Sneak peek: 6 must-sees at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022
The world famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show opens its flower bedecked Bullring Gate on Tuesday 24th May, heralding the start of the flower show season. Garden designers and their teams have been working tirelessly landscaping, building, planting and fine tuning their show gardens. Specialist growers have been carefully transporting their unique plant collections after months of nurturing. Yay! Flower showtime is here!
Flowers, gardens and gardening are three of the things we’re maddest about at H&I, so we’re always excited when the RHS Chelsea Flower Show arrives.
We all know how good being in a green space and spending time in a garden makes us feel. Countless studies have proven the health and wellbeing benefits of gardens, from spending time in green spaces to getting our hands dirty gardening.
Here at H&I we believe this can be extended with a little pampering self-care, back at home. So, after each garden we have suggested a product that would make a great pampering birthday gift for a loved one (or for yourself).
Here is a peek at handful of the many gardens scheduled for Chelsea Flower Show 2022. First is a garden sponsored by Perennial, a charity that offers support to people working in horticulture, in difficult times.
The Perennial ‘With Love’ Garden
The thought behind the With Love garden (pictured above), that gardens are a ‘gift of love’ that give pleasure to those who create them, just as much as to those who visit them, really touched us. The Perennial garden (the charity’s first ‘Show Garden’) is by Richard Miers. Known for his elegant, structured gardens, imagine flat-topped hawthorn trees that flank a central rill or stream, low yew bushes clipped into domes and gentle white and plum hued blooms. The garden is sheltered on all sides creating a private sanctuary for visitors.
Feel-good gift: RHS Lavender Garden Calming Hand & Body Wash is infused with essential oils of Lavandula angustifolia, rosemary and eucalyptus and is both calming and uplifting, like a walk in a garden. Twin with the matching hand cream.
The Wild Kitchen Garden
This is a ‘Container Garden’, artwork pictured above. We love its idea of bringing wild, edible plants and trees into a small, urban setting. The RHS describes the Ann Treneman designed garden enticingly, as ‘informal, colourful, airy, natural and tasty’. We’re not yet sure which plants will feature, but we’re pretty sure they’ll tickle your tastebuds.
Feel-good gift: for those who enjoy growing their own veggies check out RHS Home Grown Care Gift for Hands, inspired by growing from home, a colourful hamper of vegan hand cream, oat soap, hand gel and hand soak.
The Mind Garden
Imagine light, elegant sculptural walls set within open woodland with colourful meadow flowers at the woodland edge. The garden is designed both to be a place for people to connect with each other, and to inspire us to share our troubles. The garden is designed by Andy Sturgeon and sponsored by the Mind Project: Giving Back and will be transported to a local Mind location as a garden to help people support each other for years to come.
Feel-good gift: RHS Lavender Garden Sleep Gift Set with Himalayan bath salts, calming pillow mist and velvet lavender eye mask is all you need for peace and tranquillity at bedtime.
Houseplant Studios
If you’re nurturing a love of houseplants, the Houseplant Studios is not to miss. This year the studios represent different rooms in a house, from workspace rooms to party rooms (think Studio 54 and lava lamps - artist's illustration above) and an arial indoor garden filled with climbing plants. There is also a daily Plant Clinic where you can learn how to care for houseplants in an interactive space.
The Enchanted Rain Garden
If rain is forecast who says a garden can’t still be gorgeous! We really dig (!) the sound of this Container Garden by Bea Tann which is inspired by a rainy garden in Manchester and lush green forests. Ferns, deep green planting with leaves that glisten in the rain are set to feature.
Feel-good gift: In The Garden Barrier Cream, is an intensive hand cream for gardeners’ hands with thyme oil, vitamin E and calendula. Comes in a reusable container perfect for germinating seeds.
Floral Crowns fit for the Queen
The Queen is the Royal Horticultural Society’s Royal Patron, first visiting the show as Queen in 1955 and returning with visible delight ever since. Plenty of floral tributes are planned at Chelsea in celebration of the Platinum Jubilee.
A photography exhibition with images of the Queen’s many visits to the show is a not-to-miss. A floral portrait by Simon Lycett in as the RHS tells us, the official Platinum Jubilee shade of purple features 70 terracotta pots planted with lily of the valley (a royal favourite). And the iconic Bullring Gate entrance will be decorated with a floral archway by Lucy Vail Floristry topped with three wicker floral crowns in a celebration of British flower growers.
Heathcote & Ivory X RHS Beauty Collections
We are proud to work with the Royal Horticultural Society creating RHS beauty, hand care and gifting collections. The vegan formulations include botanical ingredients inspired by RHS gardens and the packaging designs are inspired by the Lindley Collection, a rich archive of historic and modern botanical illustration and artwork. Gorgeous gifts for garden lovers.
Discover the collections:
References:
Image credits:
Richard Miers Garden Design; Ann Treneman; Andy Sturgeon; Houseplant Studios; Bea Tann; Lucy Vail Floristry
