Hives at Flower Show? You must bee joking

When Fortnum & Mason submitted a design for a garden at the Chelsea Flower Show, organisers declared that its honey bee theme was one of the most original in its 94-year history.

The garden was to include four green hives housing almost 300,000 insects. But as designer Robert Myers set about creating the perfect setting for the bees, the organisers went into a deep discussion about the implications.

Now, just days before the show opens, they have made a surprise announcement: bees are banned. Mr Myers, a landscape architect, said the ruling was a huge disappointment.

He said: "We were told that if anything bad happened we would be responsible for removing the bees at very short notice and we didn't think this would be possible. We were planning to have a beekeeper on standby but were told it wouldn't be enough protection.

"It's a bit of a sorry state to be in because we have this garden full of flowers perfect for bees and not a bee in sight to enjoy it."

Mr Myers had planned to bring in around 70,000 bees per hive from a keeper in Shropshire.

After the show the hives were to be taken to the roof garden of Fortnum & Mason in Piccadilly to make honey to sell in the shop. A spokeswoman for the show, which attracts more than 150,000 visitors every year, said safety was paramount.

She said: "We do not want to aggravate bees trying to get to their pollen and then have a situation on our hands that we couldn't deal with. "Bees have turned out to be quite a theme in a lot of our exhibitions this year but nobody has been given permission actually to have the insects on site."

Another display that was supposed to feature bees was a roof garden designed by Philippa O'Brien on behalf of the British Beekeeping Association. The garden, intended to be an educational feature on how to keep bees in an urban environment, features lavender, wisteria and fruit trees.

Christine Gray of the association said the ban had scuppered plans to show the public how safe and friendly the insects could be. She said: "Bees are not at all dangerous and that was the point we were trying to make. They said all animals would be banned but a bee is an insect.

"They would have a real job on their hands trying to ban all insects from the grounds - it's a garden show after all."

The show opens at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, on Monday.

But it's plain sailing for these two...

The Fetzer Sustainable Winery Garden

Design: Kate Frey
Theme: An environmentally sound and green plot. The garden has elements that illustrate the use of solar power, water conservation and recycling. Miss Frey has used 84 different species of wild flower, creating a wash of bright colours.
She said: "The plants are mainly native to California so they have really flourished in the hot April weather. I hope the sun comes out next week to show them off."

The Westland Garden

Design: Diarmuid Garvin and Stephen Reilly.
Theme: A haven for a mature couple. It includes a red cedarwood pavilion and two glass studio spaces overlooking a pond. Bubble chairs have been suspended from metal rafters over the water and recycled timber boards have been used to connect flower beds.
Stephen Reilly said: "The weather has been particularly stressful for plants in recent months but our choices have resulted in a very lush and green environment."