Chelsea Flower Show is considered by many to be the most prestigious flower show in the world and for the Flower Show, there are some particularly impressive show gardens. Perhaps the most striking sight, however, was 5000 Poppies.
This tribute to servicemen and women was designed by Phillip Johnson, Lynn Berry and Margaret Wright and created with the help of many volunteers after being launched on Remembrance Day in Australia in 2013. It incorporates over 300,000 handmade poppies! The late Queen also visited it on the day that I was there and no doubt she was taken with it too.
For her 90th birthday, there were some lovely tributes to the late Queen too, including this cut-away floral sculpture in the Great Pavilion.
There were quite a few interesting floral displays in this area, including some spectacular headdresses…
As well as this colourful peacock.
The sun was shining though so I rapidly headed outside to the show gardens. My favourite from these beautiful gardens was probably the Harrods British Eccentrics Garden designed by Diarmuid Gavin and a Silver Gilt medal winner.
Not only does it have a cute wooden house but the conifers actually rotate every quarter of an hour! Chatting to one of the Chelsea Pensioners was the icing on the cake. As I said to him, he didn’t look old enough to be a pensioner!
The Brewin Dolphin Garden raises awareness of the fragility of our chalk streams – there are only 200 in the world, with most of them being in the South of England. Designed by Rosy Hardy, this Silver medal winner enables the visitor to walk through a dry chalkstream bed towards its source.
The Cloudy Bay Garden is a place after my own heart ;-). It’s inspired by their 30 year wine-making heritage and scooped a Silver Gilt medal. Heathers, grasses and pines all contributed to the sense of serenity.
The LG Smart Garden, also a Silver Gilt winner demonstrates how technology can be used in a garden and incorporates elements of Scandinavian design.
Chelsea also have an interesting category, the Fresh Gardens, which take important ideas and use attention-grabbing design. I really liked the Imperial Garden. With a serious theme exploring the relationship between the UK, Russia and Ukraine it uses “metal lace” to create a sense of harmony, uniting the two different areas in the garden. There’s a beautiful bronze statue, River of Time, made by Ukrainian sculptor Victoria Chichinadze.
I also admired these elegant swans, who by the look of it, were also enjoying the sunshine.
It was interesting to see the difference with Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, also organised by the RHS, which covers a larger geographical area and is held in July each year. Tickets to this are generally easier to purchase so it’s a great show if you’ve missed out on Chelsea Flower Show tickets this year.Â
Close to the show on Sloane Square and Duke of York Square, there are some fun activities taking place that are open to all. Celebrating Chelsea in Bloom, they include complimentary rickshaw rides to see the floral displays in local stores.
There are some quite spectacular designs on show.
I finished my visit with a specially themed Chelsea in Bloom cocktail at The Botanist on Sloane Square.
I hope that you enjoyed this virtual tour of Chelsea Flower Show and I’d love to know which is your favourite garden?
300,000 handmade poppies, that’s amazing and it must have taken a long time to make it! Floral structure for Queen’s 90th birthday looks absolutely beautiful, what a brilliant idea. If I have to pick a favourite or two, they have to be Cloudy Bay and Imperial!
Ela BellaWorld
I love the originality of the Queen’s floral cut out and the puppies too, so creative
You’ve got a very apt blog name, Gemma!
I feel like I’ve missed all of the Chelsea in Bloom because work has been crazy but it looks so, so amazing!
Erin xx
islandbell.co.uk
Sorry to hear that Erin, but I hope that you get a chance to go over the next few days
Oh wow everything looks so cool
Candice | Beauty Candy Loves
There were some really fun features, Candice – have a great weekend
Such an amazing event- loving all the color!
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
The colours were amazing and it helped that the sun was shining!
Wow! There is nothing more eye catching than a a colorful display of flowers, and the Chelsea Flower Show is not just any display. Lots of stylish flower arrangements beautiful color combinations. Reminds me a lot about the Rose Parade that is held in Pasadena, California on January 1st, every year.
I love the sound of the Rose Parade, Anda, and California is really high on my travel wishlist!
The Chelsea Flower Show must be a glorious sight to see! Look at all those poppies! And the different flower sculptures are truly creative – the peacock is great. We have some lovely gardens here in Western Canada (e.g. Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island – which we’ve written about on our blog), but the Chelsea Flower Show might even trump the flower displays in these gardens :-). Note, we said “might” :-).
I remember your post on the Butchart Gardens, they look equally impressive 😉
Wow, so impressive! These floral sculptures are wonderful!!!!
Kisses, Paola.
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They’re wonderfully eccentric aren’t they!
Thank you for the virtual flower show – can’t believe I have never managed to make it to the Chelsea Flower Show! The poppy display is very impressive. Hopefully I will be able to visit the Hampton Court flower show this year.
I’m sure that you will love Hampton Court flower show, I certainly did last year
This looks like such a magical day! Beautiful photography. Hope you have a great rest of your week.
Elise XO
www.thewaterwanderer.com
You too Elise, greetings from Somerset – I’m off to visit Bath now!
Enjoy!!
That peacock really is magnificent! As always, great pictures Suze 🙂 Looking forward to catching up this weekend! x
Me too, and have a great BH in the meantime!
These flowers are so incredible
xo
www.laurajaneatelier.com
I’m such a flower fan, and I know you are too, Laura
Stunning! I love the poppy display!
Wonderful isn’t it, and what a great tribute
You should definitely go next year, it’s well worth a visit
That’s a great idea, Jalisa! Let me know if you are ever coming over. The sun is out in England today!
I’m glad that you like them Elle, and I loved your France post
Oh, girl – it really looks like such a magical day! I’m so jealous! I must agree with people here about yout beautiful photography <3 <3!!
That’s really kind, Agness – I love photographing nature and I guess it shows! Have a lovely weekend, it’s pouring here in Somerset now
I swear you get to the loveliest places on earth. This is like paradise.
It certainly felt like paradise with the sun shining!
I also visited Chelsea Flower Show this year and found it to be superb! It’s so lovely to see the event from another person’s perspective though; your photos are ever so beautiful and how lucky you were to have visited on a sunny day!
Gabrielle | A Glass Of Ice | Twitter | Instagram x
Yes I’ve just read your post on it, great to compare notes!
Hard to pick a favourite garden as they all look spectacular. I have never been to this event but I would certainly go if given the opportunity!
If you’re in London around that time next year then you should definitely come, and the Hampton Court one is equally good
I love the Chelsea flower show so iconically British. The poppy exhibition is breathtaking Lucy x