Amongst the luscious lilies on the display on the Hart's Nursery exhibit (Great Pavilion, C1) are two varieties which are so new that stock of bulbs is still being built up - but it's great to see them at the show in an early preview.
‘Melissimo' is amazing. An Oriental lily with absolutely huge white
flowers which much be 30cm/12in across edged in purple to create a
delightful picotee this would be spectacular in a pot.
‘Hyde Park' is a vivid orange Longiflorum Asiatic hybrid and others of this type it's lime tolerant and easy to grow in most borders or in pots as long as the soil is well-drained.
Lorraine Hart, who runs Hart's Nursery, told me: "We can show the flowers here at Chelsea to give people a look at what's coming along in a couple of years time, but it takes time for stock of bulbs to bulk up and we only sell top size bulbs. We also have to make sure that the plants are easy to grow and flower well."
Keep a watch on the Hart's Nursery website for news on when these varieties will be available.