Charmed by Chelsea
I couldn’t let this week go by without a nod to the Chelsea Flower Show. I like to think that I’m not influenced by fashion, but when you see a new trend repeated over and over, it does rub off.
One plant that seems very On Trend is bronze fennel, a plant that takes centre stage in my garden, so I’m ahead of the game on that one. Lots of lupins, can’t grow them; irises, not enough sun; roses, can’t get enough of them! But it was the re-emergence of flowering shrubs that made my heart sing: A miniature philadelphus Petite Perfume Pink won Plant of the Year 2025, leading the way for breeders to produce smaller versions of our favourite shrubs to suit most domestic gardens.
This year’s subtle colour palette ranged from burgundy through to coral, led by Jo Thompson’s gold medal winning Glasshouse Garden, full of roses, softened by ornamental grasses and ferns.
Water featured large in the show gardens this year. Naturalistic fountains, calming pools. And curved rills; ironic really, seeing as we transformed our curved rill into a dry riverbed last year, our homage to climate change!
Early on in our marriage I made the mistake of asking David what his least favourite colour was in the garden. To which he replied, green! Enough said! I was reminded of this by the predominance of green in this year’s gardens. Ferns, hostas, ornamental grasses, moss, mind-your-own-business, muehlenbeckia, a calm woodland floor, shaded by the tree canopy. Tranquil, fluid, naturalist. A far cry from the challenging show gardens of the 1990s, all straight lines, colour blocking and perfect topiary.
Sustainability and biodiversity were key requisites throughout, from the show gardens to the Great Pavilion. Edibles and herbs combined with ornamentals. Vertical vegetables for balconies and courtyards. Single petalled blooms and umbels, wildflowers and ‘weeds’, accessible to bees and pollinating insects, proliferated.
By their very nature, Chelsea show gardens may be contrived, but they are designed with a future in mind, all living on to be recreated in hospitals, charity centres, schools, community gardens around the UK.
So, if you are inspired to visit Chelsea 2026 for the first time, wear a floral frock or shirt and comfortable trainers, get there early, and I mean early, and go for breakfast. But above all, indulge your fantasies and be transported to horticultural heaven!
Love, Caroline x