Chelsea Flower Show – heralding the start of the summer

A Preview of RHS Chelsea Flower Show:

There are occasions when writing for London Unattached really does allow us to enjoy fantastic events.  Being able to attend the RHS Chelsea Flower Show on Press day is one of them.  I had attended the show several times previously with my mother, but on members/public days the hordes of enthusiastic gardeners make it hard to see the show gardens and the flower displays within the marquees (unless you possess very sharp elbows).

Each year I wonder at the amazing skill of the garden designers and the growers, who manage to get every plant and flower to the point of perfection for the show.

Some of the gardens are designed with poignant meanings.  There were several that caught my eye; one was the story of HIV positive people from clinical diagnosis through to living with the condition, another was a garden providing hope for refugees.

Others tell the story of a place.  This garden is encouraging us to think about the plastic that we use that ends up in the sea.  The clever use of succulents makes it seem as if the garden really is under the ocean.

This one tells the story of a Chines city which struggles to hold the Yangtze at bay – a huge plume of water periodically erupted from the middle of the garden.

Whilst other gardens seek to  inspire us to do something different with our urban spaces.

There were also gardens and products to interest our readers; one from Silent Pool Gin and a fantastic modern outdoor grill from Grillo.

Held within the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea,  the home of the iconic Chelsea Pensioners, who are all retired soldiers of the British Army, it’s wonderful to see them enjoying the show too.

Inside the marquees are amazing floral displays, some simply showcases for the growers, others with more meaning.  The Windrush display was poignant and timely, reminding us of the history of those immigrants to England and telling their stories within the flower displays.

There’s also a great opportunity to people watch and spot celebrities; this ethereal-looking model was having her hair set with a Faberge crown by celebrity hairdresser Nicky Clarke.  The Chelsea Pensioners looked a bit bemused by it all though!

And not least, there’s the opportunity to purchase some of the most amazing garden accessories; I doubt very much that any of these can be found in local garden centres.

I have to admit that I succumbed to temptation (well it is my birthday next week), and purchased a water feature for my garden.   Do you like it as much as I do?

If you fancy seeing all this, and more, for yourself there are limited tickets still available. The show closes on Friday 26th May.

If you can’t make Chelsea Flower Show, there are several other wonderful RHS  shows, such as Hampton Court during the first week of July.  You’ll find more information on the RHS site

*Stop Press*

Having just returned from Grenada, I wanted to highlight the 14th Gold Medal won by the Grenada team at the Chelsea Flower Show this year.  Here’s the stand, led by Mrs Catherine John.  Congratulations to Grenada!