GARDENING MAY.qxp_Layout 1 24/04/2025 13:19 Page 1
GARDENING
It’s showtime!
Garden designer Elly West thinks there’s something very special about visiting a horticultural show. This month, just in time for the start of the 2025 show season, she writes about how these events help to inspire ideas for her next project
I
f you love gardens and gardening, there’s something special about visiting a horticultural show, whether it’s a world-renowned event such as RHS Chelsea Flower Show, or a local garden fair. This month marks the start of the gardening show season, when greenfingered enthusiasts come together to buy, sell and display all things gardening. Shows are the perfect place to celebrate the joys of the great outdoors, pick up expert advice and shop for unique garden finds. I am always on the lookout for new products, colour combinations and plants that I can use in my designs, and the show gardens at the larger events never cease to amaze me with what is possible in a small space. RHS Chelsea Flower Show, taking place from May 20-24, was launched in 1862 from a tent in Kensington, and is now the most famous gardening event in the world, showcasing cutting-edge design, and attracting more than 150,000 visitors each year and 500 exhibitors from around the world. The show gardens here are the main highlight and can cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to build. Full-grown trees are brought in, rocky landscapes and waterfalls created and buildings erected, all for the less-than-a-week-long event, then dismantled in the five days following. The most expensive show garden ever was David Domoney’s Ace of Diamonds garden in 2010, which included £20 million worth of diamonds. These are generally very much stage sets and show pieces, rather than actual feasible or sustainable gardens. The number of plants per square metre is phenomenal and breaks all the rules – there’s no following the label’s guidelines here – they’re crammed in much more densely than you would ever plant in a permanent garden border, and everything is chosen to look perfect in the moment. But they are great places to gain inspiration, whether it’s colour schemes and plant combination, interesting materials for hard landscaping, or other elements such as water features or garden statuary. 72 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE | MAY 2025 | No 246
I also love browsing the nursery stands and plant marquees, where rare and unusual varieties can often be found. It’s a great opportunity to chat to the growers, pick up some tips and share in their passion. And the chance to shop and seek out a bargain is always a bonus. As well as beautiful plants, there are often exclusive show deals to be found on everything from sheds and hot tubs to furniture and sculptures. The first of the season’s big shows is Malvern Spring Festival, from 811 May. This year’s theme is ‘Plants and People’, exploring the way plants impact our lives, and how they can benefit our mental and physical wellbeing. Indoor gardening is a key feature, with the first ever RHSjudged Indoor Plant Gardens, as part of the show’s Festival of Houseplants, which was newly introduced last year.
Upcoming shows RHS Malvern Spring Festival, Three Counties Showground, Malvern: 8-11 May RHS Chelsea Flower Show, London: 20-24 May Gardeners’ World Live, NEC, Birmingham: 12-15 June RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, East Molesey: 1-6 July Frenchay Flower Show (80th Anniversary), Frenchay Village Green, BS16 1SZ: 12 July Henbury Flower Show, Henbury Village Hall, BS10 7QG: 19 July Portishead Summer Show, Portishead Show Field, BS20 7RA: 26-27 July Yeo Valley Organic Garden Festival, Blagdon, BS40 7SQ: 18-20 September