Glendoick Chelsea Flower Show Triumph 2025
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Early Summer Clematis in stock now. These were the Best in Show plant displays at Chelsea 2025
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Glendoick Garden Centre Staff celebrate Glendoick's win at Chelsea.
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Glendoick Chelsea Medal
Glendoick have returned from showing their rhododendrons and azaleas at Chelsea Flower Show 2025 as part of the Plant Heritage displays in the Floral Marquee. The Glendoick displays won a Silver Gilt medal, the second top classification after gold, and an exceptional result for a first time exhibitor, according to the judging panel who have asked Glendoick to return in future with a larger display.
Glendoick MD Kenneth Cox says: ‘This is the first time we have done Chelsea. We were planning to be there in 2020 but Covid saw the show cancelled. The hot sunny weather in the lead up meant a stressful few weeks trying to hold plants back for the show. We even had to use a restaurant chiller to cold store the plants. Ken & Jane Cox drove down to the show and set up the display on the Sunday. The judging took place on Monday, and when we arrived at the show on opening day on Tuesday morning we were absolutely delighted to discover our plaque for a silver gilt medal.’
Glendoick Gardens was established in 1953 by Euan and Peter Cox as a specialist rhododendron nursery. The garden centre opened in 1973. 3rd generation Kenneth Cox joined the business in the 1980s and Jane Cox in the 2000s.
Glendoick Gardens breeding program for rhododendrons and azaleas began in the 1950s and continues to the present day. Kenneth Cox and his late father Peter are the only commercial breeders of rhododendrons in the UK. Over 100 varieties have been introduced over the years.
On display at Chelsea were:
- The Mammals series of evergreen azaleas: 'Wombat', 'Lemur', 'Squirrel' and 'Panda', and the ‘Glendoick’ range of evergreen azaleas: 'Glendoick Seashell', 'Glendoick Ruffles', 'Glendoick Igloo' etc
- Rhododendrons bred for coloured foliage, including Everred [‘85/1C’] Wine and Roses [‘pinkros’] and Wonderred ['2008/7D’], yellow/variegated foliage ‘Red & Gold’, ‘All Gold’, narrow leaves ‘Graziella’, ‘Filigran’ and with silver foliage ‘Viking Silver’
- Large leaved species rhododendrons with giant foliage. R sinogrande, R kesangiae and R sinofalconeri.
- The Scottish Mountain series of deciduous azaleas: ‘Ben Cruachan’, ‘Ben Macdui’ and ‘Ben Lawers’, bred by Kenneth and Peter Cox.
Most of the plants exhibited have never been to Chelsea before.
Kenneth Cox says: ‘The displays were a tribute to my father Peter Cox, who died in April 2025. Peter's legacy lives on in the plants he collected and the new hybrids he bred.
The Glendoick team, who have been looking after everything while we have been away, are delighted and share in the pride of our doing so well. Will we be back? Not next year.. It will take some time to recover.. but I’d like to go back again in future.