- 5/25/2025
RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025 Highlights, Part 1
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00:00Hello, and welcome to the best of the best of the best of the best of the best of the
00:29best of the Royal Horticultural Society's Chelsea Flower Show 2025, an event supported
00:35by the Newton Band in Somerset.
00:37This week we've had the top designers and plantspeople from the UK and all over the
00:42world gather here for this event.
00:45Now, we can bring you the highlights of the past week as our team of gardening experts
00:51guide you through the very best of the show and what a show it's been.
00:56I know the stakes are very high, but my feeling is that there's a sort of camaraderie across the show.
01:02I think people help each other. I've seen it this year.
01:05Monty's looking, giving me that look.
01:07It's competitive.
01:09Of course, with the medals, it gets very competitive.
01:11But I think there's still something that brings us all together as a community.
01:15Yeah, no, there is. I mean, yeah, that is the great thing about Chelsea.
01:18It's hard work.
01:20But I think also as well this year, there's been a real push on sustainability.
01:24I've seen, you know, hydrogen-operated machinery,
01:27and people are trying to be really sort of low on their carbon impact of cement, etc.
01:31So that environmental push, on top of what they've got to deliver in terms of design,
01:36makes it really tough.
01:37But I mean, the baseline of Chelsea above all shows
01:41is the standards are as high as they literally can be.
01:44The idea is that you cannot do anything better.
01:47And obviously, those that are completely flawless get golds and best in show and all of this.
01:53Whatever anyone says, that's what they want.
01:55Yes.
01:55That's what they want.
01:56So emotions were running really high on Medals Day when the designers found out
02:01what the RHS judges finally did think of their gardens.
02:05And those medals were handed out.
02:09There have been some really exceptional gardens this year with four gold medals on Main Avenue.
02:15Now, the first is the Glasshouse Garden by Joe Thompson.
02:19It is a hugely ambitious garden with really distinctive rose-filled planting,
02:27and it has clearly paid off.
02:30We've won a gold medal, and that is the brilliant reward for all the hard work
02:35that the most fantastic team have put in to create this garden.
02:39Another gold medal winner is the Abernade Intelligent Garden designed by Tom Massey
02:44and Jay-Anne, showcasing cutting-edge technology to monitor the needs of the trees.
02:50And the judges obviously felt this garden ticked all the boxes.
02:55I'm very happy that we've got our second gold.
02:58How many times have you been?
02:59This is my third gold.
03:04Nigel Dunnett has earned a reputation for a distinctive naturalistic style of garden design,
03:10and the Hospital Field Arts Garden is no exception, complete with innovative planted sand dunes.
03:17We've been awarded Silver Guild, which is a great medal.
03:20It means that the judges have picked up on one or two little things,
03:23so I'll have to check the feedback and find out how we could do better next time.
03:27The King's Trust Garden Seeding Success designed by Joe Perkins
03:32is another gold winner, and this medal makes it his Chelsea Patrick.
03:36With its distinctive coloured glass panels,
03:39this beautifully planted garden has won the judges' seal of approval.
03:45I'm over the moon to have won a gold medal.
03:48It's a great reflection on the team, and we're so happy today.
03:51It's a great result.
03:52The Hospice UK Garden of Compassion has been awarded a Silver Guild.
03:56This was inspired by the Mediterranean travels of the designer Tom Hobley.
04:01This is Tom's tenth, and he says final Chelsea,
04:05and he's well known for his attention to detail,
04:07and this year he grew over 1,000 plants from seed for this garden.
04:14Another gold medal winner is Chino Niwa Japanese Tea Garden designed by Kazuyuki Ishihara.
04:21He already has 12 gold medals in other categories.
04:25His garden is inspired by the landscapes of Japan
04:28and features Ishihara's signature look of using maples and mosses
04:33with an extraordinary attention to detail.
04:38Chelsea draws on the very best talent from all over the world,
04:43and the designer Kazuyuki Ishihara has created
04:47no less than 17 gardens here to date,
04:49but this year was his first on Main Avenue,
04:53and early in the week I visited his garden.
04:59This is a Japanese tea garden,
05:02and there are certain very set rules and principles behind that,
05:07because the idea of a tea garden is that you shed all the world
05:11and the baggage that goes with it as you approach the tea house.
05:15So the progress is slow.
05:17You take in the beauty, you stop and you wash your hands.
05:20You admire the beauty of the garden,
05:23and you take in the beauty of the landscape.
05:26You stop and you wash your hands.
05:27You admire the garden in all its glory.
05:31So by the time you reach the tea house,
05:33you are ready to focus on the tea ceremony itself.
05:37You really get the feel of this.
05:39And as he's moved to the bigger space,
05:42here in the full drama of Main Avenue,
05:46I think it is a complete triumph.
05:49Now Mr Ishihara is here with me.
05:51He doesn't speak English, but he has got a translator here.
05:55Juno, so I'm going to talk to him through her.
05:58Hello, I think your garden is wonderful.
06:01How was it moving from a smaller garden to a big garden?
06:10It was very easy to build up.
06:20You come back to Chelsea year after year.
06:23What is it?
06:24What draws you back to Chelsea?
06:45Now every year your gardens have a theme.
06:48What is the message from this garden here?
06:54I think it's about not using a lot of food,
06:56but using a little bit of food to create space.
06:59That's the characteristic of my garden.
07:02Less is certainly more.
07:04I think this is the best garden you have ever done.
07:07Thank you very much.
07:09And I wish you, I'm sure it will be a great success.
07:13Thank you very much.
07:19The Chano Niwa Japanese Tea Garden
07:22certainly impressed the judges and everybody else.
07:33It won the RHS Chelsea Garden.
07:37Absolutely, I think it's clear to see why.
07:39His team were out there with tweezers,
07:41removing tiny bits of detritus from those moss balls.
07:44I mean, just extraordinary.
07:46I suppose because this time it's bigger, it's more expansive.
07:49The whole thing has been ratcheted up a notch.
07:52Good thing.
07:53Also, it was obvious that the people really saw that detail as well
07:57because he also won the BBC RHS People's Choice Award.
08:00So it was a clean sweep.
08:03That actually doesn't happen very often, does it?
08:05So maybe that's main avenue for you.
08:07The Chelsea Flower Show reaches out to people all over the world
08:11and there is certainly an international flavour to this event.
08:14This year, the Antigua and Barbuda Horticultural Society
08:18visited the show for the first time.
08:20Their display was months in the making
08:23and the journey here for the plants was anything but straightforward.
08:26But they were delighted with the final display
08:29as I found out when I went to meet them at the show.
08:40And here it is, the very first exhibit
08:43by the Antigua and Barbuda Horticultural Society.
08:46So welcome to the Great Pavilion.
08:48It's lovely to see you, Barbara and Michael.
08:50Thank you very much.
08:51And I know you were nervous, but it is indeed fabulous.
08:55You've done it.
08:56I know also it was a little bit tricky.
08:58You had a few bumps along the way.
09:00Tell me about that.
09:01Well, we were just a bit late receiving our goods.
09:03There was a slight delay getting them from Antigua to the UK.
09:08We've overcome it on the very last day.
09:10We could breathe.
09:12We had all stopped breathing.
09:14So you were working here very late.
09:16We were working here very late, yes.
09:18Are you pleased, Michael, with how the designers come together?
09:21Yes, with all the fidgeting we had to do at the end last minute.
09:24I'm quite satisfied with what we've come up with.
09:27Yeah, I think it's fantastic.
09:29I love, first of all, your conch shells that we saw being made.
09:33It's so effective.
09:35And of course, the famous pineapples.
09:37Right, it couldn't be without the pineapples.
09:40We figured we weren't going to be able to compete with the flamboyance
09:42and exuberance of our cousins in the region.
09:46So we'd go for sort of whimsy and, you know, interest and inventiveness.
09:50I think it's absolutely wonderful.
09:51What are your favorite parts on the display?
09:53Well, what we decided to do was look at what we call a glimpse into the past.
09:58The Dama, we call the Dama Falodea from Barbuda.
10:03So we tried to represent everybody.
10:05Michael kept saying, why do you keep throwing the pink sand?
10:08The pink sand comes from Barbuda.
10:11So I think the fact that we've had the representation from our sister island
10:16is really exciting.
10:18It's very inclusive, is Barbara.
10:20And how have visitors been reacting to the display?
10:24Very interestingly, I think the two big features are Michael's incredible conch shells
10:30and our famous Antigua black.
10:32Yeah, your Antigua black is wonderful.
10:36I think it's fantastic.
10:37Congratulations to both.
10:39You know, it's so exciting, isn't it?
10:40First time back next year?
10:46Artistic director, for sure.
10:49He's exciting.
10:50Fantastic work, brilliant.
10:55Oh, it's wonderful to see those first timers receive a silver gilt.
11:00While there are many exotic plants in the Great Pavilion
11:02that may not survive outside in the British weather,
11:05there are plenty that you can use to make a big and bold statement indoors.
11:14What's clear at the show this year is one of the days of having a single house plant
11:21solitary sitting on a windowsill.
11:23The big trend is all about maximalism.
11:26That's being bold.
11:27That's having more is more.
11:29That's having layering.
11:30You cannot have too much exuberance in your house plant.
11:34I'm really looking forward to see how it's been shown.
11:44This display absolutely exudes maximalism
11:48and I really love how every piece of space is packed full of plants
11:53to give this really bold and vibrant look.
11:56The use of colour here is really exciting because variegated leaves have been used,
12:01different colours sort of really jangled together here.
12:05I think what's really a nice touch to this whole look
12:07has been by adding in upcycled vintage vessels and bowls.
12:12It's a great idea, especially if you want to create this indoor landscape
12:16by using lots of plants that come from the same growing conditions
12:20and will really maximise your look.
12:23Part of growing house plants successfully
12:26is about the light levels in your home.
12:28So this display has been set out by those plants
12:31that like high light levels, like things like the Sansevieria
12:35or if you've got medium light with the light levels a bit lower in your room
12:39you could go for something like this variegated rubber plant
12:42or if you've got a shady part of your room, something like this asperdestra.
12:47Whatever the light level is, you can go for that.
12:50Something like this asperdestra.
12:52Whatever the light level is, whatever the plants that you've got in your home,
12:55I think there's a look here for everyone.
13:03Now here we see Maximalism pulled together under a concept.
13:07This is a shrine to Mother Nature.
13:10It's pulling together all of the elements of the earth, of wind, of fire.
13:15Now this one is earth and what's been done is pulling together those plants that actually
13:21like to live on the forest floor. So things like this fern or a trailing philodendron.
13:26It's really nice how it's a compact space which really adds into the exuberance.
13:31Coming past here a little splash of colour. I think this one must be fire.
13:36But this one down here which is depicting the sea. Now these plants don't really actually
13:42like living in water they're all like arid plants but it's all about being creative and
13:47having a look. So things like the string of pearls here actually look like seaweed.
13:52If you want to follow this trend if you want to really go in for maximalism you've got to be bold
13:57you've got to be creative you've got to add more and more and just go with it in fact just max out.
14:04Oh the Great Pavilion is stacked to the rafters with spectacular exhibits this year but
14:15amongst the trusted classics there are plenty of new and interesting varieties.
14:21Carol went to investigate further.
14:23This is the Blue Diamond Garden Centre's exhibit
14:27and if you love plants then this display has got it all.
14:41Having entered through this glorious romantic rose-covered arch immediately you're surrounded
14:48by a wealth of beautiful cottage garden plants. All those things which are so familiar.
14:54Dolphiniums, foxgloves all in glowing white and a perfect contrast to what has to be the epitome
15:02of cottage gardens the lupine. This time in a lovely smouldering sort of purple which is picked
15:10This gorgeous thistle oh it's just dreamy but this is just the start of it.
15:26And who wouldn't just love a hideaway a reedy nut like this.
15:33And who wouldn't just love a hideaway a reedy nut like this. What I love most about it is this
15:41inspired use of vertical space with these hanging pots, coca-damas suspended from the ceiling of
15:49the glass house. I think they're just wonderful and all this Spanish moss hanging down it really
15:55makes the whole thing much more intimate. Well at first sight you might think that this lot
16:07belongs in the glass house. It's got that sort of subtropical air about it but not a bit.
16:14Everything here can be grown in British gardens. This beautiful Zantadesha is from South Africa
16:21but completely hardy in British gardens and very often seen. But all together what a wonderful
16:27mixture to create that kind of dramatic effect. And on the other side of the path this beautiful
16:33hosta Devon Green, a new introduction with these solid green leaves. The texture in here is just
16:40out of this world. I sneak back into the glass house not just for a sit down but also to introduce
16:52you to this beautiful new fuchsia. It's called Mambo and it's being entered into the RHS Plant
16:59of the Year competition. As well as being new it's got to display innovative qualities and in this
17:06case that is because it starts flowering really early. It goes on way, way, way into the summer
17:13and autumn and what's more it's very compact. It's the perfect plant for a pot on the patio or anywhere.
17:24One of the things that's really struck me at the show this year is the level of craftsmanship
17:28in some of the gardens and earlier in the week
17:31I went around looking at some of the more interesting examples.
17:37There is a tendency at Chelsea to give plants the biggest attention and that's not surprising.
17:43However one of the first things I'm always looking for are the incredible objects made by hand, made
17:49with skill, with supreme craftsmanship. And when I saw this garden which is the Hospice Garden of Compassion
17:56designed by Tom Hoblin, immediately these seats drew my attention. Now the story behind these
18:03is that they are made from a windblown oak. Now that means it didn't die, it was blown over
18:08when still alive. And the wood has been carefully cut and crafted to make these seats and they will
18:16last for hundreds of years or more. Meaning that the life goes on and I think combined with the
18:22whole idea of the hospice movement, the idea of that is moving and beautiful as well as the object.
18:33This is the building at the end of the Alanade Intelligent Garden designed by Tom Massey and JR.
18:41The craftsmanship breaks outside our idea of what craftsmanship is, which tends to be very much
18:47around handcrafted techniques that haven't changed down the centuries and have a kind of whiff of
18:52nostalgia about them. This is utterly modern. Now it's all based around ash and obviously we're all
18:59dealing with ash dieback. So in the floor here you can see a streak of the dieback where the wood
19:05is starting to rot and be affected. So they've used that for the floor, it's not load-bearing.
19:10So these here are structural, very much unaffected wood because it needs to be strong. And the bit
19:17which I find most fascinating are these noggins. Now a noggin, if you don't know, are cross timbers
19:24that go between rafters to stop them twisting. And you very rarely see them in a building because
19:29they're usually hidden by the ceiling that lies underneath the rafters. Although they're completely
19:34structural, I think they're very beautiful because they are continuous pieces of wood. They look like
19:39a long thin ribbon of ash and they fold and wave rhythmically like a helix. And when they are
19:47stretched, if the building starts to pull apart, they become as strong as iron. So as well as beautiful,
19:54they're completely practical and effective and serving the same function that would have existed
20:00in a building that was created 2,000 years ago, but with all the developments of modern technology.
20:14Now I've got here another example of this combination of skills that can only come
20:20from the human hand with techniques that are really very modern. This is the Songbird
20:26survival gun designed by Nicola Oakey, and it features on the front these cutouts in metal
20:33of songbirds that are on the red list. They're endangered. An artist has drawn them, but then
20:39they're cut out using a plasma cutter, which essentially is using compressed air. So you have
20:44this filigree of metal in the circle, really dramatic, obviously the light coming through it
20:50using high technology, great human artistic skill, and also carrying a message that these
20:57are birds that we really need to encourage in our gardens, otherwise we're going to lose.
21:06Finally, I am going to shamelessly include something from my own garden, and it is what
21:12I call the Ned Vane, the weather vane up on the top. I drew it out, it's actually a combination
21:17of Ned and Nigel, and then it was cut with a hacksaw on metal, painted gold, and as a weather
21:24vane, a golden retriever to celebrate all the lovely dogs I've had in my life and the craftsmanship
21:32that made it.
21:35Monty, how was it building the garden with Jamie? I want all the inside goth. With hindsight, it was a really good experience.
21:50Okay. At the time, the best way to describe it was intense. That's the best way. Jamie was fantastic.
21:58It certainly enabled me to be much more empathetic with designers. You know, if you do well, people
22:04say, well, well done, but if you do badly, they say a lot more than that. But it was a good experience,
22:08because the skill of everybody involved, not just on the build, but from, we started a year ago,
22:14at every level has been just incredibly impressive. We won't go into the foresight in case you want to go.
22:22Can I say to you, watching this at home, I am not going to do this again.
22:29But you bought dogs. You bought for the first time. We had 11 dogs on here.
22:35And the RHS had a lovely surprise for you at the end of the week. Surprise, I am awarding you
22:43the first ever RHS dog garden award from RHS Chelsea. Never been done before.
22:51And here it is, in all its glory. Now, there are thousands of designers out there just
22:59desperate with envy, but they failed to win this prestigious award. This was the best dog garden
23:072025. Well, amazing. So think of the competition. I mean, the participants in that category were,
23:13well, let me think. Other people would have done dog gardens. Had they known. Exactly. Now, it was,
23:21do you know, okay, the serious point of this is, from day one, I said to the RHS, I'll do this on
23:26two conditions. One, I'm not going to be judged. And two, that it's fun. I just wanted to make a
23:31nice garden that people like. There's no message here. There's no big story to know about. Just
23:39have fun, have a garden, enjoy it. Okay.
23:44Every show garden is clearly designed with a particular purpose in mind. And a few days ago,
23:49Rachel and I took a tour of the gardens that are perfect for socialising with friends this summer.
24:08This has to be the most perfect space to just sit with a friend, have an intimate chat,
24:16a tête-à-tête. And it's really beautiful. I love the way that the designer, Hamza, has put the
24:22seating right in the heart of the planting so that you can see all around you all of these
24:28wonderful plants. So on this side, it's a little bit more shady, these lovely
24:32epimediums and in through these lovely soft ferns and the foxgloves behind me.
24:37And then coming through, the colours just heat up a little bit. So in the middle,
24:41you've got mauves and blues, this lovely erythema. And then if you look through these
24:46lovely salvias, you get a view of the hot colours beyond. So things like the
24:50Geum totally tangerine, the yellow aquilegia. It's a really lovely kind of layered effect.
24:56The whole thing just feels really pleasing to be in. And even if you're sitting here on your own,
25:02you've got the bees for company. If you have a larger space where you can host those big
25:14summer gatherings, there's a lot of inspiration you can take from the Tackle HIV garden,
25:19designed by Minhoj Malde. It has been created as a space for members of the charity to come
25:25together. And what a fabulous space it is. Immediately, I feel like I'm in the entrance.
25:32Where the gathering zone starts. And it's because it's flanked by these two borders that give this
25:36kind of lovely balanced feel as I come into the garden. Now, there are three clear distinct zones.
25:43Here, I love the fact that I can come in, sit down, kind of get myself settled,
25:47have this lovely seating area and be able to look back out onto the space.
25:51But of course, you want your guests to have a talking point and know better than this wonderful
25:56water feature. Love this water wall because you've got the sound of the water splashing in,
26:01adding to the bubble and babble of the chat that's going on. But also as well,
26:06something like a sculpture, something that somebody can really talk about after that party,
26:10after that gathering. Now, when you have water in the garden, that's really great. And I think
26:16it's very clever that the designer has changed the material so that I know that I've got something to
26:21traverse across and come into this second zone. And that's absolutely gorgeous. Having a pergola,
26:28which is very structural, very upright, but frames this lovely communal space. Really lovely.
26:35But sometimes you want to take a bit of time out. You've got to gather your thoughts,
26:39maybe sit and chat with somebody about some quiet time. And that's when I would sit down here and
26:45look across this border, planting in your garden and making sure that if it's the summertime,
26:50you've really got some zesty colours coming through. And by using colours like the yellow
26:55and the blue, they really pop off each other. But the other thing about this zone is I can look back
27:02and I can be quiet myself, but look back and see what's happening in the party. So creating
27:07zones within your garden, making sure that there's some focal features will really help to get the
27:12party started.
27:34Well, this medium-sized garden would just be the perfect spot for a slightly larger gathering of
27:41friends. Very sociable space because at the very heart of it, you've got this bowl filled with
27:46water and it's reflective. You see the sky, you see the plants around. So very calming effect.
27:53And the planting as well. Lots of interesting plants. So we've got the hydrangea petiolaris
27:58trained here against the fence. But unusually, there's one here which is sort of freestanding.
28:04I've not seen that before. Lovely sambucas here with the flowers just beginning to pop.
28:09And a host of perennials around us. Beautiful things like the little geums, foxgloves again,
28:15which we've seen quite a lot at Chelsea this year. It would just be a lovely place to sit.
28:20Look at this aeonium for company just on the edge of the bench. What a wonderful place to share.
28:28Floristry has been an important part of RHS Chelsea since the early days of the show
28:34and is still attracting the best creatives from all around the world.
28:38Well Francis explored the standout displays.
28:43Floristry is such an important part of the Chelsea Flower Show and every year the best of the best
28:48come here to display. So whether you're a seasoned professional or a newbie cutting your teeth,
28:53this is the place to be.
28:59These are the creative spaces and they give florists complete artistic freedom. And I love
29:04although we're all used to seeing branches now in flower arrangements, these are pretty much
29:08whole trees and there are even plantains featured instead of flowers. So I think
29:13scale and thinking big seems to be a theme in this area.
29:20These are the floral creations and they're a series of stands that are judged based on theme.
29:25Now this year's theme is texture and it gives florists a chance to really create something
29:29expressive and intricate in the hope of winning the very prestigious RHS Chelsea
29:35Florist of the Year award. This really beautiful display by Leila Robinson
29:43encapsulates that theme of texture so well and it's made entirely using dried flowers.
29:48It's really beautiful but if you were not an experienced florist
29:51creating something like this might seem like a really daunting thing to do.
29:59For anyone who wants to have a go at creating a floral display but doesn't necessarily know
30:04how to, Poppy Sturley has created this lovely installation that breaks down the process.
30:09So you have the pot at the beginning and then starting with the flowers you have structure
30:13being created. The next stage is giving some depth and volume so there's peonies and anemones
30:18that have been added to bring colour and bigger blooms. Highlight with some slightly paler flowers
30:24and then finally movement and that's been created by adding these
30:28lupine flowers with lovely curves in them and that is your finished display so it really makes
30:33it easy for new florists to have a go. For the florists who display their work here
30:45these competitions are not just a great showcase they can be career defining moments and earlier
30:52we caught the moment when this year's winner Dekki Yin was awarded RHS Chelsea Florist of the Year.
30:58Congratulations!
31:05He looks so happy and deservedly so and this is the winning display. Firstly you have the
31:11woollen structure which is a seed opening up to unleash the power of life. There's lots of wild
31:17flowers in here we have alpha miller mollus, there's umbels and there's nigellas. Against them
31:22these flame lilies really contrast so beautifully but the whole floral area shows us that when we're
31:29doing floral displays we can be as creative as we like and the only thing really that we're limited
31:34by is our own imagination. One garden addressed the challenges created by our increasingly
31:43unpredictable weather and provided perhaps a glimpse into what the average back garden could
31:49look like in the future. Rachel and I went to explore it and met the designer Baz Granger.
32:02I have to say I think it's incredibly impressive. Of course these big statement features of the
32:09water, the water collected, the computer generated concrete mingled in with the stone and that blend
32:15is very clever because it enhances both and these timber beams are effectively troughs. They fill up
32:23and then they overflow and they flood the garden and it runs down through the gully so the point
32:29being is the planting has to cope with being extremely wet and extremely dry and of course
32:35this is the pattern for most of us that we're having to deal with climate change but it's
32:40beautiful it's not like it's just a message it's actually a garden you want to be in. Now this area
32:45does feel at the moment because it's not flooded dominated by the stone it's fairly dry the planting
32:51which is exquisite is sparse but the garden is big enough to absorb different areas with different
32:57feelings. Yes I think this area has got more of a woodland feel to it so we've got this wonderful
33:03pine tree with a cinnamon coloured bark and that picks up on this douglas fir fencing very much in
33:10the same colour tones and again here the prunus machii just a smoother bark also in that lovely
33:17rich spicy colour and then coming through the plants here are all selected to be resilient
33:25and they're tough plants that can cope with all sorts of changes in growing conditions
33:29so things like the geum called maitai that's a beautiful soft apricot also with the lovely
33:35foxgloves and there are little poppies dotted through as well I just love those colours together.
33:42I have to say Baz I love this garden so congratulations on that I mean obviously
33:47the message is very strong and important do you think this kind of adaptability which is
33:53quite extreme is something we are all going to have to deal with? Definitely I think the management
33:59of water particularly over the next 25 years is something that we're all going to have to do.
34:04I mean I'm very aware there are different parts of the country and they have different things
34:08can you control this so you control how much it floods and how much how the water is distributed?
34:15That's the idea you know we use simple landscaping to do that manage the water around the garden
34:21take the water to where we want it to go I mean we've said it in the south of the UK
34:25but you could roll this out across the whole country. I mean the planting is exquisite is this
34:31do you think a garden that will keep looking good or at least they have the basis of it throughout
34:36the year or is this sort of fixed in a moment in time? It's Chelsea so we have fixed it a little
34:41bit but we have some succession you know we've got plants that would normally see at Hampton Court
34:46for example or flowering shrubs so there is a bit of succession. I do think it looks wonderful so
34:54it's a fascinating story a beautiful garden so good luck with the mothers. Thank you.
35:03We've got plenty more highlights for you tonight on the RHS Chelsea Flower Show
35:072025 an event supported by the Newt in Somerset but first we were spoilt for choice at Chelsea
35:14this year when it came to the new plant varieties on display and Jamie went to
35:19explore the newly launched plants to add to your wish list.
35:28One of the trends I've noticed at this year's Chelsea Flower Show is the return of flowering
35:33shrubs and here on the Bahrain stand tucked away right in the middle I've spotted this brand new
35:39Deutzia. This is Deutzia Pink Cloud. I love Deutzias but I only have a really small garden
35:46at home and normally Deutzias grow to about this size so I've never been able to grow them
35:50but the beautiful thing about this special Deutzia is that it's a low growing compact
35:55version so perfect for containers balconies or smaller gardens like mine. What I really love
36:04is that the buds look utterly beautiful they're tight compact little pearls and when the buds
36:11do open it creates this cherry blossom like effect from late spring all the way through
36:17into mid-summer and it's extremely hardy. I think we'll be seeing a lot more of this plant.
36:28This is Streptocarpus Betty a fantastic new house plant that's really caught my eye
36:35it's striking lilac petals and deep ink purple centres are truly beautiful.
36:43They grow really well in the windowsill but don't like that direct midday sunlight.
36:49What's brilliant about this plant is it flowers for 10 months of the year
36:53so it's going to give you so much colour and so much interest.
36:57The final plant that I'm really excited to see
37:00is a brand new Aeonium called Midnight Parm and it's been bred by Joe Jackson.
37:08I love the colour of this Aeonium it's so striking I've never bred an Aeonium before.
37:14What goes into creating a plant like this? Well first of all you need Aeonium flowers
37:19which are actually quite unusual so you need a plant that's a little bit bigger
37:23which are actually quite unusual so you need two plants with two flowers cross them collect the
37:29seed and sow the seed. This process actually to get a plant that you're happy with can take about
37:34three years. And is it pot luck as to what this is going to come out as? Absolutely it's mother
37:40nature doing her work. So you have to do a lot I guess to end up with just one plant that looks
37:45as beautiful as this? We discard many. I can imagine. Aeoniums themselves I've always considered
37:52Aeoniums to be a conservatory maybe windowsill plant but would it be possible to put them outside
37:59on the terrace in a pot maybe? Definitely they really do want to be outside they make a great
38:03patio statement wonderful colours you can create some succulent bowls with them as well they do
38:09live very happily outside in the summer but you do need to protect them in the winter.
38:13Maybe that's where I've been going wrong. It's a truly stunning plant huge congratulations.
38:23The plant top of my wish list is tiny it's about that tall it's Primula Cockburniana Orange and
38:30it's this glorious orange little tiny thing you might miss it but it's so beautiful. What about
38:37you? Well I've seen Beth's Poppy a sort of sericea pink and it's quite delicate but it
38:43keeps winking at me. Well I'm afraid I'm going to make things much bigger because I have to say
38:49the medlar on Tom Massey's garden in the front there it's quite low and it spreads out and I
38:55would love that I'd love it. The Royal Hospital is of course the home of the Chelsea pensioners
39:03this year there was one garden that was particularly special to them
39:06earlier in the week Monty and I went to take a look.
39:16This is the London Square garden designed by Dave Green and it's going to be relocated just
39:21meters behind us into the grounds of the hospital and it's the first time the Chelsea pensions will
39:27actually have a garden of their own. A garden which won a gold medal? Yes. It did. The shape
39:33is interesting this circular shape. Well this shape is actually based Monty on a handshake
39:38so this elliptical kind of like coming together which I think is a nice starting point from a
39:43design perspective to kind of you know get you into the gist of the garden. The planting I love
39:48I mean woodland soft planting very natural and well not necessarily what you would think of as a
39:54sort of an urban military garden is it? Well it's got that softness to it though I mean I think that
39:59you know the Chelsea pensions they want to go somewhere with their families and friends where
40:03they can relax so that relaxed planting immediately is going to invoke that. I love these arches which
40:08which replicate or pick up the arches in the stables I believe. Yes. Beautiful wooden arches.
40:14Well all made out of oak again another reference because the the acorn is the symbol for the
40:19Chelsea pensioners. If you are a second world war film buff you will recognize these you see of
40:26course or the girls would move troops around. Not very digital which is good. No but these what is
40:33moving about this these are old men and women who fought wars coming together sharing memories and
40:40I know I mean my father was an old soldier sharing memories that they can't talk about to anyone else.
40:45Well in this sort of setting it enables that doesn't it? It brings them together gives them freedom to
40:51share things that matter to them in a garden setting and actually I have to say a very beautiful
40:56setting it is lovely absolutely lovely I mean this planting which we're seeing more and more at Chelsea
41:02which looks natural but you know and I know. Naturalistic is the term Monty and and I
41:10think also as well which I'm not sure if you're aware so the Chelsea pensioners can only wear
41:15their red coats outside and inside they have to wear their blue outfits so that planting colour
41:21palette it's got a little nod to that as well so you know so again this sort of these little
41:26references yeah when you're doing a garden you know it's very difficult you can almost want to
41:30be literal literal literal about everything and it can sometimes overwhelm a design but I don't
41:34think Dave's done that. I think what's lovely about this and I always like when you don't need to know
41:39any of this to enjoy it it's just lovely and that is enough you know the fact that you're sharing
41:46that loveliness with and they are sharing it themselves and you're sharing from outside
41:52is all the little references they know about it which has meaning
41:56but on its own it's just beautiful I think it's fantastic it's absolutely fantastic.
42:02Now I see that David Beckham went to visit the Chelsea pensioners on their garden. Yes I think
42:07it was his very first time at the show so I wonder what he made of it and he also went to
42:12meet their majesty the king and queen. Yeah well certainly one of the highlights of my week was
42:16meeting the king and queen on this garden but then one of the privileges that I have at Chelsea and
42:21really look forward to is is meeting a few famous faces and chatting to them about their own love
42:29of gardening and also what they look for at Chelsea that they can take back home. I don't know how you
42:35feel about saying you've come here for 35 years but you have haven't you? I'm glad to be alive
42:39Monty I just yeah yeah 35 years I've been coming and what happens every year that you come that
42:45I'm sure that every person that comes has is you have this sort of overwhelming covetousness of
42:50thinking oh that's what I should have and can't I have that and how have they done all this? What
42:54made you start gardening? Because I think that if you're in a profession as transient and ephemeral
43:02as show business is where people are in one day and then out the next a garden is there and it's
43:09going to keep on growing no matter what happens and it's it just you know I think that it affords you
43:15the most profound and deep pleasure and planting stuff and having your you know this is the only
43:20day of the year that I can wear an all-white outfit because I'm looking in the gardens rather
43:26than you know having my hands in them normally I'm a tracksuit with no shirt on and you know
43:30nails ruined by being in the mud and the ground of it
43:37Kim clearly you're a serious gardener I mean you're tackling big projects anyway
43:41I absolutely wouldn't describe myself as a serious gardener a serious amateur possibly
43:47I think it's a it's a challenge that appeals to me and I think we I came through a wonderful
43:52project where we built our family home and I got to landscape that from the start and then
43:56that gave me the confidence to look at Comlix and think what can we do there and I think it's
44:00yeah it's a wonderful journey and it's always always going so it's yeah it's a privilege
44:06Do you think you're going to get Andy to garden? It's my aim he got into art and he wasn't into
44:11art so I do I have high hopes that one day he will I mean he's he loves the outdoors and he's
44:16really passionate about you know our children being outside and so that's that's where it
44:19starts it's different for everyone isn't it but I think yeah he you know he he noticed my tulips
44:24this year which was the you put in six thousand I know you can't it's hard to miss isn't it but I
44:29think that you know so that was that's his intro flower I'd like to think but I think I think
44:33absolutely I think he's got more time on his hands now and he's you know he's really he's
44:36got a really curious mind so I hope one day we'll we'll have him at the garden I mean I think making
44:40a garden with somebody is always more interesting absolutely it's collaborative it's teamwork
44:49Because I mean I know color is really important I've seen your work which is fantastically
44:53colorful and strong plants are colorful okay yeah yeah I mean even my work you know my work
44:59centers around kind of community and joy and people and storytelling um during the pandemic
45:04I designed this pavilion called in plants we trust which was all inspired by uh Q Gardens
45:10and Cliffside Park and you know using always had incredible kind of colorful flowers and plants to
45:14really inspire um us give us a sense of hope and joy in our everyday lives so I have used it in my
45:22work from time to time because I always feel I get a sense of peace and calmness when I'm in a
45:27flower garden or a park in the public space but how does garden design relate to the kind of
45:32design that you do you see do you see elements coming in and borrowing and sharing I do yeah
45:38I think for me it's about the kind of curation of how gardeners curate their spaces and the flowers
45:43and how they sort of sing towards each other how they're how they kind of don't fight against each
45:47other sort of really respect you know each other and where they're sort of planted the colors the
45:51shape how big the bulb is how small the plant is how small the flower is I think for me it's just
45:56kind of how a curator will design you know an exhibition I was really obsessed with the Japanese
46:01gardens I just saw today I think it's incredible beautifully have you been to Japan I haven't and
46:05I felt like I was in Japan going to Japan today yeah
46:11what have you learned in terms of a garden if anyone is setting out to make a garden what's
46:15the advice that will come from you well I suppose I suppose it's sort of as is the case of buildings
46:19is that too often a building's design is determined by the location by the aspect by the
46:23context by the site by the climate by the the latitude and gardens of course even more
46:31sensitively respond to those things and so I don't see I think I suppose as with interiors
46:38it always disappoints me when somebody simply produces something that they think their neighbors
46:43are going to like I mean it's the idea of architecture and gardens which are sort of
46:48personal edens representing human beings us and so for a garden not to respond to its context
46:56not to respond to the building or other buildings not to respond to the people who
47:00own it that to me seems to make it personal and put it into context always
47:06did you grow up gardening I did my grandmother had a beautiful garden she had tomatoes
47:13and it tasted like dirt and sun yeah the funny thing is is I liked the green basket that that
47:22the store-bought tomatoes came in and I like that cellophane wrapper and I like the perfect
47:29baseball shape yeah but now and a long time ago I craved my that that that grandmother tomato
47:37it's that smell of the as you say earth and sun isn't it's the smell of earth and sun yeah
47:43and it's the real thing and you know and now if you bring me a cellophane wrapped tomato
47:52one very special guest to Chelsea was his majesty the king and on his tour of the showground one of
47:58the gardens he visited is dedicated to his work Arit and I went to see it earlier this week
48:05designed by Joe Perkins it's a garden with a strong message at its heart which is that in
48:10the right conditions both people and plants can thrive now the garden celebrates his majesty
48:16the king's passion for gardening and for transforming lives the king's trust formerly
48:22known as the prince's trust supports young people to build confidence and develop essential life
48:28skills and access job opportunities since it was founded it's helped more than a million young
48:33people well the message in this garden is very much about resilience and Joe set the scene with
48:40these enormous pine trees this one weighs a whopping eight tons and it's 14 meters high the
48:46biggest tree ever brought in to Chelsea and then the planting around it also just sort of backs up
48:53around it also just sort of backs up that plants can thrive in very difficult conditions
48:59so we've got things like crasspidia lovely little poppies everywhere and the original on the daisy
49:05which is really sort of tough and also Dorcas carotta which I've seen growing in coastal
49:10conditions and that can withstand almost anything that nature can throw at it the message that all
49:16of these plants are dispersed by seed and how important it is that they're in an environment
49:21that they can thrive in at a glance you could think the design of this garden looks quite
49:27hostile quite challenging the use of this kind of moody grey basalt throughout however all the
49:33materials have been reclaimed and recycled so it's to give that sense of having another chance
49:39now the communal area is about bringing people together and I really love how the seats in this
49:45garden are all carved out of wood and have all taken the shape of beautiful seeds so there's a
49:51lot of hope within this space you have to look beyond and really see into it
49:58Joe such a wonderful garden with an incredibly strong atmosphere I think
50:02but you can't miss these screens tell me about those the glass screens for me are well they're
50:08an artwork in themselves but they are the way that I've brought to life the theme of seeds
50:12in a visual way for visitors to the garden they represent seed dispersal so it's this idea of
50:18seeds being carried from one situation to another and that for me is symbolic of the
50:24the results of the work of the you get a very strong sense of that I think and I hear that
50:28you've actually had people from the king's trust down working with you on the garden young people
50:33yeah we've had three they've been fantastic they've been involved throughout the process
50:37so for example going back to the glass screens they've done a workshop with James Crocker the
50:40glass artist they've been up to the tree nursery with me to see the trees they've been to
50:46Olly Carter who made the furniture and spent a day with him doing some woodworking and of course
50:52they've been here on the garden doing the planting so they've been involved every step of the way and
50:56it's been fantastic to see their confidence grow through the process well it's a phenomenal garden
51:01isn't it really strong so good luck with the rest of the week and of course with the medals thank
51:05you very much thank you congrats well the judges awarded Joe Perkins a gold medal so
51:13congratulations to him for that now across the week Adam has been looking at the key
51:18planting trends at the show this year one of which was a nod to Chelsea's horticultural heritage
51:24I would say rock gardens are well and truly back it's versions right across the showground
51:33also they make me feel slightly old because I can remember my dad as a landscaper and me
51:38going around different people's gardens and helping him create them but ultimately what
51:43is a rock garden well actually it's a take on a mountain there's 70 odd rock gardens
51:52there's 70 odd concrete blocks right across here some you can walk on work your way up through the
51:58space others work as planters and they're great for alpines if you think how they grow where they
52:05grow they love free draining conditions they're very small they'll deal with the heat they don't
52:11want to be soaking wet over the winter what are alpine plants well so many we're gonna know so
52:18here I've got things like dianthus sedums thymes companulas but in reality they're
52:24all miniaturized versions of the plants we grow that are larger in our gardens
52:33yes I still am on the Chelsea showground I haven't been transported to South Africa
52:38this is absolutely incredible but I'm here because another group of plants that will
52:42do incredibly well in those conditions are the succulents
52:51so fancy a little bit of that down the end of the garden I think in reality if you are going to
52:57create yourself a rock feature well count first of all where you're going to take your inspiration
53:02from you know what sort of plants what conditions do they need and they vary massively because at
53:07the top of the mountain things tend to be a little bit sparse they're dealing with more
53:11extreme conditions which means though they're tougher plants whereas we get down the bottom
53:15here and it's scree so it's slightly softer they're plants that we can get away with
53:20and you're probably looking at that like me and thinking well that's all very nice
53:24but that will not work in my garden there is some wonderful succulent plants that will
53:29do so if you do want to have a go at creating a South African rockery or somewhere from that part
53:42of the world Aeoniums down south you're getting away with them you can grow them and then we've
53:48got the little Echeveria down here that for me does really well deals with the cold conditions
53:53as long as I keep it dry so if you think about creating your rockery what you could do is
53:59plant the plants that you know that are going to see the season and then plunge pots in you know
54:06little lovely terracotta pots they can come out in the summer they sit in your display they become
54:11the gems then in the winter we pull them up take them back indoors so if you want to get on that
54:19rockery train just think about the landscape that's going to inspire you and then just do a
54:25little bit of research but more than anything go and have some fun there's always so many different
54:33planting styles across the grounds but from a colour perspective I've really tuned into the
54:39yellow that's been here this year whether it's been on Paptisia or Primula you're on trend
54:46you're on trend that yellow has certainly been across the showground I have noticed that well
54:51one of the trends I've noticed concerns the shrubs and obviously a lot of shrubs around the
54:55show as you'd expect but this year almost without exception they have been clipped and shaped and
55:01trimmed to take all the growth to the top so that it's exposing the stems and you get that lovely
55:06framework I like it yeah but it's everywhere this year well I like it and it's everywhere so I'm
55:12delighted I think I think for me that it's always a feature but this year exceptionally so are the
55:19size and scale of the trees at Chelsea and that's what marks it out from almost every other flower
55:25show they are enormous if you're here during the build these vast lorries and cranes putting in
55:30trees I mean these are big enough here but on the King's Trust Garden the biggest tree the biggest
55:35plant ever at Chelsea 14 meters tall someone's sort of over 40 tons in weight and sold and going
55:43to a private garden right well we can't finish the week without answering some more of your questions
55:48so here we go right I'm trying to grow my rose up a pergola what's the best way to encourage it
55:54and how to prune it depends if it's a climber or a rambler yes if it's a climber it's going to flower
56:01on new growth so you can prune it hard on a framework if it's a rambler it's going to flower
56:07on old growth so ideally you don't put it very much at all the basic thing to remember is with
56:11a climber what you leave behind will not flower with a rambler what you leave behind will flower
56:19and it's also keeping the stems low so if you can train it horizontally even with a rambler yeah
56:24it will encourage all and I think they want to grow very true right uh this is from Sandy my
56:31olive tree in a pot isn't making much growth and some leaves are yellow and spotted I feed and
56:37water it so any advice please well I suspect that Sandy is feeding it too much and watering it too
56:44much because that's a tendency isn't it it's in a pot in a container and we all know that we need
56:47to water plants it is Mediterranean and also it needs very sharp drainage and the other thing if
56:53you've got a Mediterranean plant in a pot it must be lifted up on chops yeah because if it sits on a
56:59hard surface effectively it's sitting in a puddle yeah it doesn't like that so they have to make
57:03I mean to put into context I grow olives in pots and they're not particularly good but I water them
57:08in summer maybe once every two or three weeks and in winter once every two or three months yeah yeah
57:13so Sandy not maybe come back I think we've got time to do Irene's question as well what is your
57:19water saving or water adapting tip for the garden in this changing climate big question well I think
57:24there's one overriding answer to that mulch absolutely mulch if you mulch and when people
57:31mulch they tend to mulch too thinly minimum two inches I remember visiting a garden where they
57:36mulch six inches that's that deep yeah and that keeps you'll be amazed how it keeps the water in
57:42and you can use things like olive pots which are sort of terracotta pots that you put at the base
57:46of the plant to collect water and keep the moisture at the root zone good well done well I'm afraid
57:53that's all we've got time for tonight but thank you for your questions and of course thank you
57:57for joining us this week Adam and Sophie will be back tomorrow night on BBC one at 5 25 p.m
58:04with more highlights from across the week here at Chelsea and I'll be back on Friday
58:11with gardeners world but from all of us here at the flower show we wish you all a wonderful summer
58:17bye-bye good night
58:47you
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