Date Published 23 May 2024
Dating back to 1862, the flower show was first called the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Great Spring Show, launching from a large tent at RHS garden in Kensington. Between 1888 and 1911 it was held in the Temple Gardens on the banks of the Thames before moving to its current site at Royal Hospital Chelsea in 1913.
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is the most prestigious gardening show in the world. It is the highlight of the horticultural calendar, with cutting-edge garden design, breathtaking floral displays and innovative garden products, it welcomes in the region of 170,000 visitors each year.
It takes just under three weeks to build a show garden and only five days to dismantle, over 2,000 tonnes of earth is moved in preparation for the show.
The Great Pavilion is known as ‘ the jewel in the Chelsea Flower Show crown, it is almost three acres, filled with nurseries from across the world, who exhibit their plants.
The Great Marquee, first put up in 1951, was named in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's largest tent . In 2000 it was replaced by the current structure, but the remains of the old tent were put to good use – it was cut up and used to make 7,000 bags, aprons, and jackets! – so nothing was wasted.
It takes around seven hours to walk around the whole show, it may be the most prestigious but is not the largest flower show, that title goes to the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival.
So if you want to be dazzled by colourful flowers and innovative garden designs this is the place to be.
