It occurs to me that some of you may never have heard of the Chelsea Flower Show, or have not had a chance to visit. So I thought I’d tell you a little about it. Considered by many to be the world’s greatest flower show, the Chelsea Flower Show is the highlight of the British gardening year, and is an important event in the London social season. The show has expanded since its’ first year in 1913 and now includes gardens, floral exhibits, trade stands, and much more. The Royal Family has become increasingly enthusiastic about the show, and HRH the Prince of Wales even designed ‘The Healing Garden’ in 2002 in conjunction with Jinny Blom for Laurent-Perrier and Harpers & Queen.
157,000 paying visitors visit the show over 5 days Tuesday - Saturday, and the Press, the Royal Family, and many well-known celebrities visit on the Monday. The BBC have programmes every day and evening during the show, and there is extensive coverage in the media, newspapers and magazines around the world.
The show is held in the South Grounds of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London, UK, sandwiched between the Chelsea Embankment and Chelsea Bridge Road. There is a massive pavilion in the centre of the show ground which houses the floral displays, nurseries stands & gardens, and some of the small gardens. Around the outside, and in Ranlagh Gardens on the North East of the site, there are more small show gardens, the large show gardens, trade stands, floristry and floral arrangement marquees, and food courts and hospitality suites.
It’s hard to describe the atmosphere at the show. Until recently it could be a bit of a scrum. The photo above shows the crush of people around the Courtyard gardens in 2004. The Royal Horticultural Society extended the event from four to five days in 2005 to include the Saturday, with no increase in the overall number of tickets sold. This has eased the situation considerably. The people that visit the show in person vary from keen down-to-earth gardeners who are looking for new plants and ideas, to the Chelsea set and celebrities who come to be ‘seen’ themselves. It’s a magical mix, which I don’t think could be recreated anywhere else. Why not come and see the show this year, or if you can’t make it, do check out the BBC coverage. The garden I have designed is called the ‘Hasmead Sand & Ice Garden’, and we'll be on Royal Hospital Way.
The Chelsea Flower Show takes place from 22-26 May 2007.
All tickets must be booked in advance of the Show.
Ticket booking line 0870 906 3781.
Or you can buy online at the RHS website - http://www.rhs.org.uk/chelsea/tickets.asp
Linda Bush is a garden designer based in Kent.
www.lindabush.co.uk/chelsea.html
