On what turned out to be one of the hottest days of July, we had the pleasure of welcoming the BBC Gardeners’ World team to the nursery to film a segment for the inaugural RHS Sandringham Flower Show. And when I say it was hot, we really do mean it - our glasshouse, which usually makes a wonderful filming location, had already reached 43°C by 9am. Needless to say, all filming quickly moved outdoors.
Those of you who have visited us will know that shade is something of a rarity here. Our nursery is designed to give our drought-tolerant plants, particularly the achilleas, as much sunshine as possible. It does, however, make for a slightly more challenging environment when a full film crew arrives on a blazing summer’s day.
It often surprises people to learn that a short segment on television takes an entire day to film. There is so much to consider - light levels, background noise, positioning, and, of course, remembering what you are meant to say! One of the strangest aspects is speaking “off camera”; the camera is pointed directly at you, but you mustn’t look at it. It feels rather like being told not to look somewhere, so you inevitably want to!
The crew themselves were an absolute pleasure to work with. Their professionalism and enthusiasm were clear from the outset. We were particularly impressed by the camera operator, who managed to contort himself into all manner of positions just to capture the perfect angle. We can only assume there is a strong yoga practice involved somewhere behind the scenes. Their shared aim was to present the plants at their very best, and it was wonderful to see our achilleas finally getting their moment in the spotlight.
Of course, no day in the nursery would be complete without the unpredictability of nature. Our usually reliable cast of pollinators decided to be rather mischievous. The moment the cameras appeared, our butterflies seemed to vanish entirely, only to reappear strategically on plants just out of shot behind the cameraman. It became something of a running joke throughout the day. Thankfully, with a little patience (and perhaps a touch of persuasion), they eventually made a timely return and played their part beautifully.
Whilst exhibiting at RHS Sandringham earlier this week, we had the pleasure of being filmed again, this time for an interview with the utterly charming Frances Tophill. She was genuinely interested in the plants and keen to learn more about how we grow and use them. In particular, she was taken with the idea of drying flowers and was especially fond of Achillea ptarmica ‘Peter Cottontail’, which certainly made an impression.
All in all, both experiences will stay in our memories for a while – both hot and occasionally chaotic, but thoroughly enjoyable. It is always a privilege to share what we do with a wider audience, and I do hope that this comes across via the magic of television. We do hope you enjoy watching!
