As a new tour operator, Karen explained that she believed it imperative to obtain tickets for the RHS flower shows, even before she started selling tours. As a garden author she fell foul of the misleading myth perpetrated by the RHS as to how fast tickets sell out. She explained:

“The RHS promote the shows as though tickets are gold dust. They have created an aura around the shows claiming that they could sell twice as many tickets as they do for the Chelsea Flower Show”.

On the RHS website, tickets can be purchased by individuals and a group sales email is given for tour operators. However, no telephone number is given. Karen found the number by searching on the Internet. 

“I searched the Internet for over an hour trying to find the agency used by the RHS to sell their tickets. The agent does not use the name the RHS gave. When I got through to the ticket office, I hung on for half an hour or more. There is no automated line telling you how many people are queuing nor how long you might have to wait. I did not get to speak to anyone. You cannot leave a message. I was desperate to follow the RHS procedure to purchase group tickets.” says Karen.

Thinking she would be left without tickets for Chelsea and putting her trust in the RHS, she bought tickets in sets of four on the RHS website. She managed to buy 52 tickets. With no discount given for tour operators, no matter how many tickets you buy, the cost was the same. Karen subsequently succeeded in sending an email through to the agent and received a reply several days later to the effect that she could be invoiced for Hampton Court tickets. She explained how she had bought the Chelsea tickets (she was amazed that tickets had not sold out) and that she was new to tour operating but wanted 50 tickets and the latest date to pay as she was still awaiting approval of membership of the Travel Trust Association (TTA) that would enable her to trade as a tour operator. She received an invoice and a date to pay. She checked the absolute final date for payment twice more before paying by personal credit card and explaining again that she was not yet in business. The total cost of tickets for the two shows was approximately £3,500. 

Although there was ample interest in her other garden tours, there was none at all in the Chelsea and Hampton Court show tours, even though Karen spent a considerable amount of money to advertise and promote them. Therefore, she wrote to the RHS explaining the situation. She received a refund on the 52 tickets purchased as an individual for Chelsea with the exception of excessive £117 administration fees, but not on the 50 tickets bought as a tour operator (before she was one) for the Hampton Court flower show. The terms and conditions were the same so you would expect the same treatment. She was only offered 10% on the Hampton Court tickets even though the RHS replied that “had you explained to the ticket agency at this time that your tours were selling more slowly…it would have been possible to extend the deadline”. 

Karen had done that on three occasions. No-one offered to extend the deadline, no help nor options were given. Karen has since made several pleas to RHS Director General Inga Grimsey on these grounds to no avail. She offered to return the tickets as early as 8 March 2008 to enable the RHS to sell them. On 22 April she received a reiteration of the 10 per cent offer from Inga Grimsey and was told not to make any further requests nor communication. The implication is that Karen is lying and she finds this defamatory. She is known by many people in the profession and is an honest person with high morals and principles. 

Karen says “Had I been dishonest I could have sold them online as single tickets (this is not allowed) at a profit or even sold them to a ticket tout. Tickets were being sold by touts two and three times the £41 ticket price on the first day tickets went on sale. I’m not looking for a profit, just for the return of the original payment, I know I cannot withstand a loss of £1,200 at this stage of my new business. The set up fees for new tour operators are astronomic. I have already sunk many thousands of pounds into the business. In future years, I might be the biggest group seller of tickets, but they would rather I was left with unsold tickets through their mishandling of sales and they are willing to lose a potentially good source of income. They are not seeing the big picture. Stating that they are a charity, it appears that the RHS put money before the safety of visitors and before considering the very people that help them sell show tickets. I firmly believe that had the RHS and their agent handled this correctly, the tickets would not have been purchased at that time. Am I being forced to make a donation? I should have a choice in that matter. This is nothing more than a cover up and an unlawful way to keep the £1200.”  

On this hangs the dilemma. Karen asked for help three times and made it clear that she was not yet trading or selling. According to the RHS she should have received help which was not forthcoming. She has explained the situation fully to the RHS and given them eight opportunities to make a refund. The RHS now insist she did not ask for help. Karen is aware that other flower shows offer later payment options for tickets and that other they vet tour operators in an effort to protect the public. She has been contacted by three other group tour operators encountering difficulties selling tickets. They have not sold all the tickets yet, so even at this late stage, tickets could have been bought online if she had not followed the RHS protocol to purchase advance tickets through the agent. 

“The RHS have been the only negative aspect. How can they imagine that as a new business, I just bought tickets without asking for help and guidance? I had to ask for help or I would not have known how the system worked, especially with regard to payment. They admitted fault by offering a refund of any sort - I have returned the tickets to them for a full refund, I am not accepting 10%, it’s an insult. If they cannot handle sales correctly, they must expect people to ask for a refund.“

It would appear that anyone can purchase numerous tickets on the RHS website - and that there is no check on the validity of group purchases, so are visitors unnecessarily being put at risk? It is simple to check the validity of tour operators. Karen is a past exhibitor at the Chelsea flower show and knows the rigmarole of safety regulations. She also knows that many stand and booth holders do not perform the safety regulations. Terrorist threats are on the increase, organisers of shows and events open to the public owe it to them to do everything to ensure safety. I appeal to the public for their support.

This is available as a press release to editors and writers and I am grateful to anyone who spreads the word. Watch for more RHS horror stories.

I am available for interview. 

N.B. The agent the RHS use are known as Applause, Seatem or Keith Prowse Ticketing, but the RHS did not give the correct name on their website - most confusing to say the least. 

 Seattle is the USA’s prettiest city, with views of the islands and the Cascade mountains, it’s hard to beat. The downtown area is compact and walkable. The waterfront area for a Piscean like me, is very alluring. I love the views of the islands and waterways. There’s also the new Olympic Sculpture Park on the waterfront too with native plantings and many pieces of art displayed against the fabulous backdrop. Don’t believe what they say about the rain - the sun nearly always shines when I am there in February. It might be a little crisp and cold, but that just serves to make the blue skies clearer and that sun all the brighter.  

Being involved in the NWFGS for the past 6 years, I have spent much time inside the convention centre where the show is held. It’s the perfect venue for the perfect flower show in the perfect city. This year I explored on foot, bus and was also driven around the city by friend and fellow garden writer, Linda Urbaniak. I’m even more deeply in love with Seattle. Must-see is the Space Needle (I first saw this with friend and garden writer and author Debra Prinzing) accessible by Monorail which is worth it just for the ride, Pike Place Market - not incidentally my favourite place. 

I’m more likely to head for the fabulous Seattle Art Museum, where I started my collection of Yixing teapots. Both places are easy to reach on foot and just below the Museum on First Avenue, my favourite street, you will find a very interesting coffee shop with American Indian artefacts called Ancient Grounds at 1220 First Ave, the owner is interesting and his character is reflected in his collection of goods for sale. There is also a Chinese paper shop which is so dinky and cute that if you blink, you’ll miss it and one of those incredible emporiums this area is famous for with goods arranged by colour themes (oh how I love that) kitchen goods, paper and ribbons. Further along, there is another American Indian artefacts shop - this time bigger and glossy, the Legacy 1003 First Ave.  

Are we here to shop or garden? There are incredible gardens in the area, some of which, Washington Park Arboretum and Japanese Garden, the Conservatory at Volunteer Park are easy and quick to reach by public transport. Take a ferry ride to one of the islands. On my first trip to Seattle, I visited the much-beloved Heronswood nursery, which has since closed. A good idea is to go across to the Bainbridge gardens or visit the Bloedel Reserve.The people of Seattle are the friendliest Americans, so polite, open and big-hearted. This is an area of avid gardeners, so it’s no wonder the NWFGS (Northwest Flower and Garden Show) show is so well attended and now in its 20th year. What a brilliant idea Duane Kelly had, a dream that he made come true with commitment and a dedicated and professional staff. Janet Endsley looks after the seminars and no-one does a finer job. Where else can you here, PNW garden personalities like Marianne Binetti and the odd Brit (who said I was odd?) for free? I love this garden show. It’s not Chelsea, but it has something that Chelsea lacks, and I’ve pondered on this for 4 days before I put my finger on it - it’s not just the bubbling over enthusiasm of the garden writers, many of whom (me included) speak at the show, but also that of the attendees and exhibitors. What this show has that you will never find at Chelsea is atmosphere as big and large as America herself. Come for the fantastic displays of PNW (Pacific Northwest) plants and style, the many garden gifts that are art and craft rolled into one - you will find unique, affordable gifts and art - guaranteed. The best thing is that you’ll recognise and love the plants too. Seattle’s climate is very similar to that of England.  My favourite garden this year was the blue garden by Tami Ott-Ostberg of Garden Dreams Design, (206) 356 7429 and called ‘Garden Get Away’. It featured the best of conifers for the PNW and subtle shades of blue in Smith & Hawken’s furniture. I was awed by the use of stone in Borrowed Ground and Exterior Scapes creation and that’s saying something since I come from an area where dry stone walling reigns. Washington Park Arboretum’s Pacific Rim exhibit was also of great interest and a good talking point. The seminars, over 120 of them are all free and the show ticket is a very modest 20 dollars (10 GBP). Compare that to the 41 GBP fee for Chelsea(82 dollar) or 25 GBP for the Hampton Court Flower Show (50 dollars) and you can see the Americans get more for their bucks. Both those involved and the visitors alike are knowledgeable and real plant nuts. You’ll find the unusual is more common here, more so than at Chelsea. Chelsea is still very special, there’s nowhere else like it, but I know which show I enjoy the more - can you tell? There are no pretensions, no-one has to pretend to be the bad boy, people appreciate the effort involved in putting together a garden and they tell you if they like what you do. I am fortunate enough to have been embraced by those who visit the show and have made very many friends and a couple of jealous enemies! Join the 2009 tours to the PNW (Vancouver BC, Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC, Seattle including the NWFGS, Portland and also to California.