit,” adds Woudberg.