As it is the week of the Chelsea Flower Show 2023, it feels right to take us back almost 365 days to when I went to my first (and hopefully not last) Chelsea Flower Show. It was an extremely hot day at the end of May and to be honest, I had no idea what to expect from the show. All I knew was that I was wide-eyed and optimistic about what was to come. I also hope to give you some helpful tips along the way that should make your Chelsea experience more enjoyable should you choose to visit one day.
Let's first start at the price of the tickets for the show, in case you are interested in making a visit this year or next. I believe the ticket was around £80+, which even for a prestigious flower show is quite expensive . If you want to bring a friend, partner or family member along, it will set you back quite a bit. Luckily for me I was gifted the ticket for Christmas by my girlfriend, which, needless to say, I was very grateful for. I think there is also a half-day ticket for around £40, but I'm not sure that gives you enough time to see everything (RHS members also receive a discounted price). I will get into more details about it later on, however because of the high price of ticket, she only bought the one so I had to attend the show on my own.
Once I got in, I couldn't help but be slightly overwhelmed by the vastness of it and also just how incredibly busy it was. I have heard that it is best to go as early as you can if you have tickets, because those first few quieter hours alone can completely transform your experience. Whereas I think I probably arrived around midday and by that time it was absolutely heaving. I think that also added to the overwhelming feeling, because I was sweating from the heat, all on my own, and struggled to get around. I found myself just following the flow of the crowd and trying to take in as much as I could, while I travelled along a strip of independent garden shops and stalls. I didn't really go there to shop, I really was there to see the show gardens that I'd been admiring on the BBC for the past week.
The show gardens are absolutely flawless and stunning to look at when you see them in person. As with everything that you see on TV, they all look much smaller in real life. TV magic really makes you believe that there is a whole world of space around them, but realistically most show gardens are no bigger than your average front garden. They are spread out throughout the space, so you have to use your show map to navigate them all, but they are well worth the hunt. I particularly enjoyed being inside the Great Pavilion, as it really shows the highest level of skill from the plant collectors and specialists. A species collection of Heucheras, Ferns, Hostas, Delphiniums, and many more plants just look incredible when displayed together by these masters of their craft. I took as many pictures as I could, because I found that I struggled to take it all in with all the hustle and bustle of the event - you really appreciate being able to see each variety with more detail in the comfort of your own home.
Another tip I would give you (and I can't emphasise this enough) is to bring your own packed lunch/picnic with you! Because ...dayumn the food and drink is expensive inside the flower show. If I remember well, I bought 2 alcoholic beverages and a packet of crisps and it was over £30 ...needless to say I was not happy, and still very hungry. If the price hasn't cautioned you yet, then maybe the queuing times will. Due to there being one main food court style area, it is very busy and seat space is at a high premium. I genuinely kept thinking that this really is not ideal for a more elderly person, because you will be stuck on your feet 95% of the time. I found myself having to eat my expensive packet of crisps on the grass under a tree in a quiet corner ...classy, I know.
Ultimate alfresco dining aside, I really wished that there was more seating just to allow myself to process the day and take in all the beautiful things that I had seen. I think this also leads back to the pricing and the need to bring along a partner or someone as equally into botany as you are. I found that without having someone there to share and discuss the show with, I was rushing through the gardens like a single dad at the supermarket on Sunday ...not ideal.
To summarise, I guess I feel like I left without getting the full Chelsea Flower Show experience. It felt like there was a certain level of pretentiousness that was hard to shake, and it took away from my simple love of gardening. Shows like Chelsea can and do have a responsibility to be more inclusive to the amateur gardeners like myself that make up the majority of this country, and not create this perceived class divide at such economically challenging times. However, changes that have been implemented, like the smaller balcony-sized show gardens really do help make it feel a bit more relatable.
If I go again, I will definitely make the aforementioned changes to appreciate the day for how it should be enjoyed. I know it may sound like I had a mostly negative experience, but it truly is an excellent display of the work of gardeners and plant enthusiasts at the peak of their skills, bringing so much joy and inspiration to us, average-Joe gardeners. Despite any criticism, I would recommend for anyone who has the budget and desire to attend at least one Chelsea Flower Show, as nothing will inspire you for the new gardening season quite like Chelsea.
Comentários