Chelsea Flower Show Preparations Hit By Credit Crunch

Tue, 24 Feb 2009

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has been forced to cut the number of gardens on display at the Chelsea Flower Show following a shortage of major sponsors.

The RHS revealed that big-name backers such as Marks and Spencer are either pulling out or scaling back their involvement due to the economic recession.

Lloyds Banking Group, which sponsored a designer last year, is only backing a small display in the Grand Pavilion this year, while garden centre chain Squires and Notcutts have said they are taking a break from sponsoring the flower show .

As a result, this year's event will feature just 13 gardens, compared to the 22 gardens showcased in last year’s event.

Award-winning designers and flower show regulars have also been unable to find sponsors for their plots, which can cost up to £400,000 each to create.

Bob Sweet, show director for the RHS, commented: "Last year, we were bursting at the seams with large gardens but the credit crunch has impacted on many events and Chelsea is not immune."
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