Willsow meets King, Hannah Marchant tops eco poll, NQP’s floral inspiration, Medici’s living window
A living window display, plantable cards, a chat with the King, and floral inspiration have marked the greeting card industry’s interaction with this year’s Chelsea Flower Show.
With sustainability a huge focus at the annual RHS event in London it’s particularly fitting that two eco card companies have stands at the iconic show – and Willsow co-founder Tom Willday even got to hand his product to His Majesty.
During the royals’ visit on Monday, 20 May, which is press day before the public are allowed in to the event that runs through until tomorrow, Saturday, 25 May, King Charles took a turn around the trade stands area where both Willsow and Hannah Marchant are selling their cards and gifts made from seeded paper that blooms when it’s planted.
And, after Hannah’s pal Aimee Facey managed to hand a special London card to Catherine, Princess Of Wales, at last year’s show, Tom topped that this time around by giving the monarch himself his children’s book The Carrot Who Was Too Big For His Bed – which grows real carrots when planted.
“When the king meets the carrot king!” Tim laughed. “That was insane! I’m still lost for words, and we all know that doesn’t happen often!”
It’s a return visit to Chelsea for Tom, who is the fourth generation to run his family printing firm and used the business to set up Leicester-based Willsow with gardening pal James Coulthurst, winning a £20,000 investment from BBC Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Sara Davies when they appeared on the show in 2021, and the following year they won the Gift Of The Year overall Judges’ Choice award as well as the Ethical & Sustainable Gift category.
Now they’ve branched out into greeting cards too, offering a range of designs and captions which are packed with wildflower seeds all set to be planted in soil to bloom once the occasion is over.
Hannah, whose stand was featured in the BBC’s show coverage on Wednesday afternoon, has based her business on cards that she prints herself on seeded paper to grow either veggies or flowers.
She’s also on a return trip, for her fourth appearance, this time making it through to be one of just five finalists in the RHS Chelsea Sustainable Product Of The Year award with her new plantable calendars, although the trophy went to the POTR range of self-assembly pot covers with internal wick to make plant watering efficient.
“I’ve gone for a little arch on my stand, which I broke trying to get in the van in true Hannah fashion,” Hannah said. “We’ve also got a post box to send a card from Chelsea Flower Show, which everyone is loving, and we sell stamps too!
“I’m super proud of making it as a finalist. Although I didn’t win it’s such an achievement for myself. I had to present in front of a judging panel which was nerve-racking enough but fascinating to hear about other businesses and moving forward with sustainability.”
Meanwhile, keen gardener and Nigel Quiney Publications’ co-owner Alison Butterworth made her annual pilgrimage to the mecca of gardening shows, which she admits is “the highlight of my year”, attending with artist Tina Ramsbottom who was inspired by previous visits to design the Chelsea Darling range of cards.
Taking lots of photos for inspiration in her delicate artworks, Tina said: “It was a rainy day but a beautiful one none the less.”
And the show has also given Medici Gallery in nearby Kensington a fabulous living window display as retail manager Tim Reynolds came up with the idea of a Chelsea In Bloom theme.
“Kids can have their photo taken sitting in our window display,” Tim said, “first up was young Graham, our number one fan and a great helper.”
