Three Gardens from the Chelsea Flower Show 2015 Preview

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Just before Christmas, Clare Matterson, director general of the RHS, wrote to ask if I would be RHS Hampton Court’s Iconic Horticultural Hero for 2023, which was both shocking and flattering in equal measure! Because of that, I was able to design a garden for the Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival.

Iris ‘Benton Olive’ in Sarah Price's garden

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A former AIB banker-turned-gardener says he feels “like a five-year-old getting presents” after winning a major award as well as a prestigious gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show in London.

When I started this project I had grand ideas of reconnecting with nature and deepening my knowledge of local wildlife and biodiversity. I daydreamed that my garden would be a haven for bumblebees and butterflies, and I would enjoy spending time there, reading, drinking wine and admiring my work. Picture me barefoot in flowy dresses ...how naive I was!

In late May, many of us look forward to seeing social media posts about the Chelsea Flower Show. The timing of this event is a reminder that there are many perennials that benefit from a late spring cutback, commonly known as the “Chelsea chop.” Many perennials that bloom in midsummer, late summer, or fall can be pinched or cut back early in the season to increase flower production, limit plant size, extend or delay bloom time, create novel flower combinations, and minimize flopping or lodging. While the chop is generally timed to coincide with the famous flower show, it’s more important to time the trimming for a point when a significant amount of vegetative growth has occurred. For the Mid-Atlantic region, this can be any time from midspring to early summer.

Chelsea is always inspirational but there are some years when the excitement ramps up a notch, and this is one of those years. There are so many superb show gardens to steal ideas from, so many important messages to absorb, that it has been difficult to narrow it down. The plantsmanship is breathtaking, the designs imaginative and the themes thought-provoking, many of the gardens demonstrating how we can garden more sustainably in this era of climate change. From Cleve West’s atmospheric ruined house to Chris Beardshaw’s immaculately planted woodland glade, there is so much at the show to learn from. Here is my pick of the crop.

The Royal Horticultural Society of London challenged everyone this year who could make a pocket-sized realistic garden, and people didn’t disappoint! Here are the best Small Balcony Garden Ideas from Chelsea Flower Show!

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 Our Aberdeen Garden Its not the end of Aberdeen gardening, however this is the last post coming to you from our present garden

Now in its 101st year the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is the flagship gardening show in the gardening calendar. This years show is set to be another fantastic celebration for the RHS with fantastic weather on the lead up to the show and the build up, ensuring all the plants and blooms are in top condition. Last years show was focused on the celebration of