What is the Chelsea Flower Show exactly?
The RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) Chelsea Flower Show is a five-day-long annual spectacular of flowers, plants and show gardens, hosted in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea.
For visitors, it's one of the places to see cutting-edge garden design, discover new plants and trends, and take home a wheelbarrow of flowers/tools/inspiration. For exhibitors, it's the chance to show off their concepts/green fingers, and maybe scoop a coveted award or two.
TL;DR: Think of it as the Glastonbury Festival of the horticultural world. Or, if that comparison's not working for you, a really upmarket garden centre where you've got a decent chance of running into Monty Don.
When is the Chelsea Flower Show?
It runs from Tuesday 20-Saturday 24 May 2025, although the first two days are reserved for paying members of the RHS. From 22-24 May the hoi polloi can get get their gardening mitts on tickets.
How much are tickets?
The cheapest day tickets for non-members (and we used 'cheap' in the loosest sense here) are now nigh-on £100 — and you'll want to grab them soon, because they will sell out.
That's too spendy for me
Fair. Well, the BBC offers comprehensive coverage of the show on TV, and there are plenty of other RHS shows with a smaller price tag you can go to instead, including one in Hampton Court in July. Then there's Chelsea in Bloom, a free flower festival, taking place 19-25 May 2025, which sees around 100 shops in this part of west London transformed with eye-opening floral displays. This year's theme is fashion. Belgravia in Bloom (19-26 May 2025) is a similar event taking place at the same time, one neighbourhood over. It's also free.
What are the highlights of the 2025 Chelsea Flower Show?
Chelsea is best known for its display of pocket gardens, specially constructed for the event. These include a selection of show gardens, plus a smattering of balcony gardens, sanctuary gardens and others. Here are a few themes to look out for:
- Future: Extreme weather — both floods and drought — are increasingly at the forefront of gardeners' minds, so it's no surprise that a few of the gardens this year explore what can be done to tackle such challenges. These include the Garden of the Future, planted up with climate-resilient crops; and the Killik & Co Save for a Rainy Day Garden, with its 'future trees' like zelkova serrata and pinus mugo, which can weather more tropical climates.
- Chelsea Pensioners: Seeing as it's hosted in the grounds of their home, it's only fair the scarlet-coated Chelsea Pensioners get a garden of their own. The London Square Chelsea Pensioners Garden offers up a peaceful, sheltered oasis for reflection, and features seating upholstered in old Pensioners' uniforms. Post flower show, it'll become a permanent addition to the Royal Hospital Chelsea.
- Monty Don: Despite being a fixture of the Chelsea Flower Show for many years, Monty Don has, until now, not actually designed a garden for the event. That changes in 2025, with the RHS and Radio 2 Dog Garden, a miniature paradise planned around pooches, featuring freshly-mown lawns for ball games, and plenty of dogwood.
There's also a wealth of other exhibitors at the Chelsea Flower Show — from plant nurseries, to sculpture makers, to greenhouse specialists. Check out the full list here.
Do I need a garden to enjoy the show?
We won't lie, you'll probably feel more invested in the Chelsea Flower Show if you have a garden of your own. However! It is a day out in its own right, where you get to admire a host of exclusive gardens in one place. Plus the gardening community these days aren't all land-owning, secateur-wielding know-it-alls. There's also stuff aimed at people with limited space, for example, bonsai trees, cacti and container plants.
What's the history of Chelsea Flower Show?
Its historical roots run deep. Before moving to Chelsea in 1912, the show was initially called The Great Spring Show, and was first held in Kensington in 1862. Before THAT, it was hosted from 1833 in the RHS's garden in Chiswick. Between 1888 and 1912, it was the Temple Flower Show, located in Temple Gardens, off Fleet Street.
Which celebs will be at the Chelsea Flower Show?
You're bound to run into a green-fingered celeb or two. You'll probably spot the common-or-garden Gardeners' World presenter (Monty Don, Frances Tophill, Carol Klein, etc). But many other famous faces flock here — in recent years, the likes of Dame Judi Dench, Mary Berry, Daisy Edgar Jones and Nick Grimshaw have shown up. It's also a hotspot for royalty, with King Charles and Queen Camilla likely to call in.
RHS Chelsea Flower Show, 20-24 May 2025
