CAUTION: This May Cause Spontaneous Travel

Do you like gardens? Art? Edible plants? …Social statements?

All the above? Well, dig up your old bucket list and add this to the top.

Chelsea is home to the annual RHS Chelsea Flower Show – a stunning collection of individually designed gardens that resides in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, London.  Organized by the Royal Horticultural Society, the Chelsea Flower Show has been produced every year since 1913, except for some gaps during the two world wars. The Great Pavilion of the Royal Hospital is roughly 11,775 square meters, and holds thousands of plants organized into eclectic and thought-provoking exhibits designed to induce diverse thinking, zen-like vibes, and simply awe among its beholders.

When you enter into the Pavilion, you enter into a lush world of unique floral lands. Take a walk through the ‘Feel Good Gardens’ where five mini-habitats await to tantalize your five senses. Meander through the ‘Show Gardens’ where designers show off their most enchanting and grandiose planterpieces. Entice your mind with the unconventional ‘Fresh Gardens’, ridden with provocative designs that highlight social issues. Whatever your flora fancy, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is sure to plant it.

Next up is the ‘Jeremy Vine Texture Garden’ designed by Matt Keightley. This garden is adorned with euphoric textures that are begging for your touch. Gallant, geometric tangibles are juxtaposed with a soft flora design. Round stone seats lay at the end of a polished back wall stimulating both your hand… and your bottom. Touch-é.

You may have found yourself at the ‘Zoe Ball Listening Garden’ designed by James Alexander-Sinclair next. It may be because the musical vibrations coming from underground tempted you in. Although the sound of music could not be heard, music from the past 50 years of BBC Radio 2 was sending up vibrations from down below to create a sensation throughout your entire body. When the bass played, the gravel and water in three long troughs danced and sang to the beat. I don’t know about you, but sometimes no music is music to my ears.

Show Gardens
The Show Gardens were a collection of extravagant garden displays, each one surpassing the next.

Round the corner, and your eyes were immediately drawn to the ‘Silk Road Garden, Chengdu, China’ display, designed by Laurie Chetwood and Patrick Collins. You couldn’t miss the giant red palate spines jutting up from the ground, surrounded by beds of rhododendrons and peonies on one side, and foliage, shrubs and grass on the other. The spine was created to represent the mountainous landscape of the Sichuan Provence, and every plant has their origin or parentage in China.

Right next door you couldn’t miss the award winning ‘M & G Garden’ designed by James Basson. This abandoned Maltese Quarry inspired garden featured limestone architecture littered with grasses, evergreens, perennials and ground cover that are exclusive to the arid Mediterranean island. The message behind this simple yet powerful display was that humans must take action now to preserve the fragile environment of our planet. Amen, Mr. Basson.

Fresh Gardens
This particular grouping of gardens was designed to provoke forward-thinking and bring attention to certain social issues.

One of the more telling gardens was ‘Mind Trap’ designed by Ian Price for the Northern Ireland Association for Mental Health. This garden was designed to be a physical manifestation of one’s journey suffering from and dealing with depression. Its purpose was to reach out to viewers who are also suffering to remind them that they are not alone.

Across the way you probably noticed ‘The Bermuda Triangle’ Garden’s white and fuchsia triangles encasing an exotic palm tree. This design by Jack Dunckley was created to represent the social and economic variances in Bermuda and the Caribbean, along with the diverse topography and climate. The volcanic landscape was the inspiration behind this tropical geometric work of art, including an international palm tree that travelled over 1500 miles to get to Chelsea!

Artisan Gardens
The Artisan Gardens encapsulated viewers on mini-plots of land.

Start your day off with breakfast in the Murano room of the restaurant, and venture out to the illustrious shopping in Knightsbridge for the day.

Come back and enjoy afternoon tea in the drawing room, complete with finger sandwiches, and freshly baked scones and pastries.

Delight in the avant-garde design of the bar, with a seductive color palate of gold and charcoal. Sip on one of their 23 Whisky selections, or enjoy a simple ‘G-n-T’ on the Terrace. The Terrace and Conservatory offers an outdoor sanctuary for those wanting to escape the London gloom, but still craving relaxation in some fresh air.

After you enjoy your cocktail and conversation outside, join us for dinner at the restaurant. Delight in the Angus Beef Carpaccio, drool over the seared filet of seabass paired with fresh, savoy cabbage and bacon, and lick your fingers after sharing the Tarte Tatin complimented with William Pears and crisp, vanilla bean ice cream.

Nurse your food hangover in the Library, equipped with an extensive collection of historic antique books, some dating back to the mid-nineteenth century. Spoil your intellect with works by Shakespeare and Charles Dickens.

End your day by crawling into your sumptuous sheets and looking out your window at the dazzling city of Chelsea, London.  

Hope to see you all in Chelsea next May!