Orla and Paul Woods of Kilmurry Nursery in Gorey, Co Wexford, were the tiniest bit disappointed the day before Chelsea Flower Show opened.
Theirs was the only one of the 100 or so nurseries in the Great Pavilion that had Arthropodium cirratum, the New Zealand rock lily, a dainty plant with white starry flowers. The BBC was keen to film it, but Arthropodium was not co-operating, and it was sitting there stolidly with its blooms closed tightly, like mean little grains of rice. The BBC departed.
Flowers not blooming in time are one of the principal headaches of shows such as this. Equally painful are flowers opening too soon, and getting all weary and floppy before the judges do their rounds. Which is why, as Orla says: "You bring three times the amount of plants that you think you are going to need." Usually the heat in the pavilion (12,000sq m of bustling humanity and plant life) forces plants into flower rapidly, so experienced nursery people cover all possibilities by bringing specimens in different stages of growth.
But, this year, the unseasonably cold weather wreaked havoc on many of the best-laid plans. At Kilmurry's stand the irises were not budging, either, remaining tightly furled into cigar-like buds. And, for once, the exhibitor's trick of coaxing flowers open with a hairdryer was not possible, as the electricity had failed in this part of the giant tent.
This was their first time at Chelsea, but they are old hands at other Royal Horticultural Society shows. They have exhibited their Irish-grown herbaceous perennials and grasses at Malvern, Tatton Park and Harrogate over the past four years - as well as at a rake of horticultural events in Ireland. The RHS has rewarded them with a bunch of silver medals and one silver-gilt. But, so far, gold - gleaming, glistering gold - had eluded them.
On judgment day, somehow it all comes together in their small two-metre-by-five-metre patch of Chelsea Flower Show. The judges visit, the judges approve. And the judges award a gold medal - one of 44 in the Great Pavilion. It's not the shy-to-flower New Zealand rock lily or irises that impress the judging panel, says Orla. It is, among other things, the brave juxtaposition of the sky-blue Chatham island forget-me-not (Myosotidium hortensia) and the acidic-looking yellow asphodel (Asphodeline lutea).
How the plants are spaced is crucial also, explains Paul: "Nothing should be pushed too tightly together."
"The plants are to kiss but not make love," says Orla, laughing. "That's what we were told by a judge one day!" "Yes, but we don't believe in that," he says, dismissively. "Sometimes we like to space them quite closely: make love, and leave the kissing out!"
At which point everyone decides that the metaphor has progressed quite far enough, and it's time to enjoy that glow of gold.
Kilmurry Nursery is open to the public by appointment. Call 055-80223 or visit www.kilmurrynursery.com