Barbados getting ready for Chelsea Flower Show

It is that time of the year again for the internationally acclaimed Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show from May 25 to 29.Chelsea is the mecca for all flower, plant lovers, Cacti, and Bonsai lovers; and all manner of languages can be heard during that week from visitors all over the world.Barbados started to exhibit at the show in 1988 and has continued to do so every year, winning many Gold and Silver Gilt medals. After Barbados started to exhibit other islands from the Caribbean began exhibiting, and also did very well.  The flowers and foliage for this island’s display will come from 25 to 30 different people throughout the island who bring their blooms today to the Barbados Horticultural Society to be cleaned and prepared for their journey to the Chelsea Flower Show.  Wednesday is the big day when the volunteer helpers – about 25 people – carefully pack all the flowers and foliage into cardboard boxes, having passed the quarantine tests here, to be shipped as cargo at the Grantley Adams International Airport.Arthur Atkinson has helped design the Barbados exhibit this year and has also  painted the backdrop that will cover the wall behind the exhibit in the marquee.  The theme is Sugar Factory Ruins Reclaimed and will show an old barrel – used for molasses for making rum – bits of rusty equipment, such as an old wheel, metal pipes and some vines, all keeping to a colour scheme of rich browns, oranges and dark reds –  the sort of colours you would see in an old ruin. Barbados’ representation at this very prestigious flower show, which promotes, the island, is undertaken thanks to the help of a number of sponsors such as  the Barbados Tourism Authority, British Airways, Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association, other corporate supporters and the flower growers of Barbados. (PR)