Chelsea Flowers in Stanford
It’s GOLD again for South Africa at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025!
In this email: South Africa wins Gold at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025 | Grootbos is proud to announce the recreation of the exact replica of this gold-award winning display in Stanford | Ready to book your tickets? Click here | A message of thanks for your support in 2024 and, meet the Grootbos ambassadors.
It’s all green and Gold for fynbos.
South Africa has clinched a coveted Gold award at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show for the second year in a row thanks to the tremendous efforts of landscape designer Leon Kluger and artist Tristan Woutberg. While last year’s design paid tribute to the Cape Fold mountains which watch over the Cape Floristic Region, this year’s design was a celebration of the water that influences the flora of the Cape; from the two oceans which meet at the Southernmost tip of Africa to the iconic tea-coloured mountain streams which weave through the landscape.
Congratulations to Leon Kluge and Tristan Woutberg for their spectacular vision which ensured another Gold Award for South Africa, and to the entire build team for their tireless efforts to ensure this grand endeavour became a Gold-winning reality!
Congratulations and thank you to the sponsors who made the Flora of South Africa exhibit possible in London at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025: Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, Hazendal, Rupert Nature Foundation and Southern Sun.
In bloom, again
Grootbos Foundation and Grootbos Private Nature Reserve are delighted to announce that this display will be coming home to South Africa, to Stanford in the heart of the Cape Floral Kingdom. Leon Kluge, Tristan Woutberg and the four Grootbos Ambassadors who took part in the build in London will help recreate an exact replica of this display in September as part of the Stanford in Bloom spring festival. This is an opportunity for South Africans to revel in the splendour of fynbos through Leon’s magnificent floral display.
Chelsea Flowers in Stanford will take place between 10-24 September 2025.
Tickets available for purchase at R200 per person via Webtickets or in-store at Pick ‘n Pay
CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR TICKET ON WEBTICKETS
Thank you
In 2024, you visited the Chelsea Flowers in Stanford to see Leon Kluge’s incredible floral display - a display which won Gold, Best in the Pavilion and Best New Design at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024. This design was now also been awarded the Lawrence Medal for the best floral display over the entire 2024 calendar year.
Not only did you support Leon Kluge and the incredible design and build team, but you also contributed to conservation and community upliftment in the Overberg - all profits from Chelsea Flowers in Stanford went to Grootbos Foundation.
On behalf on the biodiversity we have been able to protect and the communities we have been able to support, Grootbos Foundation would like to say thank you.
Meet the Grootbos ambassadors
First, a win in London and now, home to Stanford.
The Grootbos Ambassadors champion fynbos on a daily basis through their work at Grootbos Private Nature Reserve and Grootbos Foundation but during the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, they represented South Africa’s Flora to an international audience. Not only did they support the build in London but they are bringing the Gold home to the Cape Floral Kingdom for Chelsea Flowers in Stanford.
Chris Lochner
Resident Botanical artist at Grootbos Private Nature Reserve.
I am passionate about plants and their conservation, and use the medium of botanical art to draw attention to their stories. I first became involved with Grootbos through painting for the Grootbos Florilegium. In 2019 I started working at Grootbos full time as resident artist and as support for the Florilegium project. Since Grootbso opened the Hannarie Wenhold Botanical Art Gallery, I have also been acting as curator for Grootbos’s botanical art collection.
Amy Williams
Fynbos Guide at Grootbos Private Nature Reserve.
My career started with an undergraduate and Honours degree at Stellenbosch University, where I focused on biodiversity and ecology. My experience as an intern at Stellenbosch Botanical Gardens gave me insight into the field of conservation that was unmatched, as we focused on search and rescuing plants that were endangered through urbanisation and development. This sparked my desire to make an impact in the field of conservation.
Shiluva Khosa
Fynbos Guide at Grootbos Private Nature Reserve.
I grew up in a village with rich Tsonga cultural traditions, very close to the Kruger National Park. I’ve always loved adventure and connecting to nature in all ways I can. I found myself on this career path “professional field guiding” I’ve never looked back or regretted my career choice. I did a professional field guiding one year course with Eco Training, since I took this path, it has been a beautiful studying journey of different components of nature to date. There is nothing more calming and satisfying to me than being in the vast of Fynbos.
Bulelani Bashe
Grootbos Green Futures Nursery Manager
Bulelani Bashe joins the build team for a second time, after an integral role in the build in 2024 and the recreation display which took place in Stanford in September 2024. Bulelani is currently nursery manager at Grootbos Green Futures Nursery. In 2010 Bulelani completed the Horticulture and life skills training course at Grootbos Green Futures College. During his studies, Bulelani was also selected to be part of the team which travelled to the Eden project in Cornwall to assist in the Mediterranean biome.
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