Meet the Team - Chelsea 2010


The Staging Team

Here are some of the team.  Most of us have become regulars at Chelsea and thrive on the heady atmosphere of horticulture's most prestigious show.  Every year we are joined by a few new faces who may become Show addicts and return year after year or it may be a once in a lifetime experience.

One thing is for sure, everyone at Chelsea on all the exhibits and gardens is working flat out to produce the best display they can for the judges and more importantly for the visitors who will be eagerly taking in all their work.

  


Andy McIndoe – Managing Director

Fanatically horticultural and always keen to help the undecided to become gardening converts. If he had won the election we would be planting our way out of recession. When not masterminding the Hillier exhibit for Chelsea, Andy is Managing Director of Hillier Nurseries. 

 

 

   

Ricky Dorlay

This young Master Plantsman has worked in Hillier for over 40 years.  Nothing is too much trouble for the Chelsea plants.  Working all hours moving plants around in the middle of the night is not unusual (or so he tells the wife).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

John Hillier

The one person who has been to more Chelsea Flower Shows than Ricky.  Whilst younger members of the team may be interested in fancy design and scene-setting, John is carefully eying up the quality of the plants and how they sit in the exhibit.  Without this care to plant detail we will fail in our goal of a 66th consecutive Chelsea Gold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nigel Roman

Our resident landscaper, Nigel works tirelessly mixing concrete and creating the paths, pools and paving on the exhibit for a full week before the staging team arrive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Neil Robins

A real organiser and fixer, Neil masterminds the hard landscaping with Nigel and manages site health and safety on our Nursery and at Chelsea.  He has a knack of finding a club open to the early hours and still looks like he has had a full night's sleep the next day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pete Knapp and Steve Richmond

Our hard landscaping experts - Pete and Steve are Chelsea veterans.  They work their magic to create the wonders that you see on the exhibit. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

   

  



Pip Bensley

Pip will be known to many as the editor of the Gardening Club magazines.  She is a master of using colour to best effect as she stages plants and is ably assisted by her husband Dave. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sue Robinson

Sue has spent the last month rushing around searching for accessories in shops, markets, amenity tips and online.  These Chelsea accessories add fun to the gardens and tell a story to the 200,000 visitors expected at the show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Steve Austin

Steve is Product Manager for our Wholesale Nursery and a real plant enthusiast. This year he is responsible for labelling the 3500 plants on our stand and without a doubt he will rise to this challenging exercise!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Mark Pitman

Mark is our Garden Centre Operations Manager and technical expert.  For Chelsea 2011 he has worked the miracle of making it possible for visitors to the Show to order our plants at the Hillier stand for delivery via our online shop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

  

Gill Mayo

 

With nerves of steel and the patience of a saint, Gill excels at her role as 'Hillier Events Co-ordinator'. She is the person who makes it all happen so that our exhibit is worthy of another Gold medal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Cindy Castle

Cindy adds a little class and glamour to the team.  Even her hand writing is a little special and she writes all of the labels for the exhibit.  Cindy's excellent  horticultural knowledge means she might even correct Steve if he gets a spelling wrong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

  

 

 

 

 

Tim Mason

 

The man behind the lens.  Tim is wherever the action is, taking the fabulous Chelsea pictures that appear online and in our magazines.  In his day job Tim is our Business Development Manager and was the mastermind behind our brand new Eastbourne Garden Centre.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




Emma Belbin

 

Emma has an extensive knowledge of trees and shrubs thanks to her many years of working for Hillier - it could also be because Ricky Dorlay is her dad!  Emma is a regular member of the staging team and Chelsea wouldn't be the same without her.

 















 

Chris Rawlings

 

Chris is another Chelsea regular who has worked for Hillier for many years, both as part of the Nursery team and more recently as Garden Centre Manager at our store in Liss.

 

 

















Gary Newell

 

Gary's background in garden design stands him in good stead for Chelsea.  Plant Area Manager for our Chichester Garden Centre he is used to dealing with plants for many situations including coastal.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 Raf Radziszewski

A new addition to our staging team, Raf is a Section Leader on our Nursery and he will be using his vast experience and knowledge to help create magical displays.

 

 

 

 

 














 

 

Dan Glover

Dan is in charge of overseeing our contract grown stock, all the Hillier lavenders, cistus and convolvulus.  Dan is also a talented artist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Lucy Lewis

 

A graduate of landscape design, Lucy is perfectly suited to working on the Hillier Exhibit. Lucy is based at our Winchester Garden Centre and is responsible for creating eye-catching displays in the plant area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiona Agnew

With an eye for colour and detail, Fiona helps to keep the Plant Area looking lovely at our Braishfield Garden Centre.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

Jose Lois

Jose has been with Hillier for several years and is responsible for care of the stock in one of the large glasshouses.  

 

 

 

 

   

 





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHELSEA 2011 - Feel Good about Gardening
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