AFTER a hectic three days at the Malvern Spring Gardening Show, Kim Hurst of the Cottage Herbery, near Tenbury Wells, had no time to relax.

She was off to the top event in any gardener's diary, the Chelsea Flower Show

She took her unsold plants back to Boraston on Sunday evening. Then she and her husband Rob were up early on Monday to prepare to take two lorry loads down to London.

Tuesday morning was her deadline to hand over 40 different wildlife varieties of herbs and plants to ecologist and top garden designer Chris Caligari to use in his Stonemarket Room for the Wildlife Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show. Kim hopes her plants and Chris's "totally green" design will give the crowds at the world's most famous flower show something to think about.

There is also the unspoken hope that every Chelsea exhibitor has of a gold medal from the Royal Horticultural Society.

"Chris chose our nursery to provide the plants for his garden," said Kim. "We are using native plants like nettles in rusty buckets, cow parsley, buttercups and oxeye daisies, along with dug-up old elders and buddleias from out of the garden. Rob is providing the organic compost."

The Wildlife Garden will feature peat-free planting, low water use and a low maintenance philosophy.

That means less power tools, less use of fossil fuels and therefore less impact on our climate. Chris's entry is fully supported by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

Kim's attention to detail and quality won her a silver medal at this year's Malvern Show. In six previous visits to Chelsea, she has collected gold, silver gilt and silver.

The strain of preparing a garden for Chelsea, which starts on May 20, immediately after showing at Malvern must deter all but the keenest exhibitors.

But Kim insists: "It's a great experience and we like challenges."