The Head Gardner at Roseland Parc – a retirement village in Tregony, part of Retirement Villages Group – has collected 13 prizes, including two first places, at the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) Early Spring Flower Show 2022 at Rosemoor, Devon.
This show marks the start of the RHS show season that reaches its zenith at the world-famous Chelsea flower show.
Roseland Parc’s Bob Mehen displayed Camellia blooms across over a dozen of the 36 show classes.
The two first-place prizes were given for an anemone form bloom of Camellia japonica 'R.L.Wheeler' and a semi-double bloom of Camellia japonica 'Black Night'. This follows Mehen’s first-place prize in 2020 for “Best Newcomer”.
Bob Mehen, Head Gardener at Roseland Parc: “I’m thrilled to have won 13 prizes this year, especially given there was some tough competition including representatives from some of the six Great Gardens of Cornwall.
“I returned to Roseland Parc village from the show with three more camellia plants to add to our growing collection, as part of our residents’ plan to plant 70 new shrubs and trees to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. Camellias are a main stay in most Cornish spring gardens and we now have over 60 varieties. The gardens here at Roseland Parc are hugely popular amongst the residents, giving them a stimulating & interesting place to exercise & meet in, while taking away the stress of personally maintaining gardens themselves, however many are still keen to dabble with pots & planters to personalise their own spaces“
