the chelsea flower show.  it’s one of london’s most spectacular annual spring events.

rhs (royal horticultural society) chelsea flower show

royal hospital chelsea

london, united kingdom

19-23 may 2015

and, one of the most crowded.  the exclusive members’ days are (slightly) less crowded than the public days.  so, one way to beat the crowd is to become a rhs member, like my husband, bob, and i did when we lived in london.

2015 chelsea flower show | public visitors to the show gardens

photo credit geoff pugh

some think that the show gardens are the major attraction.

2015 | best show garden | gold medal winner | the laurent-perrier chatsworth garden | designed by dan pearson

a representation of the rockery and trout stream in the 105-acre garden at chatsworth house | derbyshire, united kingdom

photo credits rhs/neil hepworth

the rockery | designed by sir joseph paxton | chatsworth house | derbyshire, united kingdom | 1842

photo credit chatsworth

the trout stream | designed by sir joseph paxton | chatsworth house | derbyshire, united kingdom | 1835

photo credit the telegraph

2015 | gold medal winner | a perfumer’s garden in grasse by l’occitane | designed by james basson

inspired by the history of the provencal perfume industry in the world’s perfume capital, grasse, france

photo credits rhs/neil hepworth

2015 | gold medal winner | the morgan stanley healthy cities garden | designed by chris beardshaw

designed to mark the morgan stanley global healthy cities initiative

photo credits rhs/sarah cuttle

2015 | gold medal winner | the homebase garden-urban retreat | designed by adam frost

inspired by modernist architect marcel breuer

photo credits rhs/neil hepworth

2015 | gold medal winner | cloudy bay garden in association with vital earth | designed by harry rich and david rich

a reflection of the taste and character of cloudy bay winery’s new zealand sauvignon blanc and pinot noir

photo credits rhs/tim sandall

2015 | gold medal winner | the brewin dolphin garden | designed by darren hawkes

floating slate platforms, inspired by prehistoric dolmens and quoits, referencing sculptors james turrell and richard serra

photo credits rhs/neil hepworth

2015 | gold medal winner | the telegraph garden | designed by marcus barnett

inspired by the de stijl dutch artistic movement

photo credits rhs/neil hepworth

but, i was always most impressed by the plants displayed in the pavilions.

 2015 | gold medal winner | auriculas | w & s lockyer nursery

photo credit upi/landov/barcroft media