RHS Chelsea Flower Show: All you need to know including how to buy tickets and how to watch on TV

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show has opened its doors to the rich and famous - here’s how to see it if you weren’t on the VIP guest list.

The biggest date in a gardener’s calendar has come round once again as the RHS Chelsea Flower show opens its doors to the rich and famous today (May 19). For those of us not on the VIP guest list though, you still don’t have to miss a minute of the action.

Stars including actors Cate Blanchett, Richard E Grant and Dame Joanna Lumley, along with Strictly dancer Nadiya Bychkova and singer Alexandra Burke have all been spotted soaking up the atmosphere at the horticultural spectacular, ahead of a visit from the King and Queen.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A common theme running through the festival of flora this year is nature with gardens showcasing wild habitats, resilient landscapes and natural planting. Expect lots of gravel paths bleeding into planting, moss covered paving and native plants from towering foxgloves to ethereal cow parsley.

Nigel Dunnett, whose Hospitalfield Arts Garden grown in sand evokes the Arbroath coast where the charity is based, said: “That’s a common thing around most of the gardens. They do have a very natural feeling,” he said. “Creating this immersive natural experience is something that people are really craving, rather than hard landscapes.”

Rob Stoneman, director of landscape recovery at the Wildlife Trusts, said the garden featured species such as cow parsley, which was a common hedgerow plant that many thought of as a weed but was “beautiful”. He said that since Victorian times, it was understood that gardens and green spaces could bring the countryside into the urban realm and benefit people’s health and mental health.

People enjoy the RHS Chelsea Flower Show at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in LondonPeople enjoy the RHS Chelsea Flower Show at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London
People enjoy the RHS Chelsea Flower Show at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London | James Manning/PA Wire

But a typical garden centre was filled with plastic and pesticides and had become artificial. “I’m not saying all of that is bad, but actually, what we need to do is return back to this concept of bringing the countryside back into your piece of green space because you’ll get the benefits from that.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Chelsea Flower Show tickets

There are tickets left for this year’s RHS Chelsea so if you have decided last minute that you would like to be there in person - there’s still time. There are show ticket options for public visitors and RHS members, with members benefiting from reduced price tickets.

For non-members there are tickets available for Thursday, Friday and Saturday with all-day ticker prices starting from £111.85. RHS members can purchase tickets at a reduced rate for Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday with prices starting at £90.85. Visit the RHS website for full details.

How to watch Chelsea Flower Show on TV

If you can't make it to West London in person, you can of course keep up with all the action on TV instead. Sophie Raworth is returning to the Chelsea Flower Show for the 11th time, presenting BBC One coverage alongside Gardeners' World host Adam Frost.

Alongside gardening guru Monty Don, another Gardeners' World star, Arit Anderson, joins the BBC Two evening coverage along with co-star Rachel de Thame. Other hosts include Invictus Games medalist JJ Chalmers, Radio presenter Jo Whiley, Escape to the Country's Nicki Chapman, Angellica Bell from The Martin Lewis Money Show, Gardener's World flower fanatic Carol Klein, and Frances Tophill, also of GW fame.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

BBC One has daily coverage from 2pm Monday to Friday this week with Nicki Chapman and Angellica Bell, offering practical take-home gardening tips. Led by Monty Don, Rachel de Thame, and Arit Anderson, with expert insights from Carol Klein, Frances Tophill, and more, evening coverage starts from 8pm on BBC Two running daily to Saturday (May 24).

There is also a special evening programme hosted by Sophie Raworth and Adam Frost on BBC One on Friday (May 23) and on Sunday (May 25) at 5.25pm, the pair return to look back on the highlights of the week. If you miss any of the coverage, you can also catch up on BBC iPlayer.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

Telling news your way
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice