It's that time of year again when the world-famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show opens its floral gates to green-fingered guests, famous faces and industry experts for a week of gardening inspiration.
But what are the top plants everyone is talking about this year? We were lucky enough to get a sneak peek on press day (Monday 18th May) before RHS members and visitors discover the gardens firsthand. Find out what three plants caught our eye...
1. Cow parsley
A common sight across roadside verges and hedgerows around the UK in early summer, it's not often that cow parsley slips its way into the award-winning Chelsea gardens. But this year, the native British wildflower was a firm favourite for many designers.
Its masses of umbrella-like flower clusters were seen standing tall in Sarah Eberle's The Campaign to Protect Rural England Garden: 'On the Edge', which was designed to shine a light on often-forgotten, fragile spaces that are vital to connecting people to nature.
Speaking about the importance of growing plants like cow parsley, Roger Mortlock, chief executive of The Campaign to Protect Rural England, said: "England's edgelands are hiding in plain sight – for too long we've taken them for granted. These are the places where many of us first fell in love with the natural world: the scrubby fields at the end of the bus route, the overgrown towpaths, the orchards clinging on between the ring road and the retail park.
"Our edgelands provide us with food and flood protection, they give wildlife space to thrive and allow tens of millions of people every day to enjoy the natural world – yet they remain among the least protected and most under-pressure landscapes in the country."
Meanwhile, in the Killik & Co 'A Seed in Time' Garden, designed by Baz Grainger (above), cow parsley brought an airy softness to shady corners.
Taking inspiration from the landscapes of the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads, the garden demonstrates simple, achievable ways gardeners can support biodiversity at home. Cow parsley was planted among 17 varieties of grasses and self-seeding plants, as well as a towering 9m black walnut (Juglans nigra) tree — one of the tallest trees at Chelsea.
2. Ferns
Chelsea designers enlisted hardy ferns to bring texture and softness to shady corners, proving they make perfect filler plants for borders.
At the Trussell's Together Garden, designed by Rob Hardy, lush ferns were seen filling gaps alongside purple irises and Baptisia 'Purple Smoke' – an impressive plant with tall spikes.
The compact balcony and container gardens also used ferns in their planting schemes: The Flood Re: Contain the Rain Garden turned to ferns as one of the key plants in its lush planting scheme to help manage excess rainwater. Excellent for rainy environments and wet soil conditions, ferns can cleverly absorb water and nutrients efficiently, making them brilliant additions to rainy gardens.
Elsewhere, the Killik & Co 'A Seed in Time' Garden boasted five types of fern, including MaPeuccia struthiopteris (ostrich fern), Blechnum spicant (deer fern) and Polystichum polyblepharum (Japanese lace fern).
3. Geumus
The fiery orange flash of beautiful geumus had us all talking at this year's Chelsea Flower Show.
Every time Country Living's multiplatform editor, Lizzie Thomson, spotted one, she squealed with excitement, declaring it proof these plants are set to be one of the biggest garden trends of the year. "I can't wait to grow these in my own garden!" she said, delighted that they're such an easy option for beginner gardeners too.
Over in the Fettercairn: The Angels' Share container garden, these hardy perennials aligned with the overall colour palette of the space and were chosen for their benefits to pollinators, such as bees and butterflies.
The Plant Heritage Missing Collector Garden in the All About Plants category also featured the tall and dazzling geum 'Blazing Sunset'. Chosen for its vibrant colour, the garden features jewel-toned plants nestled among lush green foliage.
Orange geum edit
Geum 'Totally Tangerine'Avens
Lisa Joyner is the Deputy Daily Editor at House Beautiful UK and Country Living UK, where she's busy writing about home and interiors, gardening, dog breeds, pets, health and wellbeing, countryside news, small space inspiration, and the hottest properties on the market. Previously, she has written for Conde Nast Traveller, House & Garden and Marie Claire magazine. Lisa studied at University For The Creative Arts, where she completed a BA in Fashion Journalism.
