Chelsea Flower Show An open garden in London

The Chelsea flower show is held every year in May and stays open for five days.

I went to Chelsea last year, I had always wanted to go. I did enjoy it but in my opinion there are much better shows. Chelsea is so small and far too crowded, also you can't purchase any plants you have to order by mail. We did also visit Wisley Gardens on the same trip, this was wonderful and I did buy some plants to bring home. I do enjoy watching Chelsea on the t.v. you seem to see far more.

I agree you see more on T.V. but I think this year it was overdone on T.V. and when you have commentators like Lorraine Kelly it is dumbing down a bit. I went this year for the first time and thought it was wonderful, especially as I was in early ,after 12.30 it got impossibly crowded but I will go again if I can.The show gardens were terrific even the small gardens were good unlike at Malvern where the small gardens,in my opinion were twee!! and rather silly.

The Chelsea show has become about people, showy gardens and selling. I didnt agree with all the gold medals either! This aside, the small gardens this year were fabulous. If you are thinking of going to one of the RHS shows in London - try Hampton Court Palace flower show - this is more for the practical gardener as you can buy plants from most of the stands.
For an inside scoop - go visit the new RHS Wisley Glasshouse as of 15th June - it looks amazing inside and it will wow even the hardened garden visitor

This was (possibly - not entirely sure) my 30th Chelsea and all I can say is, you should have tried it when they didn't limit the numbers. Pace yourself, wear jeans and trainers, and try not to swear at the old dears prodding you with a walking stick. And knock off for a bevvy every couple of hours.

The things to go for are design ideas and new plants, and to pick up catalogues for interesting new nurseries (or furniture, sculpture etc). Hampton Court - which I also go to - does sell plants but most nurseries are selling reasonably easy to find types. Chelsea is the place to find and order the rarities.

NOBODY ever agrees about gold medals. I too thought Beardshaw wuz robbed, but that's part of the fun.

I was on a ten day English Garden Tour through Trafalger Tours last year, it ended with an entire day at the Chelsea Flower Show. I have nothing to compare my visit to, as I have never been to anything like this. I was awe struck at every garden in the show. It is amazing the little time the designers have to build the gardens in the show. I came away inspired and loaded with new ideas.

In 1997 my husband and I had a fantastic day at the Chelsea Flower Show. Although neither of us were in the best of health at the time and we both found it challenging being on our feet for most of the day it was one of the most enjoyable we were ever to share. The crowds were horrendous but it was worth tolerating them to see such incredible garden designs 'in the flesh' and to be astounded by the innovations on display. We had seen the show featured on television earlier in the week but in no way did that spoil our experience, in fact it added to it because we knew there were some things we wanted to see; we loved every minute of it. We came away with loads of memories, a bag full of informative leaflets, seeds of plants we particularly liked and quality pair of secateurs as a souvenir. By the end of that summer my husband had died, memories of our shared experience of Chelsea are among the most treasured.