Leave it to Anna: Chelsea Flower Show Edition
This week we are sneezing our way through the RHS Chelsea Flower Show - what a sight for your (watery) eyes!
I apologize in advance for the flower pics overload in this edition of Leave it to Anna. It is the RHS Chelsea Flower Show week in London afterall. The pollen count in the air was as high as the spirits of the show attendees donning their floral best to celebrate the latest gardening trends and flower cultivating mastery. We booked our tickets for the Friday evening entry and the show was the most extravagant sight. The main tent contained the best in show flowers and garden displays and the outer parameter was lined with vendor tents selling unique wares and plants. We blended in with the sneezing crowd and did a few loops around the large grounds admiring the gold medal winners and show gardens. We even saw BBC filming the daily show report with Monty Don, surrounded by a crowd of his (female) fans!
Philadelphus Petite Perfume Pink won the Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Year 2025. According to the plant description, this compact shrub “combines a series of exceptional traits that make it a true garden game-changer. From its world-first flower color to its powerful scent and pollinator appeal, this shrub delivers beauty and performance in equal measure.” Two co-winners of the silver medal were: Hosta 'Silly String' and Salvia Tropicolour Sunrise. Every year the show introduces new plants to home gardeners and what better place to get ideas about what to plant in your own garden next?
Photos just don’t do justice to the colorful flower displays in the big tent - the delphiniums standing tall, the giant cosmos buds, the peonies, and the roses. Despite the non-stop sneezing and the runny nose, what a feast for your (itchy) eyes! As it turns out, the flowering London plane trees above the show grounds cause a phenomenon the locals refer to as the Chelsea cough or the Chelsea flu - who knew? Many people react to the pollen from the London planes by sneezing and coughing through the show — and allergy meds will not help since this is an irritation and not a true allergy.
The King’s Rose honoring King Charles is a beautiful striped rose that was unveiled at the flower show for the first time. This special rose has been 12 years in the making, undergoing an exceptionally thorough breeding process at the David Austin Roses nursery. The King and Queen visited the flower show on Monday and admired this fragrant rose - the proceeds of its sales will go towards his charitable foundation. I love that you can purchase the plants that are featured at the show for your own garden to enjoy!
In addition to the King’s Rose, I also spotted the vibrant coral pink Catherine’s Rose, bred in honor of Princess Kate in order to commemorate the importance of spending time outdoors. Funds from the sale of this rose will go to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity to help establish training program for clinical teams across the country.
This week we also checked out Chelsea in Bloom, a free festival of flower displays on the streets of the Chelsea neighborhood. This year’s theme was “Flowers in Fashion” and the displays did not disappoint. How cool is the towering flower lady complete with her white poodle?
My mom and I found these cute nylon Fagola totes at TK Maxx - they channel the Longchamp vibe but are very reasonably priced and French. They came in a two sizes - a standard tote with longer handles for over the shoulder and a mini tote with a crossbody strap. I got the small navy one and it’s great for rainy days in island when I don’t need a bigger purse. I am never not looking for a perfect “commuting on the tube” bag.
I have two non-flower related recommendations for you today. All That Life Can Afford by Emily Everett is a fun read about an American making a living in London while navigating local traditions, class divisions, and love connections. And if you are not binging Sirens on Netflix this long weekend, what are you waiting for? The Lilly Pulitzer of it all brings out the ultimate preppy vibe of a Nantucket-esque island full of gorgeous interiors and rich people behaving badly. This show has it all. This most stylish show of the year has outfits to remember and you can read the ultimate guide of where to shop the looks here.
Finally, I promised a look at our own Highgrove-inspired garden patio — please enjoy a few pictures below. I am growing shade plants, such as coleus, astilbes, and ferns, as well as plenty of geraniums and delphiniums in the sun. I also have a hydrangea bush in the front as well as some dahlias and lavender. All of our plants are in pots since we have no garden beds — A Year Full of Pots is a helpful guide book on how to grown a potted garden year round.
Hope that you enjoyed this post and I will see you here on the Stack again next Sunday! Until then, you can follow Leave it to Anna on Instagram or Facebook. If you think your friends will like the recommendations that I sent your way, please share my newsletter. Leave it to Anna is also on Threads, so thread along here.