Since 1913, the Chelsea Flower Show has taken place at the latter end of May on the present 11-acre site of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, in London. Today, over 157,000 visitors flock to the three day event to witness the work of country’s best horticultural creatives, spot botanical trends, and to talk to the people who make our gardens grow.
From exhibitors and show gardens, to nursery stands and horticultural vendors, the annual event fuses time-honoured tradition and cutting edge innovation, all in one gigantic green space. So whether you’re in the market for a lawnmower or you’ve just popped along for the floral themed afternoon tea - there’s a lot to see. That’s why we’ve compiled a hit list of highlights that the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2018 has to offer, accompanied by a handy Floom-illustrated interactive map...
The Best Breakfast Spot: Daylesford Farmshop & Café
Where better to enjoy pre-flower show breakfast than Daylesford Farmshop & Café? They’ve been serving fresh, seasonal – and sustainably farmed – produce from their Gloucestershire farm’s market garden for over fourty years. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, opt for the buttermilk Scotch pancakes with honey and stewed fruit.
![Daylesford Organic Notting Hill Eb8F0D6B194F37E16C36A86Bced0F4D3](https://floom.imgix.net/general/daylesford-organic-notting-hill-eb8f0d6b194f37e16c36a86bced0f4d3.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=1440&s=9a36ed036d9fcc10b33e568da5f939a4 1440w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/daylesford-organic-notting-hill-eb8f0d6b194f37e16c36a86bced0f4d3.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=1000&s=13ed793ae5a51d27f2bbe460adb6d13f 1000w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/daylesford-organic-notting-hill-eb8f0d6b194f37e16c36a86bced0f4d3.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=600&s=43bee1e4bcb854198b2a86346a28c94a 600w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/daylesford-organic-notting-hill-eb8f0d6b194f37e16c36a86bced0f4d3.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=400&s=af9cbf0c71fda2b2dac2dd006e75a521 400w)
An Exquisite Afternoon Tea: The Drawing room by The Dorchester
For a little afternoon luxury, head to The Drawing Room (located to the north of Ranelagh Gardens) where you can indulge in The Dorchester’s Floral Afternoon Tea, expertly created by head pastry chef David Girard and designer florist Philip Hammond. Together, they are serving a visually stimulating menu of delicate and elegant French pastries to tantalize the taste buds – accompanied by chilled champagne, no less.
3pm–6pm Tuesday to Friday
3pm–4:30pm Saturday
£65 per person
![The Drawing Room 940X367](https://floom.imgix.net/general/the-drawing-room-940x367.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=1440&s=525e04e8e957cd06786cdcb60f07bf20 1440w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/the-drawing-room-940x367.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=1000&s=e8041b2f61fe7c4ee4484b3a02911ce9 1000w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/the-drawing-room-940x367.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=600&s=6f2e059a3fa7ae9935239e93792d86aa 600w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/the-drawing-room-940x367.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=400&s=82cd6d731c598fb85e665b94df2abb7d 400w)
Somewhere to Relax: RHS Feel Good Garden
When the rich botanical aromas – and the afternoon bubbles – send you dizzy, head to the RHS Feel Good Garden. A collaborative project between the Royal Horticultural Society and the NHS, the therapeutic garden is in place to celebrate the positive impact that green spaces and gardening have on both our mental health and emotional wellbeing.
![Rhs Feel Good Garden1088X612](https://floom.imgix.net/general/RHS-Feel-Good-Garden1088x612.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=1440&s=e213d36d165857b68a3f0f0b110020f1 1440w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/RHS-Feel-Good-Garden1088x612.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=1000&s=55cb12340056015de0cf921385c0b6bb 1000w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/RHS-Feel-Good-Garden1088x612.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=600&s=32344076fe032052f6339ab222432511 600w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/RHS-Feel-Good-Garden1088x612.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=400&s=bf78e0c497628a39f42c54a5b91edf30 400w)
Gardening Heritage: The Western Garden
If you’re heading to the show in search of horticultural tradition, consider this your hang out spot. In place to celebrate 60 years of the Garfield Weston Foundation, The Western Garden is a romantic space inspired by intimate private gardens – their hidden spaces and secret enclaves divided by textures, topiary art, twists and turns.
![Garfield Weston 1088 X 612](https://floom.imgix.net/general/Garfield-Weston-1088-x-612.gif?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=1440&s=0ef0302f90bbe955476e7d662ccd0e2f 1440w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/Garfield-Weston-1088-x-612.gif?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=1000&s=adec12cf2394df6735b15cc373005cd1 1000w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/Garfield-Weston-1088-x-612.gif?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=600&s=0fd123a84e3033e4e9d2dfb44e210c9c 600w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/Garfield-Weston-1088-x-612.gif?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=400&s=f964646b1e2177322b8c6e3aa41f19a1 400w)
Educate Yourself: Eco City-Garden
Designed by Hay-Joung Hwang, the Eco-City Garden is representative of the green space allocated to one housing unit in a ‘vertical forest’ of residential apartments. The space seeks to examine human dependence on technology, environmental mindfulness, the eco-dangers of contemporary lifestyles, and the rising pollution rates in highly populated areas. Everything in this garden has a purpose - while the plants and trees control oxygen generation, humidity, temperature and the reduction of carbon dioxide, the running water is in place to cleverly combat noise pollution.
![Lg Eco City1088X612](https://floom.imgix.net/general/LG-ECO-CITY1088x612.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=1440&s=775df780bb80b26244bcc4e455bd10d3 1440w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/LG-ECO-CITY1088x612.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=1000&s=d5cf663d537b36e426c08bc809f07b47 1000w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/LG-ECO-CITY1088x612.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=600&s=8b160287f34f2698311e20d9e4a38e8c 600w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/LG-ECO-CITY1088x612.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=400&s=671704f3a9bd959eaad1db11ea4560cf 400w)
Raise Awareness: The Pearlfisher Garden
The Pearlfisher Garden is taking us underwater - it’s a garden to celebrate the plants, coral and fish of our great oceans, all designed around a central three-dimensional pearl diver. Of course, coral doesn’t live out of water, so cacti and succulents imitate its intricacies, while suspended Tillandsia replaces algae. The garden has been created in partnership with Plastic Oceans in order to highlight the irrevocable impact of plastic waste on our ecosystems.
![The Pearlfisher Garden 1088 X 612](https://floom.imgix.net/general/The-Pearlfisher-Garden-1088-x-612.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=1440&s=dffdc544d3a3cdf655746bcb413768fe 1440w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/The-Pearlfisher-Garden-1088-x-612.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=1000&s=33d5cc50d1c4d28e72f1b58a8604dc7c 1000w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/The-Pearlfisher-Garden-1088-x-612.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=600&s=9ca493f3b28087e6efa3193b7c56cc4e 600w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/The-Pearlfisher-Garden-1088-x-612.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=400&s=efabf647b714273a70535e9a5f0a8317 400w)
Unexpected Inspiration: Lemon Tree Trust Garden
The backstory to the Lemon Tree Trust Garden may not be apparent upon first glance. Inspired by the resilience, determination and ingenuity of refugees living in Domiz camp in Northern Iraq, this garden has been designed to reflect the unexpected beauty found in the camp, with input from those who have lived there. Built using a combination of concrete, steel, Islamic shade screens and everyday found objects, the drought-tolerant plants that feature in the garden include a fragrant mix of fig, lemon and pomegranate trees, and edible herbs.
![Lemon Tree Trust 2 1088 X 612](https://floom.imgix.net/general/Lemon-Tree-Trust-2-1088-x-612.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=1440&s=d674b473b3bfd1d6519a5b5e9b2ef6b4 1440w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/Lemon-Tree-Trust-2-1088-x-612.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=1000&s=21986df59e785955adda8ebc67b20788 1000w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/Lemon-Tree-Trust-2-1088-x-612.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=600&s=1f7066b21c515febb49c6cc8b45ff7bd 600w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/Lemon-Tree-Trust-2-1088-x-612.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=400&s=46a41d0b1c4c38f8d4ec917e9ea7394d 400w)
Pick Up A Picnic: Whole Hog, Sizzling Squid or Alice May’s
In search of the the perfect picnic munch? Head to the food court where you’ll find mouth-watering meaty dishes from the Whole Hog, seasonal seafood by Sizzling Squid, and gourmet filling configurations from Toastie Rack, amongst other eateries - all just a short walk from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show’s many picnic areas.