The Chelsea Flower Show 2011 – taking place from 24th to 28th May – is set to welcome the summery days with the best blooms and garden displays in the city. Often used as inspiration for home gardening, the show is set to show the best blooms and designs out there. If your garden needs a revamp, it’s a good idea to book for the event – not only for the inspiration but also for a great day out.
This notorious gardening event sees the grounds of the hospital that hosts it transmuted into terrific bloom and garden displays that should entice not only the old-school gardening veterans but novices just as much.
If you’re travelling from the south of England, depending on existing connections, be sure to avoid London Bridge, as this railway station is roughly 4 miles by car from the show. The popular London Victoria Station is much closer to the show, but people wanting to walk for as little time as possible should take the underground to Sloane Square for easier access. At the Chelsea Flower Show 2011, the gardens on show include an inventive motif by the British Heart Foundation: the veins and arteries of the heart.
People attending the 2011 show will find out flowers and other plants making a return this season – and discover what new flowers and bushes are being exhibited to provide the best ideas of people’s own gardening fashion. Display gardens are one of the most desirable destinations to the thousands of visitors who attend the show year after year.
Furthermore, Kazuyki Ishihara is exhibiting at the Green Poem Garden which will also be running at the time. The mountainscapes of Japanese Nagasaki served as muse for this particular exhibition.
After a busy day on your feet taking in everything the event has to offer, then why not relax in one of the cafes and food courts? There is set to be five food courts available to visitors, serving meals and drinks for all tastes and budgets. Champagne – including Laurent-Perrier, Pimm’s, sandwiches, coffee, jacket potatoes and cakes are just some of the refreshments you can enjoy at the 2011 Flower Show. You can even reserve breakfast, lunch or supper at the Rock Bank Restaurant.
With everything within the grounds of the hospital, all that could be left to decide is where to stay and how to reach the capital. And since the last Monday of May is the spring bank holiday, you can make a whole week or weekend of it.
Indeed, the Royal Hospital Chelsea is a tourist hotspot in its own right and is home to the Chelsea Pensioners, former Army members who can live in or outside of the facility.
The Grade I-listed buildings were founded by King Charles II in 1682 in order to provide shelter to war veterans, something it still does to this day. It is common for visitors to London to ask Chelsea Pensioners dressed in the formal red uniform to pose for a photograph or to have a chat about their service in the Army.
Once you have seen everything you want at the Chelsea Flower Show, you could choose to visit some of the other popular London attractions to make the most of your time in the UK’s capital.
Of course, another one of the biggest gardening events set to be held this July is the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show in the grounds of the royal attraction. As well as being able to take in the special gardens and learn about different planting techniques, you can also stock up on any equipment and seeds you require.
Both shows are popular, so why not book your tickets as soon as possible and start planning what London attractions you would like to see when taking breaks in this part of the UK?
