Date: 20-24 May 2008
Venue: Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London

Held annually for five days in May, the Chelsea Flower Show is a garden show organized by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). The show takes place in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in Chelsea, London, England. It is one of the most famous show in England and a part of London’s summer social season.

History
The show was first held in 1862 and named the ‘Royal Horticultural Society’s Great Spring Show’. Its venue was the RHS garden in Kensington. When that garden was closed in 1888, it was moved to Temple Gardens near the Embankment.

In 1912, the Temple Show was cancelled. However, Sir Harry Veitch brought this event back by securing the grounds of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, for a one-off event. The show was a success and the Great Spring Show was moved there in 1913, where it becomes the venue of today’s Chelsea Flower Show.

The event was cancelled a few times during the First World War. It came back in full swing in 1920s, featuring the famous Chelsea tea parties and the Royal visit.

The show was cancelled again during the Second World War because the land was required by the War Office for an anti-aircraft site. It resumed in 1947 with the help of Lord Aberconway (then RHS President) and the RHS Council. Despite obstacles about stocks of plants and shortage of staff, the event was a great success.

Popular parts of the Chelsea Flower Show include the flower arranging and the show gardens.

The Chelsea Flower Show today
Each year, the Chelsea Flower Show receives approximately 157,000 visitors (a number limited by the capacity of the 11 acre ground) and all tickets must be purchased in advance. The show has been recently increased from four days to five in 2005, with the first two days only open to RHS members. Several members of the British Royal Family attend a preview of the show. It is extensively covered by the BBC.

The show has become an important venue for watching trends. New plants are often launched at the show and the popularity of older varieties revived under the focus of the horticultural world. It is the garden design equivalent of a catwalk at a fashion show. In 2008, there are around 600 exhibitors at the show. This includes: 22 show gardens; 22 small gardens, including courtyard gardens and urban gardens; 100 floral exhibitors in the Great Pavilion; approximately 300 garden product exhibitors.

Visit the show’s official website: http://www.rhs.org.uk/chelsea/2008/index.asp