A PATCHWORK of perfect plots will once again make up this year's Chelsea Flower Show, with a number of Oxfordshire residents and organisations taking part.

Organisations will join together in the beautiful grounds of Royal Hospital Chelsea from today to present their flawless flower creations to judges.

The county will be well represented this year from a number of residents, Frances Buchan, from Abingdon, who will be going along with several fellow Oxford Flower Club members.

The club member will be among those heading to the show to take part in the flower arranging session which will be staged in front of judges.

Speaking to the Oxford Mail, Ms Buchan was keeping the details of her competition entry under wraps but said: "We are going on behalf of the flower club and just taking part in the flower arranging, of which we will take part in the second session.

"The category we were given for our flower arranging was 'enchanted gardens'.

"We have been to the show before and got three silvers and a silver guild. It is always such a lovely atmosphere and we love taking part.

"It is a lot of fun and a big part of it is that it is publicity for the club."

Also taking part in the flower arranging part of the show will be senior designer Samantha Turner from Jemini Flowers, based in the Covered Market, Oxford.

Mrs Turner has said she is looking forward to heading back to the competition for the second time and has been beavering away on the finishing touches for the competition entry in the final days leading up to the show.

The show will run until Saturday and has become one of the country's biggest flower shows since it was first held in 1913.

It will include a catwalk of colours and creativity from florist and gardeners right across the world.

Making the trip from Oxfordshire will also be the not-for-profit science research organisation CBAI (Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International), from Wallingford.

It will stage its Nature vs Invader exhibit about the invasive alien weeds as part of the educational Discovery Zone at the show.

CABI UK director and regional coordinator Dr Dick Shaw said: "The Chelsea Flower Show is a fantastic opportunity to show the public how we can apply science to control some of the most damaging invasive weeds. "We're grateful to the RHS for inviting us to exhibit."

The exhibit demonstrates the plants' impact on the environment and infrastructure, including Japanese knotweed on property prices, buddleia on the railway and Himalayan balsam on riversides.

There will also be an array of tradestands scattered throughout the show grounds selling all sorts from sculptures to the industrial equipment of every gardeners dreams.

This includes Burford Garden Company who will return and pitch up at the Chelsea Flower show after a 20 year hiatus from the event.

The business has curated hundreds of plants to take along to the show as partners of British greenhouse and orangery manufacturer Hartley Botanic.

Burford Garden Company horticultural director Glen Sheldrake said:

"We have seen a growing trend for plants that can be grown under glass. "Herbs and vegetables of course remain hugely popular but interestingly we have seen a sharp increase in the sale of Orchids and tropical plants."

He added: "We have worked tirelessly to source the finest plants for the stand, creating a multi-sensory experience for all who visit. We are sure the Hartley Botanic exhibit will be taking the trade stand to a new level."