From humble beginnings to the world’s most prestigious gardening show, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is a cornerstone of British horticulture.
Over 100 years since it first began, the show now seamlessly blends tradition with innovation, to bring gardening experts and enthusiasts to Chelsea every year.
Chelsea Flower Show Origins
The origins of the Chelsea Flower Show go all the way back to the 1800s, when the RHS Great Spring Show was first held in Kensington in May 1862. In May 1913, the RHS moved the show to the grounds of Chelsea Hospital where it has remained ever since, marking the beginning of the Chelsea Flower Show.
The move to Chelsea was a roaring success, with hundreds of exhibitors applying to be part of the show. Of the 244 who were approved, Kelways, Blackmore & Langdon, and McBeans Orchids are still exhibiting a century later.
While royal visits have since become a tradition at Chelsea, the King and Queen didn’t attend the spring shows in the early years. The first royal appearance was by Queen Alexandra, wife of King Edward VII, who attended the first show based in Chelsea with two of her children.
Shortly after the second Chelsea Flower Show, war broke out in Europe and while initially the show continued as normal in 1915, come 1916 it was cancelled when compulsory conscription was introduced and many of the RHS staff were called to serve.
Post-first world war Chelsea returned and began hosting educational exhibitions, as well as adding more tents for garden displays, picture exhibits and tea parties hosted by Chelsea residents Countess of Lovelace and Jacqueline Hope for public figures attending the show.
When the show was discontinued again during the second world war, the RHS put all its efforts into a ‘Dig for Victory’ campaign showing Brits how to grow food at home.
Post-war Chelsea Flower Show
Like many industries, the Chelsea Flower Show saw a post-war revival. The show became increasingly popular and began to showcase grander gardens with designs from leading landscape architects. It was said to be ‘keeping the flag of British horticulture flying’, and in the 1950s the tents were replaced with a large marquee covering 1.5 hectares to allow for even more exhibitions.
The 1950s also saw the late Queen Elizabeth II become a royal patron of RHS and marked her visit to the show in 1955. It was the beginning of a royal tradition, and since then many royals have visited Chelsea over the years including King Charles, Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Modern Chelsea Flower Show
The show continued to transform in the 60s. The previously popular rock gardens appeared less, with orchid displays gaining popularity. The first tree and shrub garden also emerged and bonsai trees made their first appearance with a display from the Japan Society of London.
The 1970s saw a rise in the number of celebrity garden designers, with Beth Chatto making her first appearance in 1976. Visitor numbers began to rise and this continued throughout the 1980s, with the RHS eventually limiting the number of tickets per day to 40,000. In comparison, today Chelsea welcomes around 160,000 visitors across the long weekend.
The 1990s marked the beginning of conceptual gardens at Chelsea and with the start of a new century the show welcomed more daring and contemporary gardens, conceptual designs and education exhibitions. Highlights included Laurie Chetwood and Patrick Collins’ edible garden in 2010, Joe Swift’s first show in 2012 for the Homebase Teenage Cancer Trust and in 2016 Jardin Blanc, Raymond Blan’s revolutionary catering, arrived at Chelsea.
100 years of Chelsea and beyond
In May 2013, the RHS celebrated 100 years of Chelsea with a temporary lift on the ban of gnomes (which had been implemented in 1990) so that familiar faces, including Elton John and Helen Mirren - could paint gnomes for charity to honour the history of the horticulture event.
Like many other businesses, in 2020 Chelsea was forced to go virtual during the coronavirus pandemic. The online show featured fun and informative video content created by designers, judges, and plant experts to keep spirits high and gardening inspiration alive while people spent more time at home.
With a focus on innovation and sustainable practices, Chelsea Flower Show continues to grow, inspiring garden enthusiasts worldwide with its award-winning, world class gardens, exhibitions and floristry every year.
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