Taking everything from the Bermuda Triangle to a ruined abbey as inspiration, the Chelsea Flower Show (23-27 May) at the Royal Hospital Chelsea is set to wow once more. Since 1862, the Royal Horticultural Society’s annual garden design show has celebrated spring with gardens bursting with beautiful blooms, and every year tops the last.
This season sees nine show gardens, including veteran Ishihara Kazuyuki’s oasis. Inspired by the Kyoto Imperial Palace, it features a Japanese pond surrounded by pines and maples. Another highlight is a Yorkshire garden, complete with cliff s, a beach and ‘sea’ lapping against abbey ruins. Look out for five fresh gardens, one of which is Mexican-themed with drought-tolerant plants set against orange and hot-pink walls. The Bermuda Triangle, meanwhile, features a palm tree, tropical plants and volcanic landscapes in a pyramid designed by one of the show’s youngest exhibitors, 23-year-old Jack Dunckley.
As well as the gardens themselves, the show features a packed programme of talks, botanical-themed crafts, restaurants serving edible blooms, and experts who will be on hand to provide advice for your own garden. With celebrities and royals flocking to the show, tickets to this prestigious event sell out fast. If you are not successful, London has plenty of green spaces to explore – in fact, almost 40 per cent of the city is made up of parks and open spaces, making it the greenest city in the world. And we are only getting greener – a garden bridge opening up across the river is in the pipeline. Until then, it’s time to see the city in full bloom.
