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Clematis ‘as vibrant as woman who shares its name’

RENOWNED horticulturist and multiple Chelsea Flower Show gold winner Raymond Evison has named his latest clematis after an islander he says is as vibrant as the flower.

There was a double celebration at Vicki Smith’s home, her birthday and Raymond Evison’s 30th Chelsea Flower Show gold medal. He marked the occasion by naming a new clematis after her. Pork pies for the party were supplied by The Ginger Pig Company, which is owned by Vicki’s cousin, and they were decorated with a clematis or a gold coin in celebration. Left to right, Lynsey Coughlan, operations director from The Ginger Pig, Mr Evison and Mrs Smith.(Pictures by Adrian Miller, 25417934)
There was a double celebration at Vicki Smith’s home, her birthday and Raymond Evison’s 30th Chelsea Flower Show gold medal. He marked the occasion by naming a new clematis after her. Pork pies for the party were supplied by The Ginger Pig Company, which is owned by Vicki’s cousin, and they were decorated with a clematis or a gold coin in celebration. Left to right, Lynsey Coughlan, operations director from The Ginger Pig, Mr Evison and Mrs Smith.(Pictures by Adrian Miller, 25417934) / Guernsey Press

The new variety, the Vicki, has been named after islander, Vicki Smith, who will put them on display at a traditional high tea party for friends and family in celebration of her birthday and Mr Evison’s 30th Chelsea gold.

Mr Evison said he spent nearly 10 years creating the variety.

‘Vicki is such a lovely kind person and has been very kind to me,’ he said.

‘For that reason I wanted to name a flower after her.

‘I think the pink colour of the clematis suits her as well as it is vibrant and lively just like her.

‘It can take eight to 10 years to create from pollination, so it has been a long time coming, but we’re hoping to enter it into a new competition in Holland in August.’

Mrs Smith, who has worked at the Chelsea Flower Show in the past and does a huge amount of charity work in the island, said she was honoured.

‘It’s quite incredible really,’ she said. ‘I’ve known Raymond for many years, he’s a great friend.

‘We’d both been going to the Chelsea Flower Show at the same time for many years.

‘The fact that he has created this and named it after me is such a lovely thing to do – I picked the colour, pink, and the Queen has even seen it at the Chelsea Flower Show.’

Mr Evison’s clematis exhibit in Chelsea’s Great Pavilion was awarded a gold medal in May. His 30th gold in a career spanning 60 years, including 15 consecutive Chelsea gold medals, as well as many other annual Royal Horticultural Society awards for outstanding exhibits of clematis.

‘It’s always a thrill to win at the Chelsea Flower Show,’ said Mr Evison.

The flower-power themed tea party celebrating Mr Evison’s 30th gold and Mrs Smith’s birthday, will have specially made pies brought from The Ginger Pig Company in London, owned by Mrs Smith’s cousin and used by the Royal Family.

Operations director at Ginger Pig, Lynsey Coughlan, brought the pies here

‘The big ones weigh eight-and-a-half kilos and the small are five kilos,’ she said.

‘I brought them here from London, which is about a 15-hour journey – I guess you could call it a pie pilgrimage.’

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