DAVID Jones and his family are at the time of year when all systems are not so much go as in overdrive.

Their Penhow Nursery is known by growers and plant lovers across the world. Yet their annual presence at Britain's leading horticultural shows is imperative if their name for innovation and quality is to be widely seen and promoted.

The business is famous for developing varieties of nemesia and diascia, now in resplendent rows in its Carrow Hill greenhouses.

Not only does it create and grow blooms there, but also the 'patented' varieties developed as a result are produced under licence in other countries.

Effectively, then, the millions of flowers sold worldwide - five million last year - all originate in what started as a hobby for David's father, Jimmy.

Winning top show prizes is a regular occurrence for the business.

It just won gold at the Royal Horticultural Society's Cardiff event - the first in the capital for many years - and a gold merit at Harrogate.

At the time of writing, success was expected at Malvern before the queen of them all, Chelsea.

It has won three golds and three silver gilts there in six years, and this year's stand will be its biggest, with about 150 show bowls on display.

"It's not a bad record," David said, modestly. "It's hard to get medals. You must have the quality and the 'wow' factor and you have to know how to present your exhibits." Although Chelsea is special, all RHS shows are graded on the same principle, so Penhow Nursery's continuing triumphs at various locations mean they are really hard to beat.

"Chelsea comes at the best time of year for getting exhibits just right, but we also like it because of the Press and media attention it receives for us as a Welsh supplier," he said. "For a show like Chelsea we plan a year in advance and grow about 200 bowls for one show.

"On the day, we drive up, starting at 3am and getting there at about 7am, then work flat out on the stand until midnight.

"The fun for us as a plant-breeding business lies in producing new varieties and winning formulas, especially plants which will flower more and for longer," David said. The enjoyment also lies in the knowledge that more and more people are taking up gardening when they retire.

"If anything happens, such as a recession, plants and gardening are not affected," he said. "People are more likely to decide not to have a holiday and to spend time in the garden instead. If you've got a plant that flowers every year it's got to uplift you and, let's face it, most of them are reasonably priced."

David, his father, his mother, Lyn, and his sister, Angela, have seen their business grow beyond expectationand the results will almost certainly continue to be seen at Britain's top show venues.