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It promises exciting firsts, from Monty Don's garden debut to Tom Massey's AI-powered garden
As the most famous and prestigious gardening event in the world, there is always an exciting buzz in the lead-up to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The 2025 Show kicks off on Monday 19th May for members of the press and VIPs (celebrities and the Royal family). Doors officially open on Tuesday 20th until Saturday 24th May, so it'll be a jam-packed week with world-class designers and exhibitors coming together to celebrate all things horticulture.
One of our favourite categories is the Balcony and Container Gardens, as well as the Houseplant Studios, all of which provide the perfect small-space inspiration. The Show Gardens are without doubt a must-see, and we've highlighted some below that are particularly special this year. If your garden is your pride and joy, make sure you head inside the Great Pavilion – it's plant heaven, and it's called the crown jewel of Chelsea for good reason!
Below, we've highlighted some special launches, garden collaborations, and some first-evers in the history of Chelsea that you won't want to miss.
House Beautiful will be attending the Chelsea Flower Show on press day and throughout the week, so we'll be bringing you all the action and highlights on our RHS Chelsea hub and across our social channels.
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Gardeners' World presenter Monty Don is designing his first garden at Chelsea – and his beloved dog Ned has even had a helping hand in creating some of the paths. The RHS and BBC Radio 2 Dog Garden will be a Feature Garden (so it won't be judged) but it's certainly the most talked about. Monty has been working with Jamie Butterworth of Form Plants to bring the garden to life.
Fear not, Monty will still be leading BBC Two's Chelsea coverage – and he'll make time to come down to his garden. 'Once the show starts, I’ll be busy presenting coverage for the BBC, but yes, if I’m not doing something for an hour, I’ll be on the garden. People will be able to view it from all four sides and I will be there to talk to people,' he said in the Royal Horticultural Society's The Garden magazine.
Read more:
• Monty Don to design his first garden at Chelsea Flower Show 2025 – all in celebration of dogs
Debuting at RHS Chelsea will be Catherine's Rose, named after Catherine, Princess of Wales. Launched by the RHS and bred by Harkness Roses, the gorgeous coral-pink floribunda rose has a rich scent of Turkish Delight and mango. With proceeds going to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, the rose aims to celebrate the healing power of nature and raise awareness of the important role that spending time outdoors plays in bringing us joy and supporting our wellbeing.
It's available to pre-order now but you can admire its beauty up close too. You'll find Harkness Roses inside the Great Pavilion.
Read more:
• Where to buy Catherine's Rose: Princess of Wales inspires new garden rose
Another garden on everyone's radar is Tom Massey & Je Ahn's AI-powered garden. They've teamed up again following their magnificent WaterAid Garden last year, this time with The Avanade Intelligent Garden. It's an urban forest designed to support urban trees and it'll be equipped with sensors that track tree health – from monitoring growth to soil conditions. AI will analyse the data, spotting trends and predicting future conditions to provide simple, actionable advice. Through a web-based app, visitors will be able to have one-on-one conversations with trees, learning what specific care they need and how they are faring.
Read more:
• RHS Chelsea designer Tom Massey talks green spaces, AI, and his tiny London garden
The Singapore Botanic Gardens will be making its return to RHS Chelsea for the first time in nearly seven decades, after its last appearance in 1957. On display will be a specially curated showcase of native orchids (20 species), highlighting their ecological and cultural significance and the importance of conserving these plants for future generations.
A first in the history of Chelsea, headline sponsors The Newt in Somerset will bring a genuine Karoo Succulent Garden from South Africa to the heart of London. Recreating some of the continent's desert landscapes, the installation will feature rare specimens from 15 plant families, which are sadly under threat from both man and climate change.
Ernst van Jaarsveld, master botanist at Babylonstoren, The Newt's sister estate, says: 'I hope it inspires guests to use rocks and plants to create something beautiful and architectural.'
Making its first appearance at RHS Chelsea will be the flowering ocean plant, seagrass (Zostera marina), in the Seawilding garden. Raising awareness of endangered marine ecosystems, designer Ryan McMahon will be making history, as a garden has never exhibited seagrass before. It was planted in a saltwater pool with the temperature set at 14°C. 'This plant is different from seaweed because it has roots, it flowers and it’s a semi-evergreen perennial,' says Ryan.
Read more:
• Chelsea Flower Show 2025 to feature underwater flowering plant for the first time
An alpine garden is coming to Chelsea! In The British Red Cross 'Here for Humanity' Garden, award-winning garden designers John Warland and Tom Bannister will feature alpines from Afghanistan, Türkiye, Morocco, and the UK.
'We're dealing with very special plants in very low numbers,' John tells us. 'It’s rare and interesting, but it's also the reason why people don't attempt gardens like this! We are doing something that has not been seen before.'
Read more:
• How two designers are bringing their award-winning vision to Chelsea Flower Show 2025
Another Chelsea first will see funeral flowers exhibited at the heart of the Great Pavilion. There will be a creative display from The Farewell Flowers Directory – a not-for-profit that aims to remove plastic from funeral floristry by connecting people to independent florists offering personal and compostable arrangements.
'Funeral flowers don’t have to look funereal, they can be anything you want them to be,' says Gill Hodgson MBE, co-founder of The Farewell Flowers Directory.
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