The “fabulous floral extravaganza” will return in May, said India Lawrence in Time Out. Tickets to the flagship flower show are “highly covetable”, and on sale now.
From 19-23 May, visitors can admire the works of “world-class” growers and garden designers from around the world, in what many consider to be “horticultural heaven”.
What is it?
The Royal Horticultural Society hosts the event each year in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London. Usually, the first two days are reserved for RHS members, meaning it is open to the public from Thursday 21 May until Saturday 23 May. The BBC broadcasts coverage daily.
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RHS judges award prizes to the top designs, with “blooming beautiful Edens” competing each year, said Time Out. Last year, the winners ranged from a Japanese tea garden to a garden that “hoped to change perceptions of people with Down’s syndrome”.
In recent years, the competition has also become “more focused on eco-friendly gardening, with bee- and butterfly-friendly flowers taking centre stage and a focus on growing native plants”, said The Guardian.
What to look out for?
This is an “unmissable opportunity to see some of the most beautifully designed gardens from the most exciting talents in the industry”, said Christabel Chubb in House & Garden. Some of the highlights this year include Tom Stuart-Smith’s “Tate Britain Garden”, an “evocation” of the new grounds designed for the art gallery, due to open this autumn. “Inspired by East Asian woodlands and featuring drought-resilient planting, this show garden will be a fascinating preview of one of the city’s most exciting new green spaces.”
Another one to watch is “The Eden Project: Bring Me Sunshine Garden”, masterminded by Harry Holding and Alex Michaelis. “Inspired by the landscapes of Morecambe Bay”, it aims to open up the “world of green industry” to young people “who might be underrepresented in the sector”.
As well as serving as a “reliable barometer for upcoming gardening and planting trends”, the gardens also have a social angle, and “support good causes” while helping to “spotlight charities”, said Wanda Sachs in Country Living.
Look out for “Parkinson’s UK – a Garden for Every Parkinson’s Journey”, which is divided into three “sensory zones” to act as a “calming space” for people with Parkinson’s and their family and friends. Similarly, “The Asthma and Lung UK Breathing Space Garden” serves as a “restorative ‘breathing space’ for people with lung conditions”, featuring accessible paths, “therapeutic planting and a platform for breath-focused exercises”.
For the first time, this year’s event will feature a “mini flower farm” in the Great Pavilion, considered the “crown jewel of RHS Chelsea”, said Liz Lane in House Beautiful. The 20 x 15ft plot promises a “visual feast” and will showcase the “full breadth of crops British flower farmers can grow in May”. Arranged in a “Fibonacci-inspired swirl, designed to mimic the unfurling of a flower”, it will include “wildflower corners, beds of individual cut-flower varieties framed with foliage, and plenty of richly layered, vibrant colour throughout”.