On the evening of 22 May, His Excellency Martin Fraser, the Irish Ambassador to Great Britain and his wife, Deirdre, hosted a special event to celebrate the best of Irish and British horticulture at the Irish Embassy in London.

The event, held in the week of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, took place a few days after EU and UK leaders met in London to officially launch a new phase of closer collaboration, including addressing the challenges of cross-border trade, which have hit horticulture hard in recent years.

Guests were wowed by Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) members Provender Nurseries and HSK Exotic Plants, who presented a Chelsea-worthy spectacular array and display of plants in the Embassy.

The evening kicked off with a panel event moderated by Liz Shanahan, a life sciences entrepreneur and passionate gardener, who chaired a panel with Billy Alexander of Kells Bay House & Gardens, Richard McKenna, Managing Director of Provender Nurseries and Jennifer Pheasey, Director of Public Affairs at the HTA. The speakers brought a wealth of expertise, with Billy being a gold medal winner at Chelsea, Richard an Irish national with a UK-based business supplying into Chelsea gardens and stands, and Jennifer an advocate for stronger international horticulture supply chains.  

Ambassador Martin Fraser commented:

“We are delighted to be celebrating and championing the very best of Irish and British horticulture here at the Embassy, and the passionate gardeners, experts and businesses that are showcasing their work this week in London. Our thanks to all who have joined us for the discussion and wonderful display, and I hope that this event helps to foster new connections and friendships across these islands and this important industry.”

Jennifer Pheasey, Director of Public Affairs at the HTA, commented:

“The HTA, with members across the UK and in Ireland, values hugely these close business relationships and friendships in horticulture. These productive and valued relationships extend to its close work with the Irish Embassy in London, and we thank the Ambassador, Martin Fraser, who has shown tremendous commitment, generosity and interest in horticulture with this event.

“The timing of this event is especially welcome, not just being Chelsea week, but just a few days after the much-anticipated reset of UK-EU relationships was formally launched in London. This reset, which includes a shared ambition to address the trade barriers felt acutely by horticultural businesses supplying and trading across borders, has been long advocated for by the HTA, and we are committed to working with all partners to support an outcome that means UK-Irish, and wider EU, horticultural relationships can flourish.”

Liz Shanahan welcomed the event:

“I am incredibly honoured to have moderated this event for the last few years and to get to meet some of my gardening heroes. As someone who works in healthcare, I know how much having access to green spaces means to people, and we hear all the time how much difference creating and looking after those spaces mean to so many people, from those with cancer to dementia. This is a great event, and it is so kind of the Ambassador and his wife to host it. As a businesswoman, I also appreciate the size and scale of this aspect of horticulture and its great this year to be able to focus on those who are the backbone of this little bit of magic, once a year in Chelsea.” 

Richard McKenna, Managing Director of Provender Nurseries, said:

“As a proud Irishman, and even prouder plantsman, it was a real honour to be on the panel at the Embassy’s event. Provender Nurseries has supply chains across Europe, and we welcome any opportunity to discuss what we do, the opportunities and challenges, and how, by working more closely, we can alleviate some of the issues we face, grow more, and grow our businesses. As a supplier into Chelsea gardens, having a platform to also shed light on what we do and how we do it is important, for that recognition and understanding. I am looking forward to having more discussions following this high-profile event.”

Roisin Wilson, Business Development Director at HSK Exotic Gardens, added:

“Alex and I from HSK Exotic Gardens were thrilled to be able to showcase our plants and design at the prestigious Irish Embassy Chelsea Flower Show event. We were really excited to see the reaction of the guests to the plants we provided, and we look forward to continuing our connections with others who are passionate about plants and all things green. I don’t just mean the Irish countryside either!’

The event, attended by a prominent audience of over 100 experts and industry leaders, demonstrated the long-standing business relationships and friendships in Anglo-Irish horticulture, serving as a platform to discuss this year’s Flower Show, the businesses behind the gardens and touch on the reset of the EU-UK relationship.