A SMALL piece of Tiptree will be on display to members of the Royal Family at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show.

Three women from Tiptree and District Flower Club have been selected to exhibit at the world-famous show for the first time in the club’s history.

Pat Baynton, 52, Lynne Owen, 64, and Pearl Sandys, 61, will show off their creation, called Treasures of the Garden, from Monday, May 18, to Wednesday, May 20, after they were in a lottery.

After planning for the past five months, the three have decided to create a miniature version of a typically attractive English garden.

Colours will range from creams to yellows, with flowers including a lily section, a herbaceous border and delphiniums, phormium leaves and September flowers.

One twist is the treasure theme, with an old-fashioned map pointing the way to the gold.

The gold will represent the 50th anniversary of the National Association of Flower Arrangers, which the club is affiliated with.

Mrs Baynton, a PA who lives on Mersea Island and won a bronze medal in 2005 with the Fulham Floral Art Group, said they hoped to pick up one of the Royal Horticultural Society’s special awards this year.

She said: “Chelsea Flower Show is the one date on the calendar.

“We’re really starting to get excited about it. Now it’s getting close, all we’re thinking about is Chelsea really.

“People from all over the world come to exhibit.

“It’s probably one of the most prestigious events in the world. It’s the world cup of the gardening world.

“It’s a wonderful place to go to and it’s in the Royal Hospital Grounds, which is famous in itself.”

To get the show on the road, the three have received a huge amount of help from fellow club members and local businesses.

Mrs Owen and Mrs Sandys both used to work for the Tendring Book Service, and received books from it to sell and raise money.

Mrs Baynton added: “We’ve had a committee which has helped us tremendously. It’s not just us three.

“We’ve raised more than £1,500 in sponsorship through local clubs and groups.

“The parish council has been fantastic and a lot of local companies and individuals have too.

“It’s been a real team effort to get it up. Without them, from the smallest donation to the largest, it wouldn’t have been able to happen.”