A Duchess Meghan Clematis Will Debut At The Chelsea Flower Show
The annual Chelsea Flower Show is a major London event, and this year even more than usual as a new flower will be debuted, named after Duchess Meghan. The Royal Horticultural Society has named a trailing vine flower after Meghan Markle to make its debut on her first wedding anniversary with Prince Harry.
Town & Country says that the Clematis “Meghan” will have its official coming out party at May’s Chelsea Flower Show. The RHS describes this new climbing vine plant as having “purple-pink flowers on a very hardy Clematis.” When given the proper room to grow this plant reportedly can have quite the impact in your garden.
Most Clematis plants are perennials, wintering over down to a USDA zone 3 which will thrive through most of the continental United States. Clematis grows slowly and initially requires training on a trellis, frame, or wire.
Meghan Markle joins the list of royal family members who’ve had flowers named for them by the RHS. Last year, Prince Louis also had a Clematis named for him which is a royal purple flower with “irregular cream stripes.” This plant was released in honor of his birth last April.
Look who's making an early appearance. This is clematis 'Meghan' available in small numbers ahead of the official launch at #RHSChelsea2019 @KensingtonRoyal @HRH_Meghan pic.twitter.com/gfZxVDyxLb
— Thorncroft Clematis (@thorncroftclems) October 4, 2018
Also at the Chelsea Flower Show, a garden co-designed by Kate Middleton will be unveiled. Duchess Kate has been working with landscape architects Andrée Davies and Adam White on a garden that encourages people to get back to nature and “create new experiences in the great outdoors,” says Kensington Palace.
And according to Sue Biggs, the general director of the RHS, Middleton’s design is ambitious, with a stream, a tree house, and a swing.
“We couldn’t be happier with the wonderful design.”
Gardening is a favorite hobby for almost the entire royal family including Prince Philip who has launched a gourmet truffle enterprise on the family estate in Sandringham, says the Inquisitr. In 2006, the Duke of Edinburgh, an “ardent horticulturist,” planted 300 oak saplings impregnated with truffle spores.
Adrian Cole of Truffle U.K. says that the majority of the truffles which Prince Philip is growing at Sandringham are the black variety.
“They have been highly successful. The majority have been the French Perigord black truffle, as good as you get. Truffles are no small potatoes. The going price of black truffles, which arrive at market between late autumn and mid-February, is between $175 – $225 per 3.5 ounces.”
This year was the first harvest and the majority of the truffles are being used in the kitchens of the various royal residences, but next year they could hit the market.
