Visitors to Chelsea will be able to order plants online for the first time.

e-garden has teamed-up with Kinder Garden Plants at Spalding, Lincolnshire, and have a bright green iMac computer where visitors can order a range of young plants and herbs.

The computer is at Kinder Garden’s Sunflower Street, "Time for Bed" display in the Floral Marquee West, where a floral bedroom had been created. T'his consists of a wrought iron four poster bed clothed in a ‘quilt’ of 'Accent Mystic Mixture' busy lizzie. The canopy of the bed was created from hanging mint, Satureja douglasii, which filled the air with its pungent aroma.

Around the bed was various ornaments and other plants which will be available next season, including Viola 'Magnifico' and Geranium peltatum ‘Beau Jangles".

Peter said that ordering plants over the Internet was the future of plant retailing and would else help in Chelsea’s long-term future.

"The introduction of online plant ordering in the marquee could be the long-term saviour of the show," he declared.

"It’s very expensive to be here and if we can’t find ways of covering our costs, we lose the exhibitor. If you look at Chelsea exhibitors over the last 20 years, the majority of mail-order companies have gone from the Show; e-commerce now gives exhibitors the chance to make money. It’s also good for the gardener as you don’t have to carry bags of plants around all day," he added.