The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is coming to an end, with just today - Friday 23 May - and tomorrow to take place. They will be busy days and offer the chance to see everything you've been watching on the BBC coverage so far.
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And while the Show is very much about the brilliant gardens, there are also many other treasures to discover. Below is a list, as chosen by Gardens Illustrated digital editor Stephanie Mahon
What to do at Chelsea Flower Show Friday 23 May
Chelsea in Bloom
On your way to or from the show, take a stroll of the streets around the Royal Hospital, SW3, towards Pimlico and around Sloane Square and King’s Road. This year’s Chelsea in Bloom theme is Flowers in Fashion, and is all about how flowers play a meaningful role in our lives, from helping the planet, to lifting our mood and helping us connect with others. It runs alongside the Chelsea Flower Show, until 25 May, and is actually the UK’s biggest free flower festival. Here's what else is happening in London during RHS Chelsea.
Plant magic
The planty bit of Chelsea, the Great Pavilion, is back on form this year with so many little treasures to enjoy, and I could easily list 10 must-see things in there alone. I’m putting several under one heading here as I am greedy. Special mention for Hare Spring Cottage Plants for a collection of beautiful pots with combinations of perennials for different conditions – real inspiration for any gardener; and Sarah Cook’s exhibit of her collection of Benton Irises with botanical drawings of them from the Iris Florilegium behind.
There are also excellent propagation tips, very well illustrated, from The Meconopsis Group stand and on Hoyland Plants agapanthus and nerine display. But my favourite of all was the wonderful collection of blossoming apple trees (and a few pears) on Frank P Matthews exhibit, trained into interesting shapes.
Cool, calm and collected
The Wildlife Trusts’ British Rainforest Garden is a sweet little slice of natural beauty with ferns, foxgloves, bluebells, cow parsley and a tumbling waterfall. Although in recent years the show has been filled with wild-style gardens, this year this one stands out in a crowd of more overtly designed exhibits. There’s a rustic fence of woven branches and a boardwalk winding through, as well as some pretty mosscapes and nice native trees, and it is inspired by the designer Zoe Claymore’s childhood haunts of Devon woodland. A must for those who like a good woodland walk.
Hidden houseplants
The Houseplant Studios over in Ranelagh Gardens are looking good this year but my favourite display of indoor beauties is actually in the middle of the Great Pavilion, hidden away in a secret garden walk created by Blue Diamond garden centres. A little glazed garden room tucked away among the planting looks the perfect place to settle down for a restful moment, surrounded on all sides by exotic greenery. A nice surprise in the bustle of the big tent. See if you can find it.
Dance the night away at Chelsea Late
Did you know that the show continues when the sun goes down? Get an evening ticket for 5.30pm onwards today and you can explore all the usual attractions, plus from 8pm, join legendary DJ, producer and broadcaster Marvin Humes in Ranelagh Gardens to dance the night away. There are free dried-flower crowns for everyone from Secret Adventurers Club, and great food truck options for a tasty tea, all inside the show.
