RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024 - Part Two

I find it impossible to compress RHS Chelsea Flower Show into one blogpost.  I mean, I could if I wanted to but it would be sooo long.  So here is part 2 of my visit which I now know was really lucky to be in the sunshine as this week has been 'changeable' in terms of weather (when is it not?)

At every RHS show now they have the big letters.  I always try and photograph them and getting them without people posing by them is a challenge.  Of course they are meant to be photographed with people posing, it is that 'insta' moment, so I grabbed my chance when I could.  Roses were ideal as the filler as this week seems to be the most rose-filled week suddenly in my garden.

David Austin took the opportunity to launch their new rose: Emma Bridgewater named after the very popular pottery designer.  What a beautiful rose it is, as are the rose mugs.

Peter Beales Roses launched their 'With Courage' rose timed to commemorate the RNLI's 200th birthday.  Some idiot (ahem) neglected to photograph the rose and it is a very beautiful rose.  You can see it here.

This is the RHS Plant of the Year 2024 Prunus 'Starlight  and what a beauty this tree is.  It has white 'starry' flowers and does not grow hugely tall, so should be a good garden tree.

Third place was the Thompson and Morgan 'Mad about Mangave' Praying Hands  this is a stunner of a plant.  It is the most beautiful shape and I love the red margins and points to the leaves.  They tell us it is easy to grow.  Here is where I admit I contacted them and asked if I could trial a sample.  

It arrived super fast and I will report back on how it develops.  I cannot wait to see it grow into that magnificent shape.

This is The Pulp Friction Growing Skills Garden designed by Will Dutch and Tin Tin Azure-Marxen (best.name.ever.)  This garden won a silver-gilt medal and the People's Choice Best Sanctuary/Mad About Plants Award.  Pulp Friction is a social enterprise that support people with learning disabilities and autism to develop skills to support themselves.  They are based in Nottingham, my home hown.  They have a community town and an allotment.  Their starting point was a Smoothie Bike that goes to events and now they have three.  I did not know of this organisation and, proving the point of the power of a Chelsea show garden, now I do and I am keen to know more.

The Octavia Hill Garden by Blue Diamond with the National Trust, designed by Anne-Marie Powell with the Blue Diamond Team won silver-gilt and People's Choice Best Show Garden and the RHS Children's Choice Award.  The garden celebrates Octavia Hill, one of the founders of the National Trust.  It is a fabulous lush garden with these great benches.

This arch on the RHS Britain in Bloom's 60th Anniversary Garden is a thing of wonder.  I would love this in my garden. The garden was designed by Jon and James Wheatley.

Equally I would love these four cheetahs.  I would want all four, I would also probably put them in a row like this.

and whilst I am thinking about pretty things, this is the back of the 'She Grows Veg'  stand designed by Lucy Tiffney who is an award winning artist and I would find space for this in a heart-beat.

I might want the dinosaur too.

and regular readers will know I am always drawn to the bonsai.

and I want this pink iris - name unknown - but what a beauty.

These mushrooms were also so beautiful.  I don't want to grow these but I can admire them nonetheless.

These whirly hairy cactii are more my thing - so pretty.

Outside in the houseplant studios, I am being shouted at, in a good way.

I am always going to like a stand with a disco-ball.

I stood for a moment admiring the chessboard too.

I need to mention how beautiful the grounds themselves looks at the Royal Hospital Chelsea where the show is held.  They really make sure that what you can see of this space looks its best.  I always wonder what it looks like when the show is not there.  I assume a large green open space.

I bought a mug as I always do.  I cannot say I have been if I do not buy a mug.

I really enjoyed my day at the show.  It helped of course that the sun shone, but it felt like it was a good show.  I cannot say there was much I saw that was innovative and new, dare I say a lot felt quite 'safe'; but I am not going to knock it for that.  The quality was outstanding, the plants were the stars of the show (quite rightly) and I had a grand day out.  I was lucky to have a press pass again as the cost of a ticket with train fare then on top makes it an expensive day.  Great strides are being made to make the show more accessible, more inclusive and more relevant but the price of a ticket (in my humble opinion) is actively working against these actions.  Dear RHS: I am a long standing member, I support you, I have to ask you to look at the pricing and maybe think of innovative ways to make this show more open.  

Take care and be kind.

For more from the Blackberry Garden follow me on Twitter X  Facebook and Instagram