Today I want to share about what it’s like to attend the Chelsea Flower Show in London. The Royal Horticultural Society’s annual gardening extravaganza on the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea is one of the biggest events of the summer season in England. Read on for my Chelsea Flower Show guide.
Chelsea Flower Show Guide
Walking into the big white tent at the Chelsea Flower Show in London, I could feel my hay fever kicking in.
The space was brimming with color from purple columbines, bright orange birds of paradise, and award-winning burgundy pitcher plants.
Everywhere were displays from florists and gardeners from around the world, each showing off the best of their horticultural efforts.
And show off they did. From giant flower arches to flower-petal Thai dragons, the Chelsea Flower Show overwhelmed not just our sinuses, but the rest of our senses as well.
As my friend and I made our way through the tent, we began to understand why the annual Chelsea Flower Show in London attracts visitors from all over the world.
The variety of flower species and the creativity and skill with which they were displayed were more than impressive.
When we had seen all there was to see of the displays inside, we headed outdoors.
The Chelsea Flower Show takes up a massive amount of space on the grounds of the Royal Hospital, and there was a lot to take in.
There were the long rows of stalls selling every kind of garden supply fathomable, the ice cream stands and food shops, and the outdoor patio furniture vendors.
But the primary attention stealer at the Chelsea Flower Show was the lineup of garden displays designed by firms from all over the world.
A team from Norway had a flower-lined pond and a very Scandinavian set of patio chairs.
A group from Chile set up a peaceful blue-cushioned loveseat with a convenient bottle of red wine next to it (they knew their audience!).
Then there were Chelsea Flower Show displays with low-slung lily ponds, giant blue pagodas, lovely stone walkways, and raised terraces with patio sets on top.
We proceeded slowly around the lush loveliness of the gardens, eating ice cream and weaving through the huge crowds of visitors.
Everywhere vendors and presenters were talking to people about their work and selling them new ideas and products for their gardens in England and abroad.
When we reached the end of the Chelsea Flower Show we made our way to the exit wishing our own gardening efforts could match those of the creators of the displays even just a little bit.
Until then we’ll just have to wait until our sinuses clear up enough to permit a trip to next year’s show in London. I hope this Chelsea Flower Show guide has convinced you to visit, too.
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