The Chelsea Flower Show 2021 will be held in autumn for the first time ever. Taking place from 21 – 26 September, late flowering plants, grasses and edibles will take centre stage at the historic show in London, as it showcases the very best in autumn horticulture.
Ahead of the world's most prestigious gardening event, the RHS has shared some highlights and unusual sights that visitors wouldn't usually see at the spring show. Here's what to look out for...
1. Displays will make the most of autumn’s harvest
With autumn being the season of harvest, the Chelsea Flower Show will celebrate fruit and vegetables. Look out for a brand new Italian inspired feature, The Great Pavilion Piazza, which will showcase a selection of seasonal plants and produce at the Monument in the centre created by Villaggio Verde. There will be a seasonal palette of asters and dahlias alongside a selection of squashes and pumpkins.
Other harvest highlights include Brighter Blooms who will switch their usual Zantedeschia for a selection of salad crops, while Pennard Plants will have a display of tomatoes and other tender vegetables.
The gardens will be full of edibles too, as designers make the most of the autumn bounty with trees full of fruit and berries. The M&G Garden will feature the bright orange berries of Hippophae rhamnoides and rosehips to add to the autumnal charm, not to mention their benefit to wildlife.
Limited tickets to the autumnal RHS Chelsea Flower Show are still available and can be purchased online at www.rhs.org.uk/chelsea.
2. Grasses will steal the limelight
During a typical RHS Chelsea Show in May, ferns and hostas would usually deliver the fresh greenery that has been so prominent in designers' spring palettes, but for this year's show, grasses will be at their very best in September.
'For the first time in a long time, there will be a sole display of ornamental grasses in the Great Pavilion created by first time exhibitors Ashcroft's Perennials. With the spring show being too early in the season, they have not been seen in there for a number of years and the autumn show will ensure they are in flower and looking their best,' the RHS explains.
Also look out for The Guide Dogs' 90th Anniversary Garden, The Yeo Valley Organic Garden and The Boodles Secret Garden, all of which are incorporating an array of grasses into their garden designs.
3. Topiary and trees will dominate the Great Pavilion
'Recent years have seen more naturalistic styles come to the fore at RHS Chelsea however this year we will see a resurgence in the art of shaping plants,' the RHS reveals.
Autumn is one of the best times for trees and shrubs, and topiary will be a popular display in the Great Pavilion with Agrumi Topiary Art, who are exhibiting for the first time with a range of topiary animals, as well as Form Plants, who are making their debut with Torc Pots. They will create a walk-through display of large specimen topiary up to 5m in height.
4. Blooms will be swapped for seedheads
Late summer and early autumn sees many flowers fade but seedheads offer plenty of interest and structure. The foxglove (Digitalis ferruginea) was Florence Nightingale’s favourite plant, however, as the flowers will be over in September, designer Robert Myers will be incorporating it into The Florence Nightingale Garden in the form of seedheads instead.
You'll also spot seedheads such as teasels and sanguisorbas in the Guide Dogs' 90th Anniversary Garden, while The M&G Garden will embrace the season with some senesced plants.
5. Expect warm colour palettes
Attractive coloured leaves and foliage will add autumn and winter interest at RHS Chelsea this year. Arit Anderson will celebrate foliage in different colours in The BBC One Show and RHS Garden of Hope, alongside flowers such as dahlias with tones of warm pinks and oranges.
Elsewhere, although peonies are much-loved for their spring flowers, Primrose Hall Peonies and The Botanic Nursery will be showing off their year-round interest and beautiful foliage in different shades of gold and burgundy.
6. Late summer and autumn flowers will lead the way
'Lupins, irises and foxgloves are usually some of the most iconic sights at RHS Chelsea. However, this year visitors can expect to see late summer flowers such as asters and dahlias among the stars of the show,' the RHS says. 'The new season also welcomes new growers joining the line-up, including the International Camellia Society who will highlight autumn flowering varieties and Parigo Alstroemeria bringing back Alstroemeria (Peruvian lily) which have not been seen in the Great Pavilion for a number of years.'
Penstemon, another late summer and autumn flowering favourite, will be on display with first-time exhibitors GreenJJam, while Middleton Nurseries, specialists in salvias, will make their debut with a colourful collection of late-flowering varieties.
7. Tropical plants will come into their own
Autumn ensures many tropical plants are looking their best with lush foliage and flowers. Exotic plant specialists Plantbase, who last appeared at RHS Chelsea in 2017, will return with a display of weird and wonderful tropical, jungle-style plants.
Visitors can discover Vachellia karroo and their relationship with giraffes, a rare Ptilotus exaltatus and Adansonia madagascariensis. Tropical planting will also bring garden designs to life in The Calm of Bangkok and Trailfinders' 50th Anniversary Garden with a selection of Hedychium, Cautleya and Brugmansia.
8. Spring flowering bulbs will be replaced with autumn bulbs
Autumn flowering bulbs are a rare sight at RHS Chelsea – until now. In celebration of the autumn season, flowering bulb specialists Jacques Amand International will display a vibrant collection of Nerine, Colchicum and Eucomis.
Autumn is a key time to plant spring bulbs for the next year, and there will be more opportunities to buy from exhibitors in the Great Pavilion, including a bumper selection of bulbs from W.S. Warmenhoven, Hoyland Plant Centre and Hare Spring Cottage Plants, among others.
• Chelsea Flower Show 2021 returns on 21st - 26th September at The Royal Hospital, Chelsea. Visit rhs.org for tickets and more information.
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21 great gardening books for tips on plants, design and wellbeing
Gardener’s World: How I Garden: Easy ideas & inspiration for making beautiful gardens anywhere
Adam Frost's practical, no-nonsense approach will help you plan and build a garden that works for you. The Gardeners' World presenter takes you step by step through the whole process, whether you have a window box or a charming veg patch.
Struggling to keep your houseplants alive? Wondering why leaves are turning yellow? This is the book for you. Sarah, also known as @theplantrescuer, is a self-taught houseplant obsessive who fills each page with her top tips on how to revive wilting plants. It has been described as a book to 'help your plants not only survive but thrive'.
Gardening for Mind, Body and Soul: How to Nurture Your Well-Being with Nature
Gardening for Mind, Body and Soul celebrates the benefits of gardening — and how nature can boost our wellbeing. Highlights include learning about birdsong, exploring which plants release scents to soothe the mind, and how we can all promote feelings of balance and calm.
The Modern Gardener: A practical guide to gardening creatively, productively and sustainably
Slip on your gardening gloves...Francis Tophill's book is packed with everything the modern gardener needs. You'll find plant advice, plant-based recipes, and tips on how to reduce your carbon footprint. Create a space that looks beautiful and attracts wildlife.
The National Trust GROW: Fill your world with plants (National Trust)
Whether you want to create a mini wildflower meadow or make the most of your houseplants, this beautifully illustrated book from the National Trust is a fresh take on gardening. Plant lovers, this one is for you...
Nancy Birtwhistle's The Green Gardening Handbook does what it says on the tin. Featuring over 100 tips to help you grow with confidence, chapters include composting, seasonal recipes, guides to freezing, storing and preserving, and basic gardening equipment. It also features clever tips that will help you save money and reduce waste at home.
Modern Container Gardening: How to Create a Stylish Small-Space Garden Anywhere
Isabelle Palmer shows you how to make the most of every little space with a series of projects for small gardens, singular containers and window boxes, that can be completed in a day or weekend. Perfect for novice gardeners, Modern Container Gardening offers beautiful photography and clear step-by-step instructions.
The National Trust employs over 500 gardeners with an extraordinary wealth of expertise. And now, in this in-depth guide, they pass on their wisdom and provide the answers any new and seasoned gardener is looking for. This book is intended to give you inspiration and confidence to make the most of your garden, without being overwhelmed with unnecessary technical detail.
Veg in One Bed: How to Grow an Abundance of Food in One Raised Bed, Month by Month
Veg In One Bed explains how to build your bed and grow from seed, as well advice on planting, feeding, and harvesting. YouTube gardening star Huw Richards shows how to guarantee early success by starting off young plants on a windowsill and suggests what to grow in each part of the bed.
Create a beautiful wildlife haven at home with the RHS' Little Book of Wild Gardening. Divided into sections for different areas — including lawns, flower beds, edibles, trees and water features – you'll find tips, tricks and helpful ideas for every space.
The Practical House Plant Book by the RHS contains a dozen step-by-step projects to help you assemble an eye-catching terrarium, create a floating kokedama 'string garden', or propagate succulents. Complete with 175 in-depth plant profiles, this is an essential practical guide for indoor gardeners.
Small Garden Style: A Design Guide for Outdoor Rooms and Containers
A small garden space – an urban patio, a tiny backyard, or even just a pot by your door – doesn't have to sacrifice style. In Small Garden Style, garden designer Isa Hendry Eaton and lifestyle writer Jennifer Blaise Kramer show you how to use good design to create a joyful, elegant, and exciting yet compact outdoor living space.
Charles Dowding's No Dig Gardening: From Weeds to Vegetables Easily and Quickly: Course 1
Charles Dowding, innovator of no dig, teaches you everything you need to know about this method of organic gardening. With 19 chapters, you'll learn how to use no dig on different soil types, recognise and massively reduce the different types of weeds, know the difference between soil and types of compost, and grow an abundance of vegetables using the no dig method.
Get all the inspiration you need for planting cut flowers, and fill your home with colour and the gorgeous scent of the garden year-round with In Bloom. Clare Nolan reveals her secrets for growing a bountiful harvest as well as styling spectacular homegrown displays in this beautifully designed book.
The RHS' Complete Gardener's Manual will help you choose plants that will thrive in your space, design a border for year-round colour, grasp different pruning techniques, discover how to protect your veg patch from pests, and make the best compost.
Do you want to attract more bees, birds, frogs and hedgehogs into your garden? In Wildlife Gardening for Everyone and Everything, Kate Bradbury teams up with the Wildlife Trusts and the RHS to help you discover how you can make your garden, balcony, doorstep or patio a haven for garden wildlife. You'll find handy charts, practical projects and fact files.
Gardener and TV presenter David Domoney is a firm believer that indoor plants can make 'a practical and emotional contribution to our wellbeing'. In this book, David explains the hard science behind the positive effect of the humble houseplant on wellness, and provides expert tips on how to keep your plants thriving, plus shares his top 50 life-enhancing houseplants.
RHS Encyclopedia of Garden Design: Planning, Building and Planting Your Perfect Outdoor Space
If you're looking for new garden ideas, the RHS Encyclopedia of Garden Design will guide you from planning to planting, such as choosing the correct materials for your structures and assessing your drainage, to laying patios, making ponds, and planting perennials.
How to Create an Eco Garden: The practical guide to sustainable and greener gardening
This planet-friendly book is filled with ideas for creating your own eco garden on any scale, from a small courtyard to a large garden or allotment. Discover organic techniques that improve biodiversity, learn the value of using recycled and reclaimed materials for landscaping, and take on simple projects such as making a pond and a wildlife hotel.
Drawing on expert advice from the RHS, this best-selling reference book – organised by colour, size, and type, rather than as an A-Z directory – will help you select the right varieties for your outdoor space.
Joyce and Ben Russell have devised 30 kitchen garden projects, devised to either extend the season, protect crops from pests or improve yields. These projects transform your vegetable plot into somewhere more productive, more attractive and more secure.
