By Pauline Kurtides Sheehan
Every year, crowds throng to the Chelsea Flower Show, and for good reason. Join me on a pilgrimage of delight to this Mecca of horticulture, conservation, floral design, and gardening.
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I jumped out of my black London cab and joined the steady stream of pilgrims marching along the side streets, merging into a crowd of ever-increasing size as we approached the hallowed grounds of our Mecca: The Chelsea Flower Show. Floral midi dresses worn with trainers mixed with Barbour vests and wellies as Town mingled with Country. Hats and flats were rampant as sun protection and comfort were a must for the hours of walking ahead.
With deep roots dating back to 1833, the show is organized by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) to benefit the Royal Hospital Chelsea. In the process, it does so much more, promoting the art and science of gardening with best green practices, providing design inspiration to its followers, and capturing the essence of all that is British in the very best sense.
On this sunny day in late May, I thought back to the grey afternoon in February when I had started on this journey, booking tickets online as the icy sleet beat against my windows. My husband has an office in London, and I was to accompany him on this two-week long business trip, with dinners and weekends out together and my weekdays free for museums, theater, shopping, sightseeing, and especially for this flower show, a Bucket List dream come true (ask me later about the ABBA Voyage holographic concert; the “Sargent & Fashion” exhibit at the Tate; the Duke of Wellington’s Apsley House; splurging on caviar at Scott’s; the rebirth of Princess Diana’s favorite restaurant Le Caprice as the Art Deco Arlington; the Beaumont Hotel’s Le Magritte Bar; the iconic River Café; touring the Houses of Parliament; Sunday Roast at The Connaught with Neil’s nephew, Drew Basile, a grad student at Oxford and Survivor 45 contestant, fresh off a winning streak on Jeopardy; the Order of St John’s headquarters in Clerkenwell, dear to my heart (Pro Fide, Pro Utilitate Hominum); both brunch and dinner at The Arts Club in Mayfair; shopping at Goossens Paris, the Burlington Arcade, and the Elemis Spa; but I digress …).
Both my husband and I are architects, and we share a love of landscape architecture expressed in the design of our own garden, featuring a swath of green lawn and a row of birch trees inspired by the formal parterres and allées of Versailles, where I lived for a year in graduate school. Before we left home, we had our vulnerable trees wrapped in black netting for protection from the impending cicada emergence and crossed our fingers.
“The thing I love about the Show is that it can inspire ideas not just about gardens, but the way people are thinking; and changing trends.” – Sir Paul Smith, fashion designer
(NB: All quotes in this story shown in italics are excerpted from the RHS 2024 Show Guide.)
A tip: I joined the RHS to gain access to the first two days of the five-day show (May 21-25, 2024) open only to members, and bought tickets for two days, given the scope of the experience. Travel delays and rain forced me to miss day one, but the sunshine emerged the next day for my 10-hour adventure. I was lucky to have hedged my bets. I urge anyone hoping to attend to plan well in advance to avoid disappointment.
A feeling of euphoria overwhelmed me, and I found myself wiping tears of joy from my cheeks as my anticipation grew and my fantasy became a reality. As a member of the venerable Winnetka Garden Club, this experience was the culmination of years of preparation. As a provisional member, I’d been trained in the four pillars of the Garden Club of America: horticulture, floral design, conservation, and garden photography. I’d continued to build on this four-part foundation during my terms as WGC Program Chair, Garden Design & History Chair, and finally as Archivist & Historian during our centennial anniversary year. Now, at last, I was immersed in this font of learning at The Mother Ship, and my face hurt from constantly smiling!
Even booking months in advance, only one very early time slot remained for the world-renowned “traditional tea with a twist” provided on show grounds in The Promenade by The Dorchester, a legendary London hotel. Icy cold champagne and piping hot tea in their custom “Afternoon Blend” accompanied one of my favorite meals comprised of finger sandwiches, petit fours, and scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Fabulously friendly and attentive service set the tone for a very civilized day.
This stop was the perfect chance to review the 200-page Show Guide and map and familiarize myself with the truly vast exhibition as I planned out my visit. The abundant floral décor at the Dorchester entrance is echoed in shops, clubs, hotels, and restaurants throughout Chelsea, Belgravia, and other London neighborhoods, set to coincide with the show, an extension of the celebratory experience.
Thus fortified, I was ready to tackle my big day. The major Show Gardens and Sanctuary Gardens line the two main perpendicular avenues. Side streets and winding pathways fill the grounds with smaller displays and booths. Get ready to walk, it’s a 66-acre site!
“My heart has often skipped a beat at the detailing and finesse of the Show Gardens on Main Avenue – they are the couture show of horticulture.” – Manoj Malde, garden designer and RHS Ambassador
“The Gardens: With 30+ gardens across four categories reflecting every size and style of outdoor space, you’ll find inspiration, innovation, and breathtaking beauty around every corner.”
“Charity-backed gardens have long been a tradition at RHS Chelsea. There’s hope in a garden: find a charity to fall in love with by visiting one of the 15 gardens for good causes sponsored by Project Giving Back; your support could make a world of difference.”
“Everyone can be a gardener, even in the smallest of spaces, and the horticultural joy of container gardening is showcased so creatively in the Balcony and Container Gardens.” – Mark Potter, Curator at RHS Garden Wisely
Soon enough, I was attracted by the numerous market booths (as a moth to a flame). Everything from chic country clothing and accessories to garden tools and secateurs was on display in a tempting array of over 250 (!) booths. Many of the finer London boutiques had outposts at the Show, including Welligogs, Really Wild, and Penelope Chilvers; even Boodles (est. 1798) had fine jewelry on display to try on. The extent of creative and unique products on offer was alluring and inspirational. Even the honeybees were attracted, buzzing about the floral displays!
“Beyond the beautiful spring flowers, the showground houses an immaculately curated marketplace featuring the very finest home and garden wares.”
“Around the Showground: with eye-catching installations, house plant heaven, and dozens of brilliant boutiques, there’s a wealth of wonder to discover along the buzzy avenues and wooded walkways of the Royal Hospital Grounds.”
King Charles III even had a booth for his Highgrove Gardens, where I purchased a fine silk scarf as a souvenir of my visit … very compact and lightweight too. I’d brought a tote to collect handouts and brochures but had to be careful to limit purchases to whatever I was willing to carry for the long hours ahead.
Dozens of building product vendors had booths as well, including Chesneys (mantlepieces and architectural stone), Beautiful by George (bespoke scenic wallcoverings), and RAJ Tent Club (exotic canvas garden shelters), filling my head as an architect and designer with ideas of things to do with my own home and garden. Everything from box planters and trellis forms to picturesque greenhouses and naturalistic swimming pools was on view, as if strolling through the pages of the Internet.
“The RHS is committed to minimizing its impact on the planet – but just how does that work at the world’s most famous flower show? Meet some of the sustainability champions striving to make this the greenest RHS Chelsea yet.”
There were several specialists in garden structures with full-scale displays built on site, just in case you needed a folly or a playhouse; from thatched tiki huts with outdoor bars to wrought-iron gazebos featuring rustic stone columns salvaged from Asia.
Perhaps my favorite piece was a mirror-finish stainless steel torus sculpture by artist David Harber, reminiscent of Chicago’s reflective Bean; it would be perfect as a focal point for my 100-foot long allée of trees at home, Chez Sheehan … but pricy, available in 4 diameters, starting at over $25,000. Can you spy Pauline?
At last, it was time to venture into the centerpiece of the showgrounds, The Great Pavilion! This vast, sheltered enclosure features a translucent roof, allowing for even and abundant light to fall on the numerous displays.
“The Great Pavilion: Enter an enchanting wonderland of plants and flowers: home to phenomenal floral art, cutting-edge ideas, and jaw-dropping displays from more the 70 of the nation’s leading nursery growers.”
“RHS Chelsea Sustainable Garden Product of the Year … celebrates the horticultural industry’s efforts to promote eco-friendly and ethical consumerism within the gardening sector.”
“I head to the Great Pavilion to see the amazing displays of flowers and plants. I am in awe of the sheer perfection, year after year.” – Dame Mary Berry of The Great British Baking Show, writer and broadcaster
Over 70 growers from around the world had brought their best specimens and created vast displays of sweet peas and clematis, hostas and ferns, peonies and roses, bonsai and succulents, mushrooms and orchids, trees and shrubs, the list goes on and on. The nurserymen were on hand to answer questions and offer advice.
“Experience the best. From the latest and greatest plants and eco-friendly innovations to a behind-the-scenes peek at the medal-giving process, this year’s RHS Experience is a celebration of horticultural excellence, in all its forms.”
“It’s the surprise of RHS Chelsea: it always fires your imagination. Everything is exciting, because no two years are the same.” – Dame Judi Dench, Oscar-winning actress
“Floristry & Floral Design: Enjoy an abundance of awe-inspiring exhibits created by some of the finest floral artists working in Britain today.”
The floral designs included both traditional and contemporary styles. Some of the floral designs were massive, large enough to walk through. The RHS awards medals to their favorites, and it was interesting to see if my picks were among the winners.
The floral tabletop settings were of particular interest, especially considering my previous article for Classic Chicago Magazine: Remembrance of Things Past: The Art of the Small Dinner Party.
As the afternoon passed, the effects of my tea having worn off, I happened across that most British of refreshments, The Pimm’s Cup, and had a chance to sit down for the first time in hours.
“From sit-down sophistication to scrumptious snacks, the showground is packed with options to suit every taste and appetite. On the menu this year: more locally sourced ingredients and plant-based options than ever before.”
Live music from The Stage filtered through the green pathways in the more remote areas of the legendary Ranelagh Gardens as my day concluded. I enjoyed the Balcony & Container Garden displays, which were very urban and applicable to many of our personal projects. There was even an area dedicated to houseplants. At this point, after taking 300+ photos, both my cell phone battery and my backup battery were depleted, so you’ll have to use your imagination.
“I’m always keen to see the new plants, design styles, and innovations being showcased. A key highlight is going to see the House Plant Studios – they get stronger every year.” – Arit Anderson, presenter, BBC Gardeners’ World
As the Show closed for the day at 8 p.m., I reluctantly made my way out of this Enchanted Forest and back to reality. My head was filled with ideas for my garden at home and I was ready for summer! I hope to return in the future with my husband in tow, to spread my visit out over two days, and perhaps to attend on Day One, when one may catch a glimpse of the Royal Family and other posh denizens of London: whether wearing trainers and wellies or pumps and loafers, all are united by a love of nature through conservation, horticulture, floral design, and artful photography.
I urge anyone traveling to the Show to leave open a day in London just to explore the abundant floral decorations on display this same week at “Chelsea in Bloom” and “Belgravia in Bloom,” and elsewhere around Sloane Square and throughout Mayfair, at favorite shops such as Taschen, Philip Treacy Milliner, and Grays Antiques, and inside fine hotels such as The Connaught and Claridge’s, and at The Arts Club of London. I have dozens more photos of these wonders!
Cheers!
Pauline Kurtides Sheehan
p.s. After all that, the cicadas never showed up in our neighborhood, so the young birch trees have survived unscathed. Here’s a photo of an al fresco dinner at our home in my little Garden of Versailles, complete with vintage English china (thanks to Coy Krupp Estate Sales) and dramatic outdoor lighting. The English Touch: look closely, the lawn is set up for a very long, skinny game of croquet! What will we add from The Chelsea Flower Show?
www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show
https://belgravialdn.com/event/belgravia-in-bloom
You can read the aforementioned ‘Art of the Small Dinner Party’ article here
