Chelsea Flower Show moves to autumn – how different could it look?

Gardening experts make their predictions about how the iconic show may change in 2021.

For the first time in its 108-year history, the Chelsea Flower Show will take place in the autumn – as the pandemic has forced it to move from its usual May springtime slot to September.

In a statement, the Royal Horticultural Society said: “With the coronavirus rate currently as high as it is, we have a responsibility to our exhibitors and everyone involved in the Show, our visitors, partners, volunteers and staff, to delay the 2021 RHS Chelsea Flower Show to later in the year, when millions more people will have been vaccinated and it is more likely that the levels of infection will have reduced substantially.”

So what does mean for the exhibitors, who will no doubt have already been well underway with their plans for the 2021 show? And what can gardening fans expect to see at an autumn Chelsea Flower Show?

“What a change from a horticultural point of view,” says Guy Barter, chief horticulturist at the RHS. “September is peak time to gather fruit, vegetables and herbs, save seeds and start planting spring bulbs. In May it is more about planting up gardens for summer. I expect we will see an interesting shift in emphasis.”

Here, gardening experts predict how the Chelsea Flower Show might look different this year, when it takes place on September 21-26.

Plants and flowers will be in their prime

 

Postponing until September will “totally transform the show,” says landscape designer and writer Jack Wallington. “All of the plants planned to be displayed will have to be swapped out for late-flowering plants or will look totally different due to the different season.”

“May is a big challenge to get plants right for Chelsea,” says Barter.  “September is somewhat less challenging as many of the very numerous potential subjects that flower in late summer persist for a very long season and it is preceded by three months of good light and warmth.”

With extra time to prep for the show, he says nurseries will “no doubt use these ideal growing conditions to get excellent plants grown and flowering”.

It could be more colourful

While it may be trickier to keep gardens looking lush if early autumn is warm, Barter says designers are going to have “a superb palette of flowers and colour so there should be some exciting gardens”.

He adds: “Light in September is often rich and this suits the brightly-coloured ‘daisies’, rudbeckia, heleniums and dahlias, so designers are likely to introduce exciting hot colours into their designs.”

Wallington predicts: “We’ll see Chelsea turn totally tropical with a deluge of exotic and tropical plants on display because they really come into their own during the warmer late-summer months.”

More grasses

In terms of foliage, Barter says: “May time is ideal for fresh young leaves, notably of ferns very popular at Chelsea in recent years. Late summer there’s more scope for grasses, which will be in or have flowered then.”

Wallington agrees there will be “an abundance or late-season plants including ornamental grasses, dahlias, persicaria and chrysanthemum.”

Fewer bulbs

“Bulbs – alliums, daffodils and tulips – are usually used in a surprising way at Chelsea long past their peak flowering,” says Barter. “It is probably not feasible to replicate these in September so perhaps growers will focus on lilies that are particularly easy to manipulate.”

Wonderful wildlife

Insect-friendly gardens have been popular at Chelsea in recent years and Barter predicts that trend will continue.

“Late summer flowers such as fuchsias, salvias and sunflowers are relished by late flying insects, especially bees, at a time when native flowers are sparse,” he says.

A cornucopia of crops

 

Wallington says we’ll be seeing “an abundance of vegetables and fruit” meaning the show could effectively turn into “a Chelsea harvest festival”.

May is “far too early for most crops,” says Barter, but the start of autumn is the ideal time to showcase ‘grown your own’. He adds: “By September fruit, vegetable and herb gardens will be at their peak, so I expect considerable displays of lovely produce to feature in show gardens and the floral marquee.”

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