To say that the world renowned RHS Chelsea Flower Show is a bit of a biggy in the garden design/interior style calendar is a little bit of an understatement! I am really excited to be reporting for the blog from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2018 press day today before the show’s official opening tomorrow.

RHS Chelsea Flower Show fashion

Ooh but what to wear?!  I obviously won’t be able to compete with the flowers or the VIP guests but interior stylists do tend to subliminally be influenced by whatever project we are working on…  Sensible advice from Alan Titchmarsh in The Telegraph includes the wearing of comfortable shoes and to avoid taking a heavy handbag…

Top 10 trends at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2018

The first of three posts (to be published on my blog over the next week or so) are the Top 10 Garden Design Trends which have caught my eye today. Themes at the RHS Chelsea Flower show this year cover plants and gardens for health and wellbeing to sustainability and maximising whatever small outside space we might have.

1. Sunshine planting for 2018

While we know that Yellow has been a strong interiors story for the last couple of years and in fact Dfs recently said that their Joules yellow velvet sofa is their bestselling one – it seems that the ‘sunshine state’ of orange and yellow are also making a big statement in planting at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2018.

2. Succulents and drought-loving plants

3. Catwalk super blooms

It is almost as if the pattern cutters of an haute couture house had decided to refashion and enhance common or garden cottage plants into super blooms. See what fabulous shaped petals these clematis, digitalis and peonies all have.

4. A Midsummer Night’s Dream

These self-seeding aqualegias are like the fairies from A Midsummer Night’s Dream (columbine) as they flit amongst the borders creating the prettiest flutter with their skirted petals.

5. Victorian-style garden luxury

Made in Sweden by mygind design, you can choose your mode of material, wood and these rather fabulous luxury beach or garden seats. I gather that they can be left outside in the winter as both the wicker and the material are waterproof.

6. Willow garden den

I love the organic shape of this den by Judith Needham. It looked so sweet nestled in amongst the trees. A great hiding spot for little people and small creatures!

7. She sheds

I don’t think I can call this a shed – particularly as it has a seemlessly attached greenhouse extension. It is definitely a garden room with extension!  The inside is styled beautifully with a wartime land girl theme. The stylist has even put a few wartime recipes up on a wooden pinboard. Made by Malvern Garden Buildings.

8. Garden Pod

It isn’t just offices that have pods – creative hideaways can be in the garden too. This is ‘Shoreditch Pod’ (or you could opt for Soho), complete with living roof, £2,900, by Sandmanhomeandgarden.com

9. Metal garden walls

Chris Beardshaw’s Morgan Stanley Garden for the NSPCC blurred the lines between outside and in with room with metal panels used to create an inner outer space on which to hang wall art and enclose the outdoor pool.

10. Mid Century style garden sculpture

The sculpture in this part of Nic Howard’s garden for Savills & David Harber is Mid Century in style and creates a stunning focal point.

Instagram Stories

I don’t want to completely shower you in petals but if you would like to be inspired by more RHS Chelsea Flower Show images (including the Prime Minister and other famous peeps I bumped into along the way!) I will also be posting on my Instagram Stories.

Tickets for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Tickets get booked up incredibly quickly but it is always worth checking to see if there are any still available. One new feature of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2018 is a twilight later opening time on Friday 25 May until 8 pm when there will be artisan food, bands and wandering artists. Don’t forget if you haven’t already, to book now for other nationwide RHS flower shows in July 2018.

Thank you

Thank you so much for reading! I am hoping to post this tonight before the BBC pip me to the post (I am not watching tonight as don’t want them to sway my opinions!) I would love to hear what you like the look of or not?

The second of three of my RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2018 posts will be published on Saturday 26 May. If you don’t want to miss out and would like to receive email alerts for future posts, then please just press the large blue ‘Follow’ button either at the beginning or end of a post. With many thanks, Charis x