The show goes on(line), May 18-23…
Despite the challenges faced by COVID-19, this year’s Chelsea Flower Show will go ahead as Virtual RHS Chelsea online, the charity has confirmed. The RHS website will play host to an online platform sharing free content from the gardening world. Monday, May 18 will be Members’ Day, showcasing exclusive content for RHS members only.
Each morning, a leading designer, florist or gardening personality will give a tour of their own garden. They will share design tips, planting combinations and trends with virtual visitors. A daily School Gardening Club for homeschoolers will provide activities to play, dig, grow plants and connect with nature. Read about the RHS Chelsea Plant of the Decade.
Virtual RHS Chelsea: behind-the-scenes tours
You’ll get an insight into how some of the world’s best quality plants are grown. The UK’s top growers will take visitors on behind-the-scenes tours of their award-winning nurseries.
Monday 18 May – RHS Members Day
The online show will be officially opened by RHS President Sir Nicholas Bacon and RHS Vice President Alan Titchmarsh. Join Monty Don, giving visitors a glimpse into unseen parts of Longmeadow as he heads out before breakfast to feed chickens. Clematis specialist Raymond Evison will take visitors behind the scenes of his award-winning Guernsey nursery. Perennial plant specialist Rosy Hardy of Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants will host a potting bench demonstration.
Virtual RHS Chelsea – Tuesday 19 May – Perfect Plants
Sarah Eberle, the most decorated female designer in Chelsea history, will welcome visitors into her naturalistic, woodland garden. Co-designer of this year’s M&G Garden, Charlotte Harris, will take viewers on a tour of some of London’s parks. She highlights the value of inner-city green spaces and the best-performing plants for urban gardens.
Indoor garden specialist Ian Drummond and gladioli grower Rob Evans from Pheasant Acre Plants will be leading the Potting Bench Tutorial. Meet the team at David Austin Roses, who have been bringing their award-winning roses to the show for 37 years.
Wednesday 20 May – Health & Wellbeing
BBC presenter and multi-gold medal-winning designer Adam Frost will explain how he gardens with plant health in mind. Designer Kazuyuki Ishihara will provide an insight into his own exquisite garden at home in Japan.
Celebrated florist Nikki Tibbles, and Founder of Wild at Heart, will be showing how to create a seasonal bouquet. Todd’s Botanics will be sharing everything you need to know to grow your own show-worthy irises.
Virtual RHS Chelsea – Thursday 21 May – Grow Your Own
Sarah Raven will take visitors on a tour of her garden at Perch Hill in East Sussex to see what’s ready for cutting now. The Chelsea Pensioners will be showing how they have been busy on their allotment during lockdown. Florist Larry Walshe will demonstrate how to use flowers and foliage from the garden to create a table setting. Vegetable grower Medwyn Williams shares his tips on how to grow amazing veg at home.
Friday 22 May – Wildlife & Environment
Tom Massey, inspired by his design for The Yeo Valley Garden, will be demonstrating how to create an organic, wildlife haven on a smaller scale. Designer Ann-Marie Powell will be in her Hampshire garden. Sienna Hosta will be giving a tour of the show-stopping plants grown for this year’s show. Newlands Nursery will lead the Potting Bench demonstrations, showing how to get the best from chilli plants.
Virtual RHS Chelsea – Saturday 23 May – Small Space Gardening
Last year’s Chelsea Best in Show gold medal-winning designer, Andy Sturgeon, will be giving a tour of his courtyard garden. The UK’s oldest orchid nursery, McBean’s Orchids have more than 70 Chelsea gold medals, and you can have a look around. Andy’s Air Plants and London-based interior planting duo RoCo will show how to propagate plants.
‘Living in a digital age’
Sue Biggs, RHS Director-General, said: “We’re lucky to live in a digital age. We’re able to bring aspects of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show online so we can continue to share the world’s best in horticulture and bring garden design inspiration, breathtaking displays and horticultural knowledge for the nation to enjoy during this difficult time.”
Visit rhs.org.uk/Chelsea and follow #RHSChelsea on social media for more information.
