This May, independent East Sussex nursery Pelham Plants (part of the Plant Fairs Roadshow) will unveil a deeply personal exhibit in the Great Pavilion at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026. Designed by plantsman Paul Seaborne, the display explores how a working nursery garden has evolved and emerged from its historic landscape in The Weald, championing heavy clay soils, woodland-edge planting, and the magic of plant propagation.
At its heart, the 2026 exhibit showcases the nursery garden as both a productive stock bed and a vibrant trial ground. What was once dense mixed native woodland (historically cleared for a brickmaker’s cottage, farmland, and paddocks), is once again a place that overflows with colour and texture, perennials and woodland-edge loving plants.
Propagation at the heart of the Pavilion
Pelham Plants is run in a traditional manner, producing its plants for sale at the Plant Fairs Roadshow from propagation material gathered directly from the stock bed garden on site. To illustrate this process, the centrepiece of the Chelsea display will be a ‘living’ representation of a stock garden, featuring propagation in action.
A cold frame will give a flavour of the true breadth of propagation techniques used: herbaceous seedlings nestle with succulent leaf blade cuttings; young bulb seedlings bulk up in their pots; hardwood cuttings burst into life; the leaf of a viviparous fern is pinned to the soil whilst its babies root. Paul Seaborne plans to show propagation in action on a bench to the side of a woodland path made of wood slices from the neighbouring woodland. An upturned stump, slowly being consumed by the planting will be testament to the once wooded past.
Paul Seaborne says “this location inspired me from the start. The shelter, dappled light and gentle slope of the garden influenced the plantings. The heavy soil most definitely taught us a few lessons. It’s impossible to ignore the history of the garden when you are surrounded by woodland and paddock. But a dream garden has emerged from a propagator’s need for plant material to feed the business. Our design will show a delightful but productive space. It will be a representation of what we do day-to-day: produce plants from beauty.”
Woodland History
The stand’s design features an immersive woodland path constructed from locally sourced wood slices, leading to a propagator’s bench where the nursery’s daily work is brought to life. An upturned tree stump, slowly being reclaimed and consumed by the surrounding planting, stands as a testament to the site’s wooded past.
Paul Seaborne says of his nursery on the woodland edge: “This location inspired me from the start. The shelter, dappled light, and gentle slope of the garden influenced the plantings. It’s impossible to ignore the history of the garden when you are surrounded by woodland and paddock. But a dream garden has emerged from a propagator’s need for plant material to feed the business.”
Championing the power of clay
While many show displays rely on idealised growing conditions, Pelham Plants is proudly unapologetic about its love for heavy clay. The weighty soils of East Sussex, a legacy of the once widespread local practice of firing bricks in clamps, dictate how Pelham Plants grows and selects plants. Rather than fighting the soil, Paul Seaborne embraces what it has to offer in terms of nutrients and water retention.
The true stars of the exhibit will be Pelham Plant’s clay loving perennials:
- Airy grasses and tough perennials specifically suited to heavy soils and partly shaded sites.
- Soft, interwoven layers that offer a naturalistic feel, shunning rigid formality.
- Contextual planting that looks as though it has naturally emerged from the Wealden landscape.
“The heavy soil has definitely taught us a few lessons at Pelham, but I grow in clay and I’m proud of it. These are plants for real gardens, for real soil.”
By blending the rich history of the East Sussex landscape with the practical, day-to-day workings of an artisanal nursery, Pelham Plants’ 2026 Chelsea exhibit promises to be a masterclass in resilient, productive, and deeply rooted horticulture.
The Plant Fairs Roadshow
Pelham Plants is supported by The Plant Fairs Roadshow at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2026. A member of the plant fairs collective (that numbers upwards of 40 independent nurseries), Pelham Plants produces plants for sale at Plant Fairs Roadshow events and premier flower shows. www.plantfairsroadshow.
Photo credit – Bennet Smith
