Each spring, RHS Chelsea Flower Show transforms the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea into one of the world’s most influential showcases of garden design, horticulture and outdoor living. More than a traditional flower show, Chelsea has become a global stage where landscape architects, designers and brands unveil the ideas, materials and planting trends that often shape the future of gardens well beyond the UK. Many gardens are designed with a “second life” and are relocated after the show to schools, hospitals, charities and community spaces. From ambitious show gardens vying to win the coveted gold, silver and bronze medals to creative installations and stunning floral stands, the event is open to members of the Royal Horticultural Society as well as the general public until 23 May 2026. Tickets tend to sell out but returns are usually available. If you do visit, here are ten highlights from the gardens to the shops and hospitality.

1.The Tate Britain Garden

Created by Tom Stuart-Smith and supported by the Clore Duffield Foundation alongside Project Giving Back, this stunning garden received a Gold Medal and marks the first time Tate has created a garden for the show. Conceived as a preview of the future Clore Garden set to open at Tate Britain in 2027, the project explores the relationship between art, landscape and public space. Drawing inspiration from East Asian woodland environments, the garden features climate-resilient planting designed to respond to London’s warming conditions. At its centre sits “Bicentric Form,” a 1949 sculpture by Barbara Hepworth, accompanied by a circular bench made from reclaimed materials and a striking golden water feature.

2.Trussell’s Together Garden

Garden designer Rob Hardy worked with Trussell, a network of food banks and Peter Gregory Landscapes to create a welcoming space that explores the idea of community as a force for change. The garden uses intersecting paths, shared seating, and a woven timber frame while at the centre, a calm water feature offers a place for reflection. Awarded both a Gold Medal and the Best Construction Award, it combines thoughtful storytelling with precise, purposeful design.The garden will be the first RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden to be relocated to Northern Ireland where it will remain at Strabane Foodbank.

3.Eden Project Bring Me Sunshine Garden

This gorgeous show garden was developed in collaboration with the Eden Project in Morecambe Bay, Cornwall, known best for its vast biomes housing diverse plant species from around the world. The garden, designed by Harry Holding and Alex Michaelis, combines vibrant planting with a loose, naturalistic layout designed to encourage visitors to wander, pause and reflect. Echoing the broader ethos of the Eden Project, it presents nature as a source of wellbeing, learning and environmental connection, bringing a sense of warmth and optimism to the show.

4.RHS and King’s Foundation Curious Garden

The “Curious Garden” is an interactive, education-led space designed to spark curiosity about gardening and the natural world. Created with the The King’s Foundation, it combines playful design with hands-on elements to encourage learning, creativity and engagement with plants. Also supported by football legend Sir David Beckham and TV gardener andro thor Alan Titchmarsh, the garden aims to inspire new gardeners while highlighting the role of nature in wellbeing and everyday life. After the show, the garden will beworking educational garden, transferred to a college for young adults, where parts of the planting and growing elements will continue to be used for teaching and training in horticulture, craft and food-related skills.

5.Saatchi Gallery In the Pink

London’s Saatchi Gallery’s 2026 garden unsurprisingly features contemporary art. Created by designer Naomi Ferrett-Cohen with kinetic artist Lucy Gregory the garden cleverly blends sculpture, planting and interactive design. A circular flow of pathways and sculptural elements draws visitors through immersive planting, turning the space into something to explore rather than simply observe.

6.The Campaign to Protect Rural England Garden: ‘On the Edge’

Sarah Eberle’s evocative garden, featuring a monumental sleeping female figure carved from a fallen tree, has taken the top honor at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026. Emphasising nature's power to protect this sleeping guardian is Gaia, or Mother Nature. "The garden aims to bring to you the potential and the joy in the ordinary" said Sarah Eberle. Now the Royal Horticultural Society’s most awarded designer, she is also among a very small group of women to have won Best in Show at Chelsea as a solo creator in the show’s century-long history.

7.Addleshaw Goddard: Flourish in the City

Sponsored by a London law firm, Joe and Laura Carey were awarded Best Small Show Garden for their clever design that reimagines small urban spaces as thriving pockets of nature, showing how even compact city environments can support biodiversity and provide moments of calm. Blending creative planting with architectural materials, the garden reflects the idea of a greener, more liveable city where nature is woven into everyday life. Judges praised its strong concept and thoughtful planting, noting how it transforms a modest footprint into an immersive, restorative urban landscape.

8.RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year 2026: Hosta ‘Red Ninja’

A truly breakthrough Hosta, ‘Red Ninja’, has been named Plant of the Year at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026, redefining expectations for color in foliage plants. Long sought after by breeders and gardeners, the elusive goal of a hosta with stable, lasting red tones has finally been achieved. Where previous varieties only hinted at red before fading through the season, this Hosta delivers sustained color and also challenges traditional assumptions about where hostas can be successfully grown. Apparently it’s low-maintenance, ideal for mixed borders, balconies and terraces.

9.Aspiga Sustainable Womenswear

This pretty stand shows off the UK womenswear brand’s collaboration with the RHS. Aspiga marks its 20th anniversary with the launch of a special capsule collection that includes sweet tea-dresses, scarves and chic separates. The floral prints are inspired by historic botanical illustrations from delicate florals to bold, dramatic blooms.

10.Champagne Pommery Terrace

There are plenty of places at the show where you can rest, eat and drink but the best (if you can get in) is the expansive Champagne Pommery terrace near the Garden Gate entrance. You can expect champagne and light bites in a lovely setting where you can survey the gardening enthusiasts from a comfortable distance.