The World’s Greatest Flower Show

For the first time in its long, distinguished history, The RHS Chelsea flower show will be held in September and it’s not by chance that it’s been described as ‘The World Cup of Gardening’.

First called the RHS Great Spring Show in 1862, it was launched in a huge tent at the now-vanished RHS garden in Kensington. Between 1888 and 1911 it was held in the Temple Gardens on the banks of the Thames before moving to its current site at the Chelsea Hospital in 1913.

With over 500 exhibitors across the site, there’s almost 100 exhibits in the Great Pavilion alone and over 250 shopping stands. The Great Pavilion is almost 3 acres in size (the average size of 3,230 British gardens), so you’ll hardly be short of inspiration! Best known for its incredible show gardens, this year there will be 27 gardens available to tour. These will be divided into categories covering Artisan, Balcony, Container, Feature and Sanctuary.

Our trusted products and partners

Once again, some of our trusted business partners, along with their top quality lawn and garden products will be on display for all to enjoy on various stands.  2021 has been a huge year for interest in lawns and lawn care but has also been overwhelmingly busy with Wilding and Wildflower Turf, which we are proud to promote with our sister companies Hewlett Turf & Landscapes and The Lawn Store

 

What’s new for 2021?

New for 2021 are the ‘House Plant Studios’, reflecting the growing popularity of indoor gardening. Stylists have been given the freedom to dress each studio to represent any room in a house, so why not get inspired and find out how to green up your home, regardless of the space or natural light available. Some of the intriguingly named rooms include:

• Forest in Your Home
• Pharmacy of House Plants
• Green Bathroom Retreat
• The Office

Taking a break

Whilst the main attraction at Chelsea is our botanical friends, what to do when your feet are aching and you’ve worked up quite an appetite (or thirst)? Naturally, Chelsea have made sure that any pit-stops are well catered for as staff serve over 32,000 pints of Pimm’s during the show week, as well as 9,000 glasses of champagne, 11,000 portions of fish and chips plus over 600 seafood platters!

Alongside the numerous concessions and pop up cafés, this year you’ll also find Jardin Blanc tucked away in a quiet, shady corner. Here you’ll find the perfect atmosphere for dining while unwinding against a backdrop of outstanding horticulture and incredible works of art. Better still, the menus have been designed by Raymond Blanc OBE, so you’ll be well fed and watered, ready to get going again!

Virtually Blooming

Chelsea has made sure there are lots of online resources again this year, so you can see the exciting line-up of world-leading designers, plant experts and gain practical gardening advice all from the comfort of your own home. There are fantastic, high quality videos as well as layouts and plans for all the show gardens – and attending from home means you can also make the Pimm’s as strong as you like…

If you’re planning to visit in person – and let’s face it who doesn’t want to escape the house for a while – show times are:

• Tuesday & Wednesday – RHS Members’ Days (21 – 22 Sept). 8am – 8pm
• Thursday, Friday & Saturday (23 – 25 Sept). 8am – 8pm
• Sunday (26 Sept). 8am – 5.30pm

Library Services

In addition to the existing world-class lending collection of gardening books, the RHS e-book and audiobook collection makes some of the most popular and in demand gardening titles available to library members online. This brilliant idea allows members to borrow up to 3 e-books and/or audiobooks which can be borrowed for up to 7 days at a time with items automatically returned at the end of the loan period. E-books and audiobooks are available to all library members – it’s super easy to register for the library as all you need to do is complete the borrower registration form available on the website.

Shopping with RHS

Ok so we won’t mention what happens on 25^th December (too soon?), but if you feel like getting organised early why not check out the amazing range of plants and gifts available from the RHS. You’ll be supporting the charity as well as earning serious brownie points! In their easy to navigate online shop, you’ll find unique gifts including hundreds of plants, bulbs, seeds & gardening products. You can also shop for gardening books, gifts, homewares, accessories and much more; www.rhsshop.co.uk

 

Become an RHS member

RHS membership is incredible value for money, with annual memberships starting at less than £4 a month. The numerous benefits include:

• Exclusive booking to visit all 5 RHS Gardens for the member and family
• Monthly subscription to The Garden magazine (worth £4.95 a month on its own!)
• Unlimited, personalised RHS gardening advice
• Regular emails with exclusive member content
• Free entry to over 200 Partner Gardens
• Savings on tickets to RHS Shows

 

RHS Garden courses and workshops

In the spirit of passing on expertise and encouraging us to get out in our gardens, you can join the RHS in person to enjoy a wide range of events, courses and workshops that will boost your experience and knowledge. Courses cover countless subjects from pruning and propagation to art, photography and garden design, so whether you want a day of creativity or to sign up to a short course, they have a broad range of offerings for all skill levels running throughout the seasons.

 

Glow 2021

With the days becoming shorter, why not consider seeing the RHS Gardens sparkle at night and follow the dazzling displays and magical garden trails all lit up in amazing colour? These spectacular displays are becoming more popular every year and are just as fun for adults as they are kids, who will be amazed by the spectacle.

 

To summarise

Why not check out this year’s RHS show either on their website or in person – there’s a huge amount of information available, plus you’ll be helping to support one of the world’s leading gardening charities – that’s a gold star for you 😉

https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show