Must-Sees at London's Chelsea Flower Show
Gain a wealth of knowledge about the best exhibits at London's Chelsea Flower Show when you visit with Botanica.
For over 120 years, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show has been the pinnacle of all flower and garden shows around the world. Over a two-week period, the grounds of London’s Royal Hospital Chelsea are transformed from lawn to some of the most incredible garden designs in the world. Here are some of the must-see areas of Chelsea Flower Show.
Main Avenue Gardens – This is where the world’s great designers create incredible display gardens on a large scale. Each designer strives to win the coveted ‘Best in Show’ or Gold Medal and the gardens are truly spectacular.
Artisan Gardens – Behind Main Avenue you will find smaller artisan or historic gardens. These gardens are scaled-back versions of the large exhibition gardens, but no less impressive.
Grand Marquee – Billed as the largest marquee in the world, this tent on a grand scale is home to the inspiring floral and plant species displays which will take your breath away. The heady aroma of the floral displays is sure to be remembered.
Retail Area – Spend time wandering the tents selling all manner of garden-related items, everything from secateurs to greenhouses, wellington boots to seeds – you can be assured you’ll find some unique mementos for your garden.
People Watching – Chelsea Flower Show is a feature on all society calendars, and enjoying a Pimm’s and lemonade while soaking up the festival atmosphere is a unique British experience. Keep your eye out for BBC Gardeners’ World presenters like Monty Don.
Chelsea in Bloom
To celebrate the Chelsea Flower Show, many retail businesses around London’s Sloane Square and Mayfair decorate their shopfronts with spectacular floral arrangements. Known as ‘Chelsea in Bloom’, this festive practice has become a competitive event in its own right, and each year the business owners create more elaborate displays in a quest to be named winner.
Favourite Chelsea Moment
During Chelsea Flower Show’s 2013 event, Australian garden designer Phillip Johnson was awarded Best in Show. It was the show’s 100th-year anniversary. The display was based on his private garden in the Dandenong Ranges, with a focus on a natural billabong and sustainability. You can visit Phillip’s private garden in the Dandenong Ranges on one of Botanica’s Victorian tours.
Australian Partnership
For the past seven years Botanica has sponsored the Chelsea Flower Show stand of Australian Artist Will Wilson. Will creates incredible sculptures out of Australian cast bronze. In 2019 Will’s stand was one of a handful chosen to be visited by the Queen. Be sure to visit Will’s stand at Chelsea Flower Show to see the incredible works on display by this incredible artist.
Enhance Your Visit
When you travel with Botanica World Discoveries, you also have the opportunity to enjoy a pre-dinner lecture by a Chelsea Flower Show Garden designer, who will talk you through the garden designs on display that year. Then when you visit the show the following day you are able to view the gardens with the knowledge of what a judge was looking for and why each garden received the marks that they did.