I am lucky enough to be able to go to the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) Chelsea Flower Show in London every year. I like to distill my thoughts when I return home to see if there were any trends or popular plants. The importance of using water responsibly in gardens was a recurring theme this year. Color was back in some gardens – I was delighted to see some inspirational flower combinations – and lots of pink!. Here are some of my favorite gardens. There was so much to see that it is impossible to feature them all.

Pelargonium 'Pink Capitatum'
Sweet Pea 'Milly'
Pink Salvia
Gladiolus - Pink
Pinky-purple foxglower flower
Pink Nerine flowers
Deep Pink gladiolus
Pink Sweetpeas
Pink Rose 'Emma Bridgewater'
Jenny Rose Carey in pink at the Chelsea Flower Show 2024
It was wet but still cheerful with all of the pink flowers that I found at the Chelsea Flower Show 2024
Part of the Octavia Hill Garden for the National Trust at the Chelsea Flower Show 2024

The Show Gardens are the centerpiece of the Chelsea Flower Show. They vary in size from the large Main Show Gardens, through to the middle-sized Sanctuary Gardens and down to the smallest Balcony and Container Gardens. The gardens are designed for display at the show and after the show the structures and some of the plants will be used elsewhere. The sponsoring organization is often a charity.

The Octavia Hill Garden at the 2024 Chelsea Flower Show - with benches made from an oak tree that fell down in a storm.
The delightful Octavia Hill Garden by Blue Diamond with the National Trust was designed by Ann-Marie Powell. The garden commemorates the life of an incredible social reformer called Octavia Hill. She was co-founder of the National Trust. Octavia Hill wanted people to have access to the ‘healthy gift of air and the joy of plants and flowers’. This garden won the prestigious people’s Choice award. The benches are made from an oak that fell down in a storm. Note the intimate gathering spot in this section of the garden.
Foxgloves, irises, and alliums in the purple combinations on the octavia Hill Garden by Ann-Marie Powell
Color is back at The Chelsea Flower Show. Ann-Marie Powell has such a wonderful way of using color in the garden. In this section she combined purply foxgloves, irises, and alliums.
Purple poppies were popular plants at Chelsea Flower Show 2024
Deep purple poppies were a popular plant at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show.
A water feature made of curled copper wire made to resemble a bird's nest.
A lovely water feature in the National Trust – Octavia Hill Garden by Ann-Marie Powell. I would love this in my own garden!
Wildlife habitat idea in the Octavia Hill Garden - using sticks and straw - Chelsea Flower Show 2024
A fabulous way to provide a home for wildlife in your garden from the Octavia Hill Garden.
Forest Bathing Garden by Ula Marie - Best in Show at The Chelsea Flower 2024
The Best in Show Main Show Garden – Muscular Dystrophy UK – Forest Bathing by Ula Maria. The birch grove creates a sanctuary for people who suffer from this muscle wasting disease. Forest bathing is popular in Japan and is spreading to other areas of the world.
A birch tree grove at the Forest Bathing exhibit by Ula Marie at The Chelsea Flower Show 2024
A view through a grove of birches to the central water feature in Ula Maria’s Forest Bathing Garden.
The Fountrain at the Chelsea Flower Show exhibit by Ula Marie Chelsea 2024
A close up of the gently dripping water feature in the Forest Bathing Garden.
The Water Aid Garden at The Chelsea Flower Show.
The Water Aid Garden was designed by Tom Massey with the architect Je Ahn. The innovative metal forms hold 10 tons of soil and collects water after a rain. This garden highlights the need for responsible water use in our gardens.
Water puddles in a road at The Chelsea Flower Show.
An unexpected ‘water feature’ caused by heavy rain and a blocked drain caused some difficulties in getting around the show.
View through a round window into one of the Main Show Gardens for St James's of Piccadilly at The Chelsea Flower Show
View through a round window into one of the Main Show Gardens – St James’s, Piccadilly that celebrates the power of green spaces to help people. Designed by Robert Myers.
The Cabin for Counseling designed by Ivan Morison on the Chelsea Flower Show Exhibit 2024
The woven wooden slatted Cabin for Counseling was designed by Ivan Morison. It will be placed on the site at St James’s, Piccadilly.
The view inside the St James's exhibit at Chelsea 2024
Interior view of the stunning cabin on the St James’s garden. The site is a welcoming space.
Japanese Primroses at a Chelsea Flower Show exhibit 2024
The National Autistic Society Garden by Sophie Parmenter and Dido Milne consists of distinct spaces. The brightly colored flowers at the front include these water-loving Japanese Primroses that represent the cheerful external appearance that masks interior feelings.
Camassias at a Chelsea Flower show exhibit 2024
Camassias are another water tolerant plant in the back section of the National Autistic Society Garden.
Galvanized steel containers capture storm water from a roof and let it slowly return to the soil in this garden at The Chelsea Flower Show 2024
I really loved this Sanctuary Garden called Flood Re: The Flood Resilient Garden by Naomi Slade amd Ed Barsley. If features ways of capturing water from the roof in galvanized containers that can hold 100 bath tubs worth of water. The lower swale keep water in the garden until it can infiltrate back into the soil. I do a similar thing here at Northview.
Changing Tides Garden at Chelsea Flower Show 2024
My favorite garden in Container Garden Category shows how to make a drought-tolerant garden inspired by the pebbly beaches found in England. This garden was designed by Lucy Mitchell – Check out her website at http://www.lalalandscapes.co.uk to see more images and a plant list.
Jenny Rose Carey and Lucy Mitchell at Chelsea Flower Show 2024
Jenny Rose Carey with Gold Medal winning garden designer of the ‘Changing Tides Garden’, Lucy Mitchell

Bye for now Gardening Friends. If you want to hear more thoughts about gardens and gardening sign up for my once a month email newsletter at my other website – jennyrosecarey.com. Cheers, Jenny Rose

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