Every year at towards the end of May, Chelsea comes alive with the scent of flowers. Pavements are littered with petals, women in floral frocks and men in pastel shirts pour from Sloane Street station, and every which way you turn there are flowers of every shape and colour to be seen. This can only mean one thing, the annual RHS Chelsea Flower Show is in town. For many this is the start of the London summer season.
For those not able to get to the actual flower show, and let’s face it tickets can be hard to come by and a little expensive, then the next best thing is Chelsea in Bloom.
Chelsea in Bloom is an event in it’s own right, and definitely one, in my humble opinion not to be missed. It is an annual floral art show and London’s largest free-to-attend festival of flowers.
This annual competition in conjunction with RHS brings together Chelsea shops, restaurants and other businesses. They are are adorned with fabulous floral installations as they compete to be winners. Competition is fierce and the standard is very high.
Every year sees a different theme. For 2022 unsurprisingly the theme is British Icon, and many of the installations are more than a nod to Queen Elizabeth and the forthcoming Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Each year there is a chosen charity, and rather fittingly this year it is the British Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal
There are organised walking tours, which take a visit to many of the installations. I have never done this, preferring to get up early and use the downloadable maps available on the website to find the installations I really want to see.
As with so many London things, early is best. This is the time before the streets are full of shoppers and there is much more space to enjoy and of course take pictures. It is also the time when the installations are being refreshed and perfected for another day. It is not unusual to see florists carrying buckets full of fresh peonies and roses along the Kings Road or Sloand Street, and it is a lovely time to watch these talented floral artists at work.
Sadly this year it all ends on the 28th May. But do put it in your diary for next year. In the meantime here are a selection of photographs taken this week of some of my favourite displays.
Beautiful Angie. I was just talking about this yesterday 🌸 🌺
Author
It’s so lovely to be able to see all of this for free. Such a spectacle
Amazing. Lovely pictures. xx
Author
Thanks mum. They are a real work of art.
Really lovely thanks for the beautiful flowers
Wish I was there xxx❤️
Author
Wish you were here too
Next year….. xx
I am usually in London at this time of year, staying on Sloane Avenue. The Chelsea in Bloom displays are so much fun. You never know what you are going to encounter when you turn into a side street. On the last day of the Flower Show, you see people lugging huge plants up to the Sloane Square tube, or a bus goes buy and you see what appears to be a plant sitting on a seat by the window. Covid has kept me in the US for the past three springs, which means I am missing all the Platinum Jubilee events as well, but I have high hopes of London in September.
Author
You are right, the are so much fun and so creative. Sloane Ave is a great place to stay during Chelsea week. I love seeing everyone struggling home with huge plants and pots of blooms on the Saturday. Really hope you can make it to London in September. It’s a lovely time to be here.