Two Alumni from the Tshwane University of Technology’s Department Horticulture, Leon Kluge and Anna Rose Ncube, formed part of team South Africa that stole the show at the 2024 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Chelsea Flower Show in London, winning a Gold medal with perfect Scores from the RHS judges. Kluge who completed a B-Tech in Landscape Technology in 2009, was the mastermind and main designer behind this truly South African and prestigious Protea inspired design. This is also Kluge’s third Gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show after winning the top prize for South Africa in 2018 and 2019.
Anna Rose Ncube, an Alum from the class of 2013 is employed by Keith Kirsten International and was an integral part of the hard-working team that achieved this amazing end result.
In addition to South Africa receiving the awards for Best Exhibit in the Pavilion and the Best New Design at the most prestigious flower show in the world, an unprecedented 22 000 stems of Protea and many species of fynbos that included high-altitude and coastal variants, were used in the display to create a proudly South African explosion of colour. The exhibit, inspired by the slopes of the Cape mountainous areas, is widely described as one of the most outstanding in the history of the Pavilion.
Under the leadership of Kluge, the display was designed to celebrate the beauty and significance of one of the most biodiverse regions in the world and presented many species of fynbos that included high-altitude and coastal variants.
According to Kluge: “A special effort was made this year to include rarely seen hybrids such as the fan favourite Protea "Snow Leopard". It also featured seldom seen species such as the pendulous Protea Sulphurea and the delicate Blushing Brides, Serruria Florida.”
It is South Africa’s 38th Gold medal in its history at the Chelsea Flower dating back to 1976.
Leon and Anna at the Chelsea Flower Show 2024.
2024 Chelsea Flower Show Display.