Chelsea Week 2026

 I have enjoyed the TV coverage of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year.  I have never been in person, nor am I likely to go either (too expensive, travelling to London, tickets sell out very fast and too many people!).  I do like to see what can be done in these relatively small spaces.  All the photos are from the RHS Chelsea website here and they are the gardens/features/planting which caught my eye.

This massive wooden sculpture of Gaia, or Mother Nature, is the feature in the Campaign to Protect Rural England Garden: 'On the Edge' designed by Sarah Eberle, which won a gold medal and the best show garden.  

It will be relocated to a regeneration project in Sheffield.

I liked the use of the different materials.

The planting was cool and calm.

This was the Woodland trust: Forgotten Forests garden designed by Ashleigh Aylitt.  The garden will be going to a primary school in Newcastle upon Tyne.  Trees are so vital for our wildlife and our wellbeing.

The Parkinson's UK Garden: A garden for every Parkinson's Journey, was designed by Arit Anderson, whose sister lives with Parkinson's Disease. There was a snaking handrail which contained a rill, so would give some support as well as the cooling water.  This garden is going to the John Radcliffe Centre for Parkinson's Disease in Oxford.

I liked the cooler planting at the back of the garden. The front had a riot of colour.

The Cleary Gottlieb:Time for Creativity garden designed by Christina Cobb, encouraged people to put down their phones and do something creative. (It is preaching to the converted for me - I believe that doing something creative is vital for all of us.) 

It had a lovely carved bowl water feature.

The planting was beautiful too.  The relocation hasn't yet been decided.

I liked the rill in the Tate Britain garden designed by Tom Stuart-Smith.  This included a sculpture by Barbara Hepworth and will be relocated to outside Tate Britain.

The Whittard of Chelsea garden designed by Ollie Pike looked very inviting and shows what can be done with containers.

I liked the blue/green patina on the water features.  It will be donated to a community centre.

Back to my own garden now!