Fireworks sparks a celebration for plant firm

Hydrangea Runaway Bridge was the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Plant of the Year 2018, Picture: THOMPSON & MORGAN (Image: Thomas & Morgan)

Peter Freeman, Thompson & Morgan's new product development manager said: "We're over the moon to have our Agapanthus Fireworks placed in the top three of this year's Plant of the Year. It's such a great plant. We think gardeners will love its contemporary elegance and the fact that it can be used in so many ways in the garden. It grows to about 90cm so it looks really dramatic planted in drifts in the border, and just as good in patio container displays."

It was one of six varieties the horticultural company heard had made the final shortlist of 20 plants.

Developed by Quinton Bean and Andrew de Wet of De Wet plant breeders, not only does Fireworks offer better colour, it has bigger blooms and more stems per plant than previous varieties, he said.

This striking agapanthus flowers for longer too - most agapanthus are finished in August, but Fireworks carries on flowering through September, giving gardeners three months of colour.

All the plants entered by Thompson & Morgan in the competition are featured on the Behind the Genes garden the company has created along with Sparsholt College in Hampshire.

The garden, which is in the Discovery area of the Great Pavilion at Chelsea, offers an inspiring insight into the processes of plant breeding and explains techniques used to bring about improvements in plant species.

Also in the garden are Thompson & Morgan's winning plants from last year's Plant of the Year - Hydrangea Runaway Bride which was placed first in 2018, and Sunflower SunBelievable™'Brown Eyed Girl', which took third place.

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is open to the public until Saturday March 25, 2019.