Sponsored by the Royal Horticulture Society, the event has got to be the granddaddy of all flower shows. And it’s all for a good cause, benefiting military pensioners (that’s British for retirees) who live on the hospital campus where the flower show is held. You can’t miss them in their smart red uniforms. Not to mention, the flower show is the unofficial start of the summer season for London’s socialites.
The Queen, who is one of the patrons of the RHS, always makes a preview visit (often with other family members) and all the television breakfast shows broadcast from the site.
The gardens are absolutely breathtaking – if you can get close enough to see them! That’s the first thing you should know about the Chelsea Flower Show – it attracts thousands and thousands of flower fans who are all jockeying to take a photo or a selfie of their favorite garden.
Luckily, my British friend Sheila, who happens to be an outstanding gardener herself, warned me about the crowds. So when you go, be prepared for wall-to-wall people everywhere! Organizers stagger the entrance times when you order your tickets, which helps. I suggest you get tickets on a day when you can stroll at your leisure. Oh, and wear comfortable shoes!
(Hopefully, the next time I return to the flower show, I’ll have grown this little blog enough get invited to the Media Preview Day, so I won’t have to fight the crowds. So if you’re inclined, give this post a like and follow/like/connect @JollyBritain on social media. Thanks! Shameless self-promotion over.)
Anyway,
With the introduction of the Back to Nature garden that Duchess of Cambridge helped to design this year, maybe I picked the wrong year to visit! Prince Charles also helped design a garden many years ago, also. It pays to be a royal!
For the most part, the public doesn’t get to walk through the gardens, which is a bummer. (And another reason to get invited to Media Day – just
The Chelsea Flower Show honors all types of gardening – from small home gardens to Artisan and Urban Gardens. There are even avant-garde gardens. To get away from the crowds, I walked into the giant white tent which houses gardening flowers. First, it smells heavenly, all the different varieties of flowers – roses, daisies, lilies – you name it, they have it. Some of the flowers are bred specifically for the show. I probably spent two hours in the tent – there was just so much to see. And I probably took a thousand photos on my iPhone because every flower and display was more beautiful and more creative than the next!
Most of the flower varieties are available for purchase so that visitors can plant them in their own gardens and workers from the various garden companies are on hand to answer questions and give advice. There probably isn’t any amount of advice that would help my gardening skills. Instead of a green thumb, I have a black thumb – I think I’ve killed every plant I’ve ever owned. So maybe that’s the reason I have so much respect and admiration for the people who can make their gardens flourish!
One of the reasons that the Chelsea Flower Show is such a big deal is that it’s been going on since 1912All of the displays and flowers are judged and having your work recognized is a huge honor.
Of course, as a single girl, I got a kick out of the Dahlia Happy Single Flame! There was even one named after Dame Judi Dench.
In
There was also a category for indoor flower arrangements. Visitors are snaked through a smaller tent to see the tabletop arrangements and get ideas on how to incorporate garden flowers indoors. Garden clubs and flower arrangers from all over England were represented. Their work is judged, too.
There’s a lot of shopping to be done at an event like the Chelsea Flower Show. Garden supplies, artwork, vases, clothing. You name it, you can probably find it. I especially enjoyed the Joules tent – it’s a British brand of clothing known for its wellies, rain jackets, shirts
There’s also a lovely social aspect to the Chelsea Flower Show. You see moms and daughters and groups of girlfriends enjoying a day out. Afternoon tea is offered, and there are kiosks that sell Pimm’s, glasses of champagne, ice cream, fish and chips
From the time you leave the Tube station at Victoria Station and follow the crowds to the Royal Hospital, you’re inundated with all the flowers – which in my opinion isn’t a bad thing! The whole neighborhood of Chelsea gets in on the festivities! Storefronts have flower decorations, the quint little neighborhood squares within Chelsea are decorated. You feel a wonderful sense of community.
My original plan was to walk through the neighborhood after my day at the flower show. But my feet were so tired and I was exhausted, so I hopped on a shuttle, paid my five quid or so, and got a ride to the tube station. Money well spent!
Here’s my travel tip — make the Chelsea Flower Show a 2-day event. Spend one day at the show and another day just visiting the Chelsea neighborhood.
A few days after the flower show, a friend invited me back to Chelsea, and we strolled around the High Street to see all the displays. We were able to take our time and I could really enjoy myself. Plus, it was an absolutely beautiful, warm, sunny, summer day! An added bonus!
Tickets for the Chelsea Flower Show aren’t cheap, but they’re in line with some other events that I’ve been to. I think I paid about 50-pounds and booked a mid-morning arrival. Remember, they stager admission for crowd control. Of course, there are other add-ons that you purchase, like afternoon tea, or lunch, but since it was my first visit, I wanted to be more flexible.
I purchased my ticket online about 3 months before the event. The RHS hosts several other flower shows at various locations throughout the spring but the one in Chelsea is the most popular, by far. There are ticket discounts if you’re an RHS member, too. The RHS website was very helpful for trip planning. You can get more infohere.
I think I’ve included more photos in this blog than any other I’ve ever written! That’s because there are just so many beautiful sights and sounds at the Chelsea Flower Show! Even with all the crowds, I’m so glad I went and I hope my travels take me there again.
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