Image courtesy of Jonathan Sheppard
Cosmos National Collection holder Jonathan Sheppard (@thejsheppard) is exhibiting a range of Cosmos bipinnatus at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show — including a brand new cultivar from Thompson & Morgan’s breeding programme: Cosmos ‘Fondant Fancy’, with deep pink, saucer-shaped blooms. With a passion for sustainability, his plants are all home grown without peat or pesticides. Despite being knee-deep in preparations, this eco-friendly grower gave us a sneak peek at what goes on behind the scenes.
Tell us about your preparations for RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Growing a huge number of cosmos for RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Images courtesy of Jonathan Sheppard
At this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, I’ll be exhibiting different cultivars of Cosmos Bipinnatus from my National Plant collection, grown peat and pesticide-free. This is only the second time a cosmos collection has been to Chelsea, following my debut at the show last year.
I started successionally sowing seeds back in mid-January and, for a relatively small exhibition stand, I will have sowed and potted on around 4,000 plants in the hope that maybe 70 will make it to the show. This is the kind of work that many UK growers put in to showcase the plants they’re passionate about.
What’s your favourite thing about RHS Chelsea Flower Show?
Cosmos got its RHS Chelsea Flower Show debut on Jonathan’s stand in 2024.
Images courtesy of Jonathan Sheppard
For me the best part about RHS Chelsea Flower Show is being able to talk to the public about plants I’m passionate about. Putting on a display that they can replicate at home makes all the effort worthwhile. I also enjoy meeting and talking to other growers who’ve put so much effort into growing their plants.
What’s your main inspiration when gardening?
Jonathan’s relaxed cottage garden style patch provides a haven for wildlife
Images courtesy of Jonathan Sheppard
Prioritising wildlife is a key element of how I try to garden. Not all human intervention is negative, so gardening to create an ecosystem that works with nature rather than against it is something I constantly strive to achieve.
Formal gardening has never been for me. Partially because I prefer a more relaxed cottage garden style, and partially because I think wildlife prefers a bit more untidiness.
What are you most proud of?
Jonathan was thrilled to grow plants for HM The Queen and to meet her at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Images courtesy of Jonathan Sheppard
I’m really proud to be the first person to take a collection of Cosmos to the RHS flower shows. As a one-man-band amateur grower, it’s gratifying to be accepted by fellow growers who’ve been working in horticulture for years. It’s akin to Chesterfield Football Club winning the FA Cup! Growing plants for HM The Queen was also pretty cool.
In the future I hope to keep pushing gardening shows to reward how plants are grown, rather than just rewarding perfect specimens no matter what their cost to the environment. This would mean more peat-free compost, reducing the use of pesticides etc.
Top gardening tip for beginners
My top tip for beginners is to grow what brings you joy. Try growing something from seed. One of the most rewarding aspects of gardening is to propagate a small seed and see something beautiful come to life. Don’t be afraid of failure. Even the most experienced gardeners make mistakes – it’s how we all learn. Also, try something new – you never know where it may lead you.
Grow like Jonathan
These dainty pink saucers bloom from June to October
Image: Cosmos ‘Fondant Fancy’ from Thompson & Morgan (© Jonathan Sheppard)
One of the stars of Jonathan’s Chelsea display is Cosmos ‘Fondant Fancy’ — a brand new cultivar from Thompson & Morgan. Its rich pink, saucer-shaped blooms and airy, feathery foliage add cottage garden charm to both borders and bouquets. A magnet for pollinators, this long-flowering cosmos is sure to keep bees and butterflies buzzing all summer long.
Here’s a handy starting point if you’d like to grow like Jonathan:
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning more about Jonathan Sheppard from @thejsheppard. For more inspiration, see our full series of Featured Gardeners for hugely knowledgeable growers who are worth a follow.
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